Attention all Downtown businesses!

You can help drive foot traffic to your business this winter by purchasing an ice sculpture to be on display Downtown during the 2020 World of Winter Festival.

The annual festival organized by Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. (DGRI) and partners returns on January 18, 2020 - and this time, it will take place for an entire month. As always, there will be various FREE winter-themed programming and events, including but not limited to snow yoga, a Lunar New Year celebration by the Grand Rapids Asian-Pacific Festival team, black history walking tours, a silent disco, and the community-favorite Human Hungry Hungry Hippos on Ice Tournament. The festival will conclude on February 16.

One of the festival's most beloved attractions is Valent-ICE, wherein a gallery of over 50 ice sculptures is displayed throughout Downtown for visitors to enjoy. Many of these sculptures are placed in front of businesses. This year, the ice sculptures will be on display from February 14 - 16, 2019. There will also be ice sculpture walking tours, live ice carvings, ice skating, and more. Stay tuned for an official announcement with the lineup of events

World of Winter is one of the largest ice festivals in Michigan. Thousands of attendees and event participants visit Downtown each year to get involved with World of Winter programming. If you own or manage a local business, don't miss out on this opportunity to purchase a sculpture, which will feature your brand's logo, to be placed within the Downtown vicinity to highlight your respective business, organization, or institution. Help us make Downtown the largest gallery of ice art in the state of Michigan again this winter!

Is your business not located Downtown? Not a problem! We will work with you to find a highly visible location for your sculpture.

Why Participate in Valent-ICE?

​Benefits to all who participate in the World of Winter’s Valent-ICE event include:​​

• All Valent-ICE participants are automatically entered to win a $2,000 marketing package! The business, organization or institution that promotes their ice sculpture and the World of Winter Festival the most through social media will win the package. Learn more about the social media contest here.
• DGRI partners with Grand Rapids Running Tours to bring attendees that participate in walking tours directly to your sculpture. You will be contacted before the festival begins to record all the information you would like to be said about your business, organization, or institution within the organized tours.
• Your business or organization will be listed in the World of Winter map (over 10,000 printed along with digital copies sent to 49,000+ followers)
• Your company's name mentioned in social media posts.
• Your business, organization, or institution's logo featured on event banners during the duration of the festival (depending on the level of sculpture).
• An ice sculpture outside of your business, organization, or institution (if you are located outside downtown, we will work with you to find a highly visible location for your sculpture within Downtown in an area of your choosing - such as a park, bridge or sidewalk).
• Logo of your business, organization, or institution included on signage with your sculpture.
• The opportunity to help the City of Grand Rapids and Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. on the GR Forward Master Plan to make Grand Rapids a four-season city by adding activities and events for Grand Rapidians to enjoy during the colder months of the year.
• Additional marketing benefits as outlined in the business agreement.

For more information, email Kim Van Driel, DGRI's Director of Public Space Management at kvandriel@downtowngr.org.