20 Reasons to become an Intelligent Community

The Intelligent Community Forum (ICF), headquartered in NYC, is a global think tank, member association, and even an educational institution in some countries. Its roots in the World Trade Center and World Teleport Associations go back three decades; and ICF itself has been active for over two decades since it was kick-started from the original Smart City Conference held in Toronto in 1995, called SMART95. Over the years, ICF developed an awards program that has helped communities to benchmark themselves against their global competition based on ICF’s holistic criteria. The awards are much more than just an award. There is great depth associated with these awards and hundreds of communities apply for the coveted award. There is also great value in the awards and city leaders have told ICF that some of their key benefits have been an economic development or even physical turn-around that communities have experienced through becoming involved with the ICF Awards process and by applying ICF’s unique methodology to the planning and economic development strategies of their communities. Many communities have indicated to me that they are interested in applying but are unsure of the benefits of taking the time to make an application for the ICF Awards Program. Here are the Top 20 Reasons why you should consider putting forward a nomination of YOUR community to become one of only 21 communities in 2019 to be recognized by ICF for these SMART21 awards:

1. There is no cost to apply. We have been involved in these awards since 1999 and our current 170 communities have never paid for the awards and benefits they have received.
2. In fact, if you are selected as a TOP7 Intelligent Community (which is the next stage after the SMART21 Awards), ICF will provide free tickets to the Annual Summit in NYC and to the Awards Dinner in NYC for community leaders attending the event.
3. Winning communities receive free “earned media” publicity through ICF’s media channels and social media.
4. Winning communities are often promoted as part of ICF’s presentations, videos and podcasts worldwide.
5. Intelligent Communities also tend to benefit from extensive viral communications about this recognition.
6. Selected communities are granted the right to identify themselves as ICF-recognized Smart21 cities and Intelligent Communities,
7. ICF Smart21 communities are extended the right to use its recognized logos for marketing purposes. ICF also create special Smart21 logos for these communities to use.
8. Similarly, TOP7 Intelligent Communities and the Intelligent Community of the Year are recognized with different logos and are also granted exclusive rights to use the logos for marketing and identification purposes.
9. ICF will write blogs and reference these communities in articles in industry, civic and technology journals and through global presentations throughout the year.
10. These communities may also be referenced in books published through ICF.
11. If the communities make the Top 7 list, ICF will send a senior executive to experience and validate their success on site and share this with the global judging panels.
12. Local media opportunities associated with the TOP7 site visit help to raise awareness of the community’s great achievement at the local level.
13. SMART21 and TOP7 Intelligent Communities will be celebrated at an event at the ICF ‘s annual Summit.
14. SMART21 communities may be featured on individual webinars and podcasts.
15. SMART21 communities are invited to join the exclusive Intelligent Community Forum Foundation (ICFF), the association of Smart21 Intelligent Communities, which has additional benefits of networking, building city-to-city connections, being part of visiting smart city tours and promotion as unique ecosystems to attract and retain talent and FDI. Your community cannot join this association unless it has qualified at least as a SMART21 Intelligent Community.
16. In some countries such as in Taiwan and Canada, communities that apply and win a spot on the SMART21 list may begin to work within these affiliated ICF entities, gaining additional benefits from these domestic ICF related organizations in their countries.
17. Through the Awards process, communities will learn what gaps, if any, it has, compared to other globally comparable communities. Benchmarking against other communities is a great benefit.
18. The completed application form asks unique questions about the community that is often used afterwards by communities as the basis of a new community audit and often used in economic development promotional profiles as a smart and intelligent community.
19. Members from SMART21 Intelligent Communities may be invited to be speakers at future SMART21 or TOP7 announcements, ICF’s Annual Global Summit and in other conferences, showcasing their competitive advantages as Intelligent Communities to the world.
20. Cities, Towns and Regions that apply to be recognized as Smart21 communities will be exposed to ICF’s Intelligent Community indicators and can further learn what it takes to become investment ready communities to attract and retain jobs, investment and talent in their communities.

And here is even a 21st Reason: anyone can make an application. ICF works in a “quadruple helix environment”- promoting the participation of government, the private sector, institutions and inspired individuals to make a submission. Of course, the entire community can participate as the community as a whole will benefit. But sometimes leaving it to the government sector to make the application is not enough. Anyone can apply and nominate their community. Besides, there is no cost to apply, so it’s easy for individuals, non-profits, companies and other organizations to apply as well. These 21 benefits, and more, are only available if you submit an application at: http://www.intelligentcommunity.org/nominations .

To become recognized by the Intelligent Community Forum as an Intelligent Community we undertake a year-long process that celebrates and promotes these communities as we evaluate them first from a SMART21 level (Deadline this year is September 21, 2018) and later to the TOP7 (this shortlist comes from the SMART21 list) and finally as the Intelligent Community of the Year (chosen from among the TOP7 list).

Any size and shape of community can apply and be recognized, no matter how small or remote, as long as you are connected! Good luck. Submit by September 21, 2018 and learn if you made the SMART21 list the following month. For more information, contact Matt Owen at ICF: [email protected]

Image: Modified City of Edmonton Photo Gallery Image

Want to have a voice in iCommunity.ca, the official newsletter of ICF Canada? Please send your blogs, announcements and other interesting content to John G. Jung at  [email protected]

ICF Canada   1310-20 Bay Street Toronto, Ontario M5J 2N8  www.icf-canada.com
Contact: John G. Jung at [email protected] 1-647-801-4238 cell

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list