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Meaghan Banks, Premium Experience Manager at Pacers Sports & Entertainment, was honored on Tuesday night with a prestigious ROSE Award (Recognition of Service Excellence) from VisitIndy, the Indianapolis convention and tourism bureau.

Banks was one of eight winners out of 70 honorees.

Below is Banks' bio from the ROSE Awards website:

Meaghan is the front-line contact to ensure that clients and their guests, often out of town business associates who are coming to Bankers Life Fieldhouse are made to feel special and extraordinarily welcome. And that she does. Starting as an intern, she worked her way up and into a full-time pivotal position to wow visitors. You'll often find her delivering a piece of birthday cake to ticket holders who are celebrating their special day at the venue or delivering unique team amenities to fans. Recently a client reached out to Meaghan to make special arrangements for an elderly lifetime team fan. Instead of just finding a seat for this lady who would be attending her first-ever game, Meaghan went above and beyond to arrange a visit from the team mascot to deliver the tickets to the nursing home the day before. It didn't stop there. Meaghan ensured this superfan had some on-camera time during the game and had the cheerleaders visit her seats. Our 93-year-old fan was beyond excited. She was one of the first people to be seated in order to take it all in, and once the game got started, she didn't take her eyes off the court. But that's what our Meaghan does, she makes happy moments for the thousands of visitors that she interacts with annually. It's quite evident that Meaghan was bred to be in a service-oriented industry where she can continuously give. We learned that she spent her last birthday recruiting friends to celebrate with her by putting together "Blessing Bags" full of daily necessities like soap, gloves, tissues, toothbrushes, and more. She had an assembly line of friends helping her stuff 27 items into these bags and then went on to distribute them in the downtown area to women and children in need. That's how she spent her birthday. And the year before, she celebrated her birthday by gathering coats and donating them to Wheeler Mission. Meaghan is a true hospitality professional who puts the needs of any guest – as well as those needs of her teammates – ahead of her own. Meaghan has served two years as the Premium Experience Manager for Pacers Sports & Entertainment. She's also a recent graduate from the Tourism, Conventions, and Event Management program at IUPUI, where she learned all about service on a silver platter.

meaghan-banks-honored-with-rose-award

Meaghan Banks Honored with ROSE Award

Damon Edmonds, a greeter with the ESG Security team at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, was honored on Thursday night with a prestigious ROSE Award (Recognition of Service Excellence) from VisitIndy, the Indianapolis convention and tourism bureau.

Edmonds was one of 10 recipients out of 81 nominees.

Below is Edmonds' bio from the ROSE Awards website:

Damon's not only a rock star himself, but he greets the rock stars and star athletes that arrive at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The top VIPs that come through our city – many for the first time – are greeted by Damon. And every time those doors open, he's always on cue with a "Welcome to Bankers Life Fieldhouse" and a 100-watt smile to go along with it. One familiar face that comes through those doors is Paul George – and when you ask PG about his friend Damon, he says "There's no better person and no better representative of our building and city than Damon." Damon is the guy from the commercial for George's NBA2K17 video game! Damon's job is not all glam, though. Many days require him to put out fire after fire, from helping bandage a staff member who cut his head, to finding a misplaced phone, answering the nonstop incoming phone calls, managing shipments, working as a loading dock valet and still being there to greet everyone who comes in and out. For the past five years, he's been the Fieldhouse's problem solver and someone, it's quite obvious, you want on your team. When asked what it is that he likes most about his hospitality career, Damon said, "People. I just like the people. Wherever I am, I try to meet and greet and be the warmest face you can see. That's just my personality. I can get mad, but that's really not me. I've had people tell me I'm one of the most pleasant people they've met and I really want to be that guy...the one that after I've departed someone says, 'that's the happiest guy I've ever known.'" Damon is that guy. A guy that is one of the most pleasant people many have ever met. A guy that is often putting in 14-16 hour work days, especially on game days. It's not uncommon to find Damon is the first one in and the last one out, making this lifelong Hoosier one dedicated soul.

damon-edmonds-honored-with-rose-award

Damon Edmonds Honored with ROSE Award

On Monday at the annual meeting of VisitIndy, Indianapolis' tourism bureau, Pacers Sports & Entertainment was recognized with the prestigious Bill McGowan Award in recognition of the Indiana Pacers' 50th season and the organization's long-standing impact on tourism. The award is named for Bill McGowan, long-time president and CEO of the Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Association (now VisitIndy). Pictured, left to right, are Bill Benner, PS&E Senior Vice President for Community Relations; Leonard Hoops, VisitIndy CEO; Jim Morris, PS&E Vice Chairman; Quinn Buckner, PS&E Vice President of Communications; Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett; Indiana Fever President Kelly Krauskopf; City-County Council President Maggie Lewis; PS&E President Rick Fuson; Pacers player C.J. Miles; former Pacers coach and current radio analyst Bobby "Slick" Leonard; former Pacers general manager Nancy Leonard; former Pacers great Darnell Hillman; VisitIndy board chairman Michael Browning; McGowan; IPL CEO Rafael Sanchez and City-County Council Minority Leader Mike McQuillan.

VisitIndy

Meaghan Banks Honored with ROSE Award

Damon Edmonds Honored with ROSE Award

Pacers Receive Bill McGowan Award from VisitIndy