Feb 5, 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                    February 2008
CONTACTS:  Nancy Hamilton, Lee Rose, Katie Meckley (239)338-3500

HSMAI recognizes The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel at prestigious destination marketing awards

 LEE COUNTY, FL – Inventive destination marketing has earned southwest Florida's Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau (VCB) honors from Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) Adrian Awards Competition presented Jan. 28, 2008 at the New York Marriott Marquis in New York City.  

HSMAI recognized the VCB with gold, silver and bronze awards for both advertising and Web marketing excellence.

The VCB received a Gold Award for Tradewinds, the official newspaper of The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel. Aimed at bringing the destination to life through experiential editorial and photography, it is one of the core components in the VCB's marketing plan.  A high impact, upscale 4-color newspaper featuring some of the most popular content from the VCB's award-winning 196-page vacation guide, Tradewinds is inserted into key newspapers in seven top markets of origin.

In addition to the Gold Award, the VCB was presented with a Silver Award in the Web Marketing – Ad Series category. In order to achieve "brand interaction" between the user and the destination, rich media banners were created to give consumers a deep, engaging experience. The banner ad allows users to browse through images of the destination that depict romance and nature, giving readers a feel for the beauty of the area and all there is to see and do while visiting the destination. Also, the VCB was presented with a Bronze Award in the Web Marketing – Multi-Media category.

The HSMAI Adrian Awards Competition is the largest and most prestigious travel event of its kind in the world, now in its 51st year. It recognizes the very best in all segments of the hospitality industry, including destinations, hotels and resorts, airlines, cruise lines, car rental companies and more.  The competition attracted more than 1,300 entries from around the world.

EDITOR'S NOTE: The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel in southwest Florida includes: Sanibel Island, Captiva Island, Fort Myers Beach, Fort Myers, Bonita Springs, Estero, Cape Coral, Pine Island, Boca Grande & Outer islands, North Fort Myers, Lehigh Acres.

Printable Version