BENSON — Having lost out to Statesville and Kinston in its bid for All-America City status, Benson is gearing up to apply for the honor again next year.

Ben Murphrey, head of economic development and downtown revitalization, said the town’s 20-person delegation to the awards conference in Florida learned a lot from the experience and expects to do better next time.

“We were able to learn what other cities and towns are doing to make their communities a better place,” Murphrey said.

Next year, Murphrey hopes to have more progress to report on the three community-improvement projects Benson presented in its application — downtown revitalization, the Pound Cake Company and Not Just Another Community Center, which provides tutoring and activities for kids.

“I think the town should be proud of being one of the 32 finalists,” Murphrey said. Presented by the National Civic League, the All-America City Award goes to 10 communities each year. It is the Oscar award for towns and cities.

Kaye Reynolds, head of economic development in Lenoir, which won last year, said the award gave her city an excellent marketing tool to attract new residents and businesses. She attended this year’s conference and was impressed with Benson’s presentation.

“In another year or so, I think they would have an excellent chance of being named an All-America City,” she said.

The Benson group gave a 10-minute presentation highlighting its community-improvement projects. “If you drive on into Benson, you’ll find a community that has embraced the idea of public/private partnerships as a way to create economic opportunity,” Mayor William Massengill told the conference attendees. “You’ll find a town that refuses to give in to the economic and social challenges it faces.”

Jan Matthews-Hodges spoke about starting the Pound Cake Company in an abandoned school now owned by the town. She said she now employs many locals with disabilities who might not find jobs elsewhere.

Murphrey talked about the downtown-revitalization program, which has pushed the occupancy rate of storefronts to 90 percent. And Evelyn Aranda, volunteer coordinator at Not Just Another Community Center, spoke of the services offered to children and families.

The town spent about $8,000 to send the group, which included Massengill, his wife and daughter; Town Manager Keith Langdon and his wife; Commissioner Ray Smith and his wife; Matthews-Hodges, her daughter and two employees; Aranda and two kids from the center; Chamber of Commerce Director Loretta Byrd and her husband; and Town Clerk Connie Sorrell. Applying for the award cost $100.

Murphrey said group members got to know each other better on the trip. “It was a real bonding experience,” he said. “We learned how much we really love our community.”

Murphrey added that he wants to take a larger and more diverse delegation next year.