The city of Mesa’s Office of Economic Development was recently awarded a Golden Prospector Award from the Arizona Association for Economic Development in the category of multimedia promotion for its work on Mesa’s Asian District branding.

The Golden Prospector Awards were established by AAED to encourage and recognize excellence, innovation, and creativity in economic development, according to a release.

“I’m proud to see the unique, vibrant and symbolic branding created for Mesa’s Asian District recognized with this award,” Mesa Mayor John Giles said in the relese. “The Asian District is a remarkable area where people can immerse themselves in the richness of Asian cultures, and I commend the collaborative efforts that went into developing an eye-catching brand to match.”

The Asian District branding effort was recognized for its effectiveness in achieving its goal of establishing an inclusive Asian Multicultural District and for its innovation and creativity by incorporating into its logo the tangram, a seven-piece Chinese geometric puzzle that dates back 2,000 years. The logo features a square comprised of the tangram pieces, symbolic of the different Asian cultures coming together in a unified community while maintaining the individuality of each culture.

Key elements of the branding effort included community collaboration, market research, media placements, promotional items, targeted newsletters, and cultural events such as the Asian District Night Market where more than 7,000 attendees enjoyed live entertainment, as well as food and gift items from 60 vendors and food trucks.

Go to AsianDistrictMesa.com.

“The city of Mesa’s team did an incredible job of creating a dynamic, strong brand for the Asian District,” District 3 Councilmember Francisco Heredia said in the release. “They were able to capture the importance and significance of the area and tie it all together in a way that clearly demonstrates how vital the Asian District is for District 3 and the City of Mesa as a whole. This kind of forward thinking and brand development has set the Asian District up to be a tremendous success story for many years to come.”

“We are honored to be recognized by AAED for this Golden Prospector Award,” Jaye O’Donnell, Mesa assistant economic development director, said in the release. “This initiative was a true partnership between community stakeholders and the economic development team to define and promote our Asian Multicultural District as a vibrant, inclusive, day-night community that embraces all cultures attracting businesses, residents, and visitors from across the region.”

Serving as the leading statewide advocate for responsible economic development in Arizona since 1974, AAED’s foundation has been rooted in education, advocacy, and collaboration to affect positive change and increase Arizona’s competitive position to attract investment and create jobs. Go to AAED.com