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Awards & Industry Recognition

See how Visit Milwaukee’s innovation, leadership and creativity are earning national recognition. Explore our awards for marketing, tourism and community excellence that celebrate our work promoting Milwaukee as a premier destination. These achievements highlight not only what we’ve accomplished, but also the growing influence and momentum of Milwaukee’s presence on the national stage. As we continue to push boundaries and raise the bar, we’re proud to share the awards that recognize our commitment to excellence.

Destination Awards

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Logo for the IFEA World Festival & Event City program, featuring colorful abstract shapes and a small globe icon.

2024 IFEA World Festival & Event City Award

Winner: Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Baird Center Awards

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Logo for the Exhibitor Centers of Excellence 2025 Winner, displayed in black text on a green background.

2025 EXHIBITOR Magazine’s Centers of Excellence Award - Best Convention Center (100,000 – 500,000 sq. ft. of Exhibit Space)

Winner: Baird Center
Alt text: Northstar Stella Awards logo featuring a gold star graphic and the words “Stella Awards” in black text on a white background.

Stella Awards 2025: Best Convention Center (REGIONAL, STANDALONE FACILITY) - Bronze

Winner: Baird Center
Sponsorship Excellence Awards graphic with bold gold text reading “Sponsorship Excellence Awards” set against a dark background featuring glass-like award trophies.

2025 Sponsorship Marketing Association Excellence Award - Best in Show: Outstanding Activation in Arts & Entertainment

Winner: Baird Center (We Energies Art Collection)
Circular 2024 Hsmai Adrian Award Winner badge in green and teal, featuring a stylized letter ‘A’ in the center and the word ‘WINNER’ across the bottom.

2024 HSMAI Adrian Awards - Gold

Winner: Baird Center

Meeting & Conventions Awards

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2025 SportsTravel Awards by Northstar logo featuring a dark blue geometric diamond background with white text reading ‘2025 SportsTravel Awards.’

2025 SportsTravel Awards by Northstar - BEST AMATEUR SPORTS EVENT

Winner: 2025 USA Fencing National Championship - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Visit Milwaukee Awards

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Alt text: Northstar Stella Awards logo featuring a gold star graphic and the words “Stella Awards” in black text on a white background.

Stella Awards 2025: Best CVB/DMO - Silver

Winner: Visit Milwaukee
Best of Meetings Today winners graphic featuring a purple star on a gold background, the text “Best of Meetings Today,” “People + Places,” and “2025,” with the word “winners” prominently displayed.

2025 Meetings Today Best of Awards - Best MidAmerica CVBs/DMOs

Winner: Visit Milwaukee
“Smart Meetings Platinum Choice Awards 2025 graphic with a black textured background, a red stage curtain pulled back on the right, and text reading ‘Platinum Choice Awards 2025’ and ‘Recognizing the industry’s finest,’ with the Smart Meetings logo at the top.

2025 Smart Meetings Platinum Choice Awards - CVB

Winner: Visit Milwaukee
eTourism eTSY Awards logo on a black background with large white text reading ‘eTSY Awards’ and smaller text ‘eTourism’ above, plus a red tagline below that reads ‘Celebrating excellence in digital tourism marketing'.

2025 eTourism eTSY Awards - Best Travel Brand Refresh

Winner: Visit Milwaukee (Fresh Coast Refresh)
Destinations Wisconsin logo featuring a blue map pin icon with a green silhouette of the state of Wisconsin inside, and the text ‘Destinations Wisconsin’ below in blue and green.

2025 Destination Wisconsin's Tourism Trailblazer Award - Outstanding Destination Development and Impact

Winner: Visit Milwaukee (2024 Connect Marketplace)
Smart Meetings Platinum Choice Award Winners 2024 graphic featuring a central white panel with the text ‘Platinum Choice Award Winners 2024’ and ‘Celebrating extraordinary venues and destinations,’ surrounded by a collage of colorful travel and destination photographs.

2024 Smart Meetings Platinum Choice Awards - CVB

Winner: Visit Milwaukee
Circular badge for the W3 Awards showing the W3 logo in black on a silver background with the text “2024 Silver Winner.”

2024 W3 Awards: Silver - Best Tourism Website

Winner: Visit Milwaukee
eTourism eTSY Awards logo on a black background with large white text reading ‘eTSY Awards’ and smaller text ‘eTourism’ above, plus a red tagline below that reads ‘Celebrating excellence in digital tourism marketing'.

2024 eTourism eTSY Awards - Best Local Marketing Campaign

Winner: Visit Milwaukee (Milwaukee Theater District)
PRSA Southeastern Wisconsin Chapter logo featuring the blue letters ‘PRSA’ with smaller text reading ‘Southeastern Wisconsin Chapter’ on a black background.

2024 PRSA Paragon Awards - Awards of Excellence: Influencer Marketing to Expand Awareness

Winner: Visit Milwaukee (Museum Days Influencer Campaign)
2023 AVA Digital Awards Gold Winner badge featuring a hexagonal design with a pink-to-blue gradient background, white text reading ‘AVA Digital Awards,’ and a gold ribbon across the bottom labeled ‘Gold Winner.’

2023 AVA Digital Awards - Gold: Web-Based Production & Social Media Campaign

Winner: Visit Milwaukee (Bobby Portis, Milwaukee's Hype Man Campaign)

Professional Awards

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Logo for Milwaukee Magazine’s “The Betty Awards” displayed in white text on a purple background.

2025 Milwaukee Magazine Betty Awards - Groundbreaker

Winner: Peggy Williams-Smith, President/CEO Visit Milwaukee
PRSA Southeastern Wisconsin Chapter logo featuring the blue letters ‘PRSA’ with smaller text reading ‘Southeastern Wisconsin Chapter’ on a black background.

2025 PRSA Paragon Awards - Communicator of the Year

Winner: Peggy Williams-Smith, President/CEO Visit Milwaukee
Women in Hospitality logo featuring handwritten-style pink text reading ‘Women in Hospitality’ on a black background, with a thin horizontal line beneath the text.

Wisconsin Restaurant Association's 2025 Top 20 Women in Hospitality to Watch

Winner: Peggy Williams-Smith, President/CEO of Visit Milwaukee
Logo for BizTimes Media’s “Notable Latino Leaders” recognition, featuring bold text and a row of multicolored blocks.

2025 BizTimes Media Notable Latino Leaders

Winner: Tony Snell Rodriguez, Director of Community Engagement and Inclusion
Sports ETA Member Awards graphic on a black background featuring a red flag icon above the words ‘Sports ETA,’ large red text reading ‘Member Awards,’ and smaller text below that says ‘powered by Team Travel Source,’ with the Team Travel Source logo.

2025 Sports ETA Woman of the Year

Winner: Marissa Werner, Director of Sports Milwaukee
IAEE Awards graphic featuring a gold trophy centered within a laurel wreath on a dark blue background, with the IAEE logo at the top and a gold banner across the bottom reading ‘IAEE AWARDS.’

2025 International Association of Exhibitions and Events® Awards - Outstanding Marketing & Sales

Winner: Leslie Johnson, VP of Sales and Event Experience
Milwaukee Business Journal C-Suite Stars graphic featuring white text reading ‘C-Suite Stars’ with a gold star integrated into the letter ‘A,’ set against a dark green abstract background, with ‘Milwaukee Business Journal’ at the top.

2025 Milwaukee Business Journal C-Suite Stars

Winner: Christina Cooper, Vice President of Human Resources