Catch Des Moines honored area businesses and people with awards for success in attracting visitors to the metro with leisure travel marketing, conventions, sports and services during the 2023 Catch Des Moines Annual Celebration last week. Matt Wenger, program specialist in the department of animal science at Iowa State University, was named Catch Des Moines Champion for helping bring more visitors to Greater Des Moines. Winners of the Visitor Choice Awards, determined by online visitor vote, included the Iowa State Fair, Hotel Fort Des Moines and Centro. Other award winners include:

• Drake Athletics, Community Champion award
• West Bank, Corporate Champion
• Capital City Fruit, Partner Champion
• MidAmerican Energy Company RecPlex, Game Changer award
• Polk County Supervisor Angela Connolly, Tourism Champion