Governor’s 2014 Colorado Tourism Conference Comes to a Close in Westminster
Tourism award winners announced and Crested Butte tapped to host 2015 Conference
Westminster, Colo. (Oct. 31, 2014) – The Governor’s 2014 Colorado Tourism Conference came to a close today after three days of insightful seminars and hands-on workshops. The conference, hosted by the Colorado Tourism Office, drew representatives from the state’s travel and tourism industry and an exciting line-up of speakers and panelists from across the country.
This year’s conference theme, “The Convergence,” focused on bringing the brightest minds in tourism together to share ideas and best practices. A variety of experts were featured in well-attended breakout sessions, including Heritage & Agritourism Promotion 101, Paid Social Media, PR Best Practices, Monetizing the Visitor Experience, Using Visitor Data and Technology to Your Advantage and International Tourism Promotion.
“Coming off an all-time record breaking year for tourism in 2013, the Governor’s annual tourism conference is a key event to gather tourism industry representatives from across the state to celebrate successes and plan for the future,” said Christian Knapp, chairman of the Colorado Tourism Office Board of Directors. “The conference inspires innovation and provides the opportunity for the state’s tourism industry to network, strategize and walk away with new connections and ideas to build on the momentum of one of the state’s top economic drivers.”
At the Annual Awards Dinner on October 30, Colorado Tourism Office Director Al White presented awards to individuals and organizations that have greatly contributed to the advancement and innovation of Colorado’s tourism industry. The awards and winners are detailed below.
· The Outstanding Community Tourism Initiative Award, is presented to a community or region that has demonstrated excellence in a tourism event, promotion or project, and was awarded to Agri-Culture Fest and Feast. The event, created by the Greeley Creative District, focused on the culture of agriculture and “bringing the rural to the urban”, by promoting local agritourism and the rich heritage in Greeley. The event consisted of a petting zoo, tractor show, vegetable art for children, a cider press, hay rides, local craft beer and spirits, and much more. Seven local chefs also prepared a family harvest-style dinner in an urban environment. Ticket sales served as a fundraiser for the Greely Creative District. The event sold out in its first year and received extremely favorable remarks from attendees.
· The Governor’s Award for Outstanding Individual Contribution to Colorado Tourism is presented to an individual to recognize his/her tireless contributions to advancing the Colorado tourism industry. Judy Walden was acknowledged for her contributions to the promotion and development of Colorado’s Scenic Byways and several of Colorado’s heritage and agritourism programs. Over the years, Judy has been a champion for small, rural Colorado communities seeking to develop a tourism product. She has worked to ensure that the stories, promotion and marketing of these destinations and offerings are respectful of the delicate balance between attracting visitors and preserving local places.
· The Governor’s Award for Outstanding Marketing Program, which recognizes an event or project undertaken by a community or region to promote tourism in Colorado, went to the Steamboat Springs Chamber Resort Association, Visit Fort Collins and the Grand Lake Chamber for their annual Tour de NoCo. For the past three years, the destinations have joined forces to showcase the best of what Northern Colorado has to offer to more than a dozen top tier travel and outdoor adventure journalists through a multi-day, supported cycling ride that also includes a variety of activities – from brewery tours and mountain biking to cultural and culinary delights. This highly successful collaboration has generated coverage in leading publications including Forbes, Mountain Magazine, The Boston Globe and more.
· The Jack Snow Volunteer Award is presented to an individual who has selflessly dedicated time and energy to furthering tourism in Colorado. This year’s recipient was Doris Blake. Doris is one of the Grand Junction Welcome Center’s most dedicated volunteers. Her enthusiasm for travel is evident in all her interactions with visitors. She is extremely knowledgeable about the Grand Junction area and always receives high praise. Doris recently achieved a milestone of 5,000 volunteer hours at the Grand Junction Visitor Center. She has been volunteering for the Grand Junction Visitor & Convention Bureau since 1996.
· The Colorado Tourism Office Board Chairman’s Award is awarded to extraordinary individuals’ commitment to tourism in Colorado. This year’s award was presented to VISIT DENVER’s Communications Director, Rich Grant for his tireless promotion of Denver and Colorado for the past 35 years. Rich is retiring at the end of this year, and it’s not easy to compile a list of the projects that he helped open and publicize during his service at Visit Denver. Examples include the 16th Street Mall, Denver International Airport, the Colorado Convention Center, Cherry Creek Shopping Center, the Pepsi Center, Coors Field, Sports Authority Field at Mile High, the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Union Station and more. He has met and worked with thousands of travel writers from dozens of countries, placing countless stories in publications across the globe about Colorado’s capital city.
·The Legislators of the Year Award was presented to Senator Gail Schwartz and Representative Tim Dore. Senator Schwartz and Representative Dore were the sponsors of Colorado House Bill 1280, a bill that limits liability for those farmers and ranchers who provide tourism activities and programs on their properties. In the nascent, but burgeoning agritourism industry, there were concerns among industry members that bringing people onto their farms and ranches might subject the owners to an undue level of liability given the sometimes unpredictable nature of farm and ranch animals and activities of farming and ranching. Senator Schwartz and Representative Dore recognized the legitimate concerns of those involved in agritourism and stepped to the line with HB 1280. With HB 1280 in effect, industry practitioners now have the peace of mind that goes with knowing they will not suffer frivolous lawsuits.
As the conference closed, the Colorado Tourism Office announced that Crested Butte will host the Governor’s 2015 Colorado Tourism Conference September 13-15, 2015.
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