Catch Des Moines was awarded two 2017 Iowa Tourism Awards for Outstanding Social Media Execution and Outstanding Niche Market Initiative in Sioux City last week at the annual Iowa Tourism Conference. Greg Edwards, president and CEO of Catch Des Moines, said: “Our team strives to identify and execute new ways that get people thinking about and booking events and trips in Greater Des Moines. Receiving these awards reflect the success of those efforts.” Outstanding Social Media Execution honors a destination for excellence in its social media strategy. Over the past fiscal year, Catch Des Moines, the Greater Des Moines Convention and Visitors Bureau, saw 49 percent growth in social media followers and an 86.5 percent increase in engagement as the result of a redefined social media strategy. Outstanding Niche Market Initiative honors a tourism effort targeted to a niche audience. The Catch Des Moines Summer Giveaway Campaign was awarded for increasing awareness of summer events in Greater Des Moines and growing engagement with prospective visitors. The initiative resulted in more than 1 million impressions and a 15 percent increase in visitor newsletter subscriptions. A full list of winners is here.