The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International will recognize the U.S. Virgin Islands Tourism Department with gold, silver and bronze Adrian Awards for public relations excellence at the 57th-annual Adrian Awards gala on Feb. 24.
The territory will be recognized for its efforts in securing national media attention on prominent television outlets.
"This distinction is especially meaningful as we were recognized as marketing leaders by our own peers in the travel industry," Tourism Commissioner Beverly Nicholson Doty said in a statement Monday. "Our core objective is to showcase the U.S.V.I.’s unique experiences in hopes of driving visitors to our Islands. The awards solidify that our messages are being received through our creative earned media efforts."
A Gold Adrian Award was awarded to the territory for securing a full 60-minute show on the Andrew Zimmern "Bizarre Foods America Show" on the Travel Channel. It reached 322,192 viewers.
The territory received a Silver Adrian Award for its proactive efforts in securing MSG Network’s "The Game 365" to do a rare personal interview with NBA Hall of Famer Walt "Clyde" Frazier in his home on St. Croix. "The Game 365" is broadcast nationally on the Fox Sports Networks reaching 1.6 million North American viewers.
A Bronze Adrian Award was given to the territory for its efforts securing an episode of ABC reality TV series "The Bachelor" to shoot on location on St. Croix. The episode, which aired Feb. 11, reached more than 7.2 million U.S. viewers and showcased the destination’s opportunities for romance.
The Adrian Awards is the largest and most prestigious travel marketing competition globally. This year’s contest attracted more than 1,200 entries from around the world, with entries judged by top executives from all sectors of the industry.
"As the advertising, public relations and digital marketing realms are constantly evolving, the bar is continuously set higher annually in regard to the Adrian Awards submissions we receive," Fran Brasseux, HSMAI executive vice president, said.
The gala is a black-tie affair attended by more than 1,000 hospitality, travel and tourism marketing executives at the New York Marriott Marquis.
In addition to commending the territory’s award-winning work, the gala and dinner reception honors lifetime achievement in travel / hospitality marketing, as well as the Top 25 Most Extraordinary Minds in Sales and Marketing.
All winning entries will be accessible in the Adrian Awards Winners Gallery online following the gala at www.adrianawards.com.
