Library Congratulates Visit Fort Wayne on Tourism Award for Jewish Genealogy Conference Partnership

The Allen County Public Library (ACPL) proudly congratulates Visit Fort Wayne on receiving the Indiana Tourism Association’s (ITA) Best Meeting/Group Partnership Award for its work bringing the International Jewish Genealogical Society’s Annual Conference to Fort Wayne. The conference held August 10–14, 2025, brought together genealogists, researchers, and families from across the globe for educational sessions, networking, and access to ACPL’s unparalleled collections. 

The award recognizes the successful collaboration that helped secure and host the 2025 conference, which welcomed hundreds of attendees from around the world to explore family history and genealogy. The event was held in partnership with the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies and showcased Fort Wayne as a premier destination for family history research and conferences. 

A key factor in attracting the conference was the ACPL’s renowned Genealogy Center, one of the largest publicly available genealogy collections in the world. The Center’s global reputation and extensive resources played a central role in positioning Fort Wayne as an ideal host city for the international event.  

“Visit Fort Wayne’s experienced leadership and partnership were instrumental in bringing this prestigious conference to our community,” said ACPL Director of Special Collections Curt Witcher. “This recognition reflects not only their trademark outstanding work, but also the power of collaboration in showcasing Fort Wayne—and the Genealogy Center—as a world-class destination for research, discovery, and connection.” 

Visit Fort Wayne was repeatedly praised by conference organizers for their collaboration. According to event organizer, Irv Adler, the Visit Fort Wayne team gave excellent service throughout the planning process: “I can’t say enough good things about VFW and their staff. You couldn’t ask for better support.” 

According to Witcher, conference participants were impressed by not only the organization of the event, but by the collaboration between the Genealogy Center, Visit Fort Wayne, and the Grand Wayne Convention Center.   

“Partnerships like this demonstrate what’s possible when organizations come together around a shared vision,” continued Witcher. “Visit Fort Wayne, the Grand Wayne Convention Center and our downtown hotels represent the trifecta of an excellent visitor experience. We are so proud to work alongside these partners to highlight the unique assets of our community and to welcome visitors from around the world. They’re seeing that Fort Wayne provides the perfect mix of affordability, tourist amenities, ease of access, and world-class experiences.” 

In all, the IAJGS conference produced an estimated $621,000 in economic impact. The ACPL looks forward to continued collaboration with Visit Fort Wayne to support their award-winning efforts to grow the impact of tourism and meetings in Northeast Indiana—driving economic activity while elevating the region’s national and international profile. 

For more information about the Genealogy Center and its resources, visit GenealogyCenter.org.