May 20, 2019
The Countdown Begins!
If you were in Buffalo for the New York State Tourism Conference, you heard them announce that I will be serving as committee Chair for NYSTIA's Annual Excellence in Tourism Awards. It's a privilege to collaborate with a great committee and an honor to be part of recognizing the dedication and achievements of my NYSTIA colleagues.
I have to share that I have some first-hand experience with the process! The Finger Lakes Regional Tourism Council (my day job) received the Excellence in Overall Tourism Marketing, Regional Level in 2018. Our Public Relations program has been a labor of love for many years and has proven very fruitful; however, when it came time to consider placing our program in for nomination there was some trepidation. Isn't there always when you seek some sort or recognition? Nevertheless, we persisted (sound familiar?) and it paid off. We accepted the award from our peers with great pride. The best part was feeling that we had contributed to the overall marketing success of New York State's tourism industry.
NOW is the time to begin thinking about what programs and projects you will submit for consideration in the 2019 Excellence in Tourism Awards. It's your time to showcase your work and have your peers recognize and celebrate your efforts.
I wholeheartedly encourage you to take some time, review the categories and enter your program or a colleague for recognition when nominations open later this month. The categories are diverse and offer a great opportunity for a variety of projects to be showcased.
The awards are open to all NYSTIA members and winners will be honored at NYSTIA's Annual meeting in September.
In the weeks to follow you'll be hearing from everyone on the awards committee, fellow professionals who not only work tirelessly in their day-to-day roles but also have taken the time to serve on this committee that seeks to recognize and celebrate the fine tourism work in our state.
Looking forward to seeing everyone at the Annual Meeting in Auburn this September.
Now… let the countdown begin!
Lisa Burns
Executive Director – Finger Lakes Regional Tourism Council &
NYSTIA Excellence in Tourism Awards Committee Chair