TravelNevada campaign honored as best travel marketing program nationwide

During a recent ceremony in New York City, TravelNevada was awarded an elusive Silver Anvil, a public relations honor from the Public Relations Society of America for its “Don’t Fence Me In” millennial marketing campaign.

TravelNevada also was recognized with two national Bronze Anvil Awards and an award of commendation (honorable mention) for its New York City media event launching new JetBlue service into Reno-Tahoe International Airport. Both programs were executed in partnership with Agency of Record Fahlgren Mortine and Nevada-based partner, The Abbi Agency.

For more than 70 years, the Silver Anvil Awards have celebrated the “best of the best” in public relations programs from throughout the nation, based on measured results. The competition for the 2016 Awards demonstrates the high standards applied, as only a small percentage of entries submitted were named winners by the panel of judges. In fact, only six percent of entrants were selected as Bronze Anvil winners.

The work included in these programs reflected the integrated marketing strategy set forth by the Nevada Division of Tourism and Cultural Affairs to increase visitor spending and drive visitation to and within Nevada. This program continues to drive year-over-year increases in the marketing return on investment, and has demonstrated TravelNevada’s excellence in innovative marketing per the department’s strategic plan. This plan is executed with oversight and approval from the Nevada Commission on Tourism.

“Putting together a new creative campaign direction is one thing, but executing one that drives third-party-validated business and economic results is much harder to do,” Lt. Gov. Mark Hutchison, chairman of the Nevada Commission on Tourism, said. “Not only has the TravelNevada campaign achieved real results, this new recognition affirms the Division’s position as an innovative business and marketing leader in the U.S.”

These honors follow on a number of other national awards TravelNevada has received this year, including being named a finalist for the Holmes Report 2016 SABRE Award for Superior Achievement in Measurement and Evaluation, and many local and regional accolades from the American Marketing Association, Advertising Federation and Public Relations Society of America. Claudia Vecchio also has been recognized individually for leadership and achievement by the Travel and Tourism Research Association and the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International.

“The great honor in all of these awards is that they are chosen based on measured results — not just creativity or a flash-in-the-pan idea,” said Vecchio, Director, Nevada Division of Tourism and Cultural Affairs.