News & Information
| GWTIDA wins Governor's Tourism Award | ||
| The Wildwoods, NJ - April 6, 2009 - The Greater Wildwoods Tourism Improvement and Development Authority (GWTIDA) received a 2009 New Jersey Governor's Award for Tourism Excellence for its 2008 Public Relations campaign. GWTIDA officials accepted the award on Thursday, April 2, during the New Jersey Governor's Conference on Tourism Awards Ceremony at Trump Marina in Atlantic City. GWTIDA's 2008 public relations campaign resulted in $1.5 million dollars in advertising equivalency - with stories placed in regional, national and international broadcast, print and web media outlets. GWTIDA's Public Relations agency of record, Suasion Communications Group/Smith O'Keefe of Egg Harbor Township, NJ, created and executed the award-winning campaign. "We are honored to be chosen for this award. Last year was the first time a public relations agency assisted us with our PR campaign, and the results of this partnership have been quite impressive," stated John Siciliano, GWTIDA executive director, who accepted the award along with GWTIDA marketing and public relations director, Ben Rose, on behalf of the organization. The award-winning campaign consisted of a comprehensive and multi-faceted strategic public relations effort, including news release distribution, targeted pitches, familiarization tours and promotions that resulted in print, web and broadcast stories in hundreds of media outlets across the U.S. and Canada. The major goal of the campaign was to influence perception of the Wildwoods by disseminating the message of positive change. GWTIDA's public relations campaign was selected from numerous nominations submitted from across the state. The New Jersey Governor's Conference on Tourism is a joint venture of the New Jersey Department of State, Division of Travel & Tourism and the New Jersey Travel Industry Association. The Governor's Tourism Awards Ceremony serves to honor the individuals and organizations that have contributed to the experience of visitors and the quality of life of New Jersey residents. In total, ten award winners were honored. According to the New Jersey Department of State, Division of Travel & Tourism and the New Jersey Travel Industry Association, the honorees represent a group of organizations who have shown exemplary dedication to New Jersey's tourism industry. These organizations vary in size, and many have been able to get impressive results on modest budgets. The award winners targeted out-of-state visitors, increased the visitor's length of stay, and drove home the message that New Jersey is a travel destination second to none. All were able to illustrate this through their nomination by firmly and reliably tracking their return on investment. For more information about GWTIDA and the Wildwoods, visit WildwoodsNJ.com or call 609-729-9000 or 800-WW-BY-SEA. #### | ||
