Ebertfest receives 2024 Tourism Impact Award from Experience Champaign-Urbana

For sharing its passion with film lovers worldwide for 25 years, and making the greater Champaign-Urbana area a better place to live, work, and visit, Ebertfest was selected as one of five winners of the 2024 Tourism Impact Award from Experience Champaign-Urbana.

The Experience Champaign-Urbana Foundation presented the awards at the 11th annual Toast to Tourism on May 15 at Carmon’s, which celebrated the hospitality industry. The other winners included the State Farm Center, Uniting Pride of Champaign County, Urbana Boulders, and the Great Pumpkin Patch. Experience Champaign-Urbana, established in 1982, is the official tourism destination marketing and management organization for Champaign County. 

“Our awardees play a vital role in welcoming residents and visitors, embracing our brilliant spirit of hospitality and innovation,” said Jayne DeLuce, president and CEO of Experience Champaign-Urbana. “We continue to see people choose the Champaign-Urbana area for a place to live and visit because of efforts that these organizations and their teams have undertaken to create truly unique experiences.”

Roger Ebert’s Film Festival, also known as Ebertfest, was recognized for its “genuineness in welcoming everyone into your film family and creating forgiveness, empathy, compassion, and kindness wherever you go.”

"There was such a film community that grew around the festival," recalled Chaz Ebert, co-founder, producer, and host of Ebertfest. "People have met there, people have dated there, people have gotten married there. Creating community means a great deal to me."

“Our brilliant events and activities are being discovered by individuals and groups from around the world, bringing business in conferences, sports, group travel, and leisure travel to our area,” explained DeLuce. “Continued development and investment in the community allows us to push our region forward as a leader in the state.”

Watch Experience Champaign-Urbana’s interview with Chaz Ebert:

Pictured at top: Lynne Barnes, Experience Champaign-Urbana Foundation Board Chair; Molly Cornyn, Project Coordinator for Ebertfest; and Annie Easterday, Experience Champaign-Urbana Board Chair.