THE CHARLOTTESVILLE ALBEMARLE CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU HONORED WITH PLATINUM ADRIAN AWARD
The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association Internation recognizes CACVB for outstanding social media campaign
The Charlottesville Albemarle Convention & Visitors Bureau (CACVB) has been recognized once again for its outstanding marketing efforts. In addition to the previously announced Gold Award for Digital Marketing, the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) has also chosen the CACVB’s social media campaign for a prestigious Adrian Platinum Award, the highest honor in its category and considered the pinnacle of global marketing success. The award was officially presented to the CACVB on Monday evening at the 57th Annual Adrian Awards Gala held in New York City at the New York Marriott Marquis.
“Out of 1,200 entries submitted this year, your work was judged to be exceptional by experts in hospitality, travel, tourism, and media,” said the official letter sent to the CACVB to inform the bureau of the award. The official program for that evening’s event declares, “The Adrian Awards is the world’s largest advertising, digital marketing and public relations competition for hospitality, travel, and tourism.”
The CACVB’s Executive Director, Kurt Burkhart, attended the Gala ceremony to receive, on behalf of the CACVB, both the Platinum Adrian Award and the Gold Award. “The success our organization has enjoyed with our digital media campaign is being acknowledged on an international level and this contributes to Charlottesville and Albemarle County’s visibility as an exciting destination,” says Burkhart. Also worth noting is that the CACVB received, in the last year, two prestigious awards for “Best Public Relations Initiative” and “Best Online Marketing Campaign” from the Virginia Association of Convention & Visitors Bureaus, as well as a W3 Gold Award from International Academy of Visual Arts for “Best Tourism Website,” besting from thousands of entries globally.
Presented by the HSMAI, the Adrian Awards honor outstanding achievements in advertising, public relations and digital marketing in the travel industry. Approximately 200 industry experts are invited to serve as members of the Adrian Awards judging academy. Judges are advertising, public relations, media, and Internet marketing professionals, along with leading members of the travel community. Entries are evaluated in five equally weighted categories: Marketing Objectives, Creativity, Quality, Content, and Results. The 2013 Platinum Adrian Award Judges included individuals representing globally recognized companies such as NYC Marriott Hotels, USA Today, and Sojern.
Eighty-seven Gold Adrian Awards were presented for Digital Marketing, with only eight of the Gold winners receiving a Platinum Adrian Award. The CACVB shared the stage with world brand names that included Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, Hilton Worldwide, and Visit Scotland. Burkhart went on to say that “receiving this recognition is truly humbling, especially when you realize it’s not about how large a budget you have for social media, rather, it’s the creativity that wins.”
HSMAI is a global organization of sales, marketing, and revenue management professionals representing all segments of the hospitality industry. With a strong focus on education, HSMAI has become the industry champion in identifying and communicating trends in the hospitality industry while operating as a leading voice for hospitality and sales, marketing, and revenue management disciplines, as well as connecting its members with customers. Founded in the United States in 1927, HSMAI is an individual membership organization comprised of nearly 7,000 members from 35 countries and chapters worldwide.
(For more information about HSMAI, visit www.hsmai.com)
Charlottesville and Albemarle County, as a destination, have racked-up numerous accolades that continue to motivate travelers to visit, what is commonly referred to as, Jefferson’s County. Forbes Magazine named our area the Locavore capital of the world; Go Green Go Travel chose Charlottesville as their #1 destination for agritourism; and Wine Enthusiast Magazine proclaimed Virginia as one of the top 10 wine destinations in the world. With its burgeoning arts and entertainment scene, Charlottesville remains a draw for visitors who attend our array of festivals and events that celebrate music, theater and innovation, not to mention food & wine.
Brigitte Bélanger-Warner
Director of Sales & Marketing
Charlottesville Albemarle Convention & Visitors Bureau
434.970.3632 – warnerb@charlottesville.org
About the CACVB
In addition to serving as the global resource for marketing the tourism assets of Charlottesville and Albemarle County, Virginia, through www.visitcharlottesville.org, the CACVB assists tour operators, meeting planners, reunions and other groups in planning visits to the destination. CACVB’s mission is “to enhance the economic prosperity of City and County by promoting, selling and marketing the City of Charlottesville and County of Albemarle, as a destination, in pursuit of the meetings and tourism markets.” CACVB operates the Downtown Visitor Center (610 E Main St) which is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and a satellite Visitor Center in the Albemarle County Office Building (401 McIntire Rd) which is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., as well as a touch-screen kiosk at Monticello’s Thomas Jefferson Visitor Center.