The 16th Annual DREAMR Awards were held Monday afternoon at the Phoenix Convention Center, where R. Neil Irwin received the Visionary Award, the highest honor given.
DREAMR stands for Downtown Revitalization Effort Awards of Merit and Recognition and honors the individuals, projects and organizations that dare to dream and work to make those dreams come true. Thanks to DREAMRs, urban blight and decline have been replaced with new centers of retail and commerce, urban residential opportunities, and an active arts and entertainment community. Because these DREAMRs followed their dreams, crowds of people are returning to a renewed and invigorated Downtown Phoenix.
Irwin, a partner at Brian Cave LLP, was the only Chairman the Downtown Phoenix Partnership had known during the organization’s first 20 years of operation prior to stepping down earlier this year. He played a key role in both the revitalization of Downtown and the development of the Partnership. In 2009, Irwin was named one of The Business Journal’s 25-Most Admired Top Level Executives.
Also receiving DREAMR Awards were: Tom’s Tavern owner Mike Ratner (Private Sector Individual); Don Keuth (Public Sector / Non-Profit Individual); Phoenix Mercury (Organization); Freeport McMoRan Center (Project); and former Phoenix City Manager Frank Fairbanks (”Unsung Hero”).
In addition to awarding the DREAMRs, the event also spotlighted Best of Downtown winners and featured two captivating keynote speakers, Local First Arizona Executive Director Kimber Lanning and Alliance for Audience Executive Director Matt Lehrman. Both offered up simple ways everyone can help raise the profile of Downtown and grow local business. You can watch Lehrman’s speech here and here, and you can watch Lanning’s speech here and here.
Downtown Phoenix has so many different ways to entertain yourself and satisfies so many different interests, that at this moment I couldn’t imagine myself living anywhere else in the Valley. I would not be able to experience the crowds of the World Series or the annual Mexico vs. (fill in blank) soccer game from my patio.
The 
This is one of the premier gatherings for the African American community in Arizona. The Expo offers local residents an incredible opportunity to learn about black businesses and network with one another in an exciting, supportive environment. People of all races are encouraged to attend!
Phoenix Suns captains Amar’e Stoudemire, Grant Hill and Steve Nash are showing their confidence in the Mercury’s ability to win Game 5 of the WNBA Finals decision game on Friday, Oct. 9 at 6 p.m. by endorsing free tickets in the upper level. The 7,000 seats are available on a first come, first served basis starting today at the US Airways Center ticket office.
Can you feel it? It’s playoff time downtown!
As the 2009 Phoenix Mercury season begins, hopes are high that the team will return to championship status—and a 8-4 start is a good way to get the ball rolling. Returning eight starters and a rookie phenomenon in DeWanna Bonner, the chemistry is obvious. The bond and sisterhood they have makes them successful on and off the court, leaving their destiny in arm’s reach. With three players averaging double digits in scoring and two others with nine points a game, the Mercury will surely stay on the winning side of the conference.
