DCVB Brings Home Numerous State and National Awards

The Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau (DCVB), the official marketing agency for Durham, is competing in the big leagues, and winning.  Just announced this week, DCVB has won two national PR awards from industry powerhouse Ragan Communications.

For its Tastiest Town in the South campaign from which Durham received more than $3.3 million in exposure in a single announcement, DCVB has also now been recognized with two awards from Ragan's PR Daily. Ragan Communications and their associated outputs including PR Daily, are global leaders in the public relations arena.

"Recognition like this doesn't happen every day," said DCVB President and CEO Shelly Green. "The campaign was one we put together quickly to seize an opportunity.  Our team set a goal to earn the Tastiest Town title and stayed focused on it until we won. That we have received recognition like this from a firm like Ragan is a spectacular endorsement of our achievement," she added. DCVB was the only convention and visitors bureau named as a winner. 

The campaign was submitted for consideration in two categories, both of which were named winners against steep competition. The awards are as follows:

Best Location-Based Campaign
Winner: Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau, "The Tastiest Town in the South"
Honorable Mentions:
·         CBRE Group, Inc., "Real Estate 360 in 60 Southern California Forecast"
·         MWW for the McDonald's New York Nutrition Tri-state Owner/Operators                 Association, McDonald's New York Metro Nutrition Network

Best Digital PR Campaign – Budget Under 25,000 

Winner: Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau, "The Tastiest Town in the South"
Honorable Mentions:
·         AMD, AMD Radeon HD 7990 eBay Publicity Stunt
·         AMD, Social Media Launch of AMD's “Never Settle: Reloaded”
·         BolderBOULDER, "I AM BOLDER"
·         Proudly Represents & Mediatic for Domino's Pizza Netherlands &               Indie Amsterdam, Domino's Pizza "Safe Sound"

DCVB also won a platinum award for its 2011-12 Annual Report recently from the state-wide Destination Marketing Association of North Carolina.  
Recognized nationally for best practices and excellence in Destination Marketing, DCVB has received more than 150 awards and recognitions over the past 15 years. 

Such recognition serves as affirmation of one of the organization's most important core values: CANI – Continuing and Never-Ending Improvement. 

Learn more about Durham online, and on Facebook and Twitter.

DCVB Wins Top Awards

The Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau (DCVB), the official marketing agency for Durham, won two platinum awards (highest honor) from the state-wide Destination Marketing Association of North Carolina. 

The 2010-11 Annual Progress Report won in the Local Constituent Communications: Annual Report category, and a new sales prospecting piece for meeting planners also won in the Destination Publications: Niche Marketing category.

DCVB submits its work for consideration annually. Awards to Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs) are broken down into categories based on the size and budget of the organization.

Recognized nationally for best practices and excellence in Destination Marketing, DCVB has received more than 135 awards and recognitions over the past 15 years. 

Such recognition serves as affirmation of one the organization's most important core values:  CANI – Continuing and Never-Ending Improvement. 

DCVB Recognized with 3 Innovation Awards

The Destination Marketing Association of North Carolina announced the winners in its annual Destination Marketing Achievement Awards Innovations program at a meeting in Salisbury yesterday.

Durham's marketing agency, the Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau (DCVB), received three of the eight innovation awards presented.  DCVB was recognized in the destination operations and sustainability category for achieving its Green Plus Certification, in the stakeholder relations category for its Destination Marketing Association International and Americans For the Arts (DMAI- AFTA) Toolkit, and in the community partnerships category for its Family Reunion Workshop.

Innovation awards to Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs) are judged “blind,” and are great affirmation of one of DCVB's most important core values: CANI – Continual and Never-Ending Improvement."

Recognized nationwide for innovations in Destination Marketing, DCVB has received 136 awards and recognitions over the past 15 years. DCVB was also the first DMO in North Carolina, and one of the first two dozen in North America, to achieve full accreditation to new international standards and best practices for destination marketing, with a record 12 exemplary citations.

DCVB and Green Recognized by Peer Organizations

In the 12th year of independent out-of-state judging, the Destination Marketing Association of North Carolina announced the winners in its annual Destination Marketing Achievement Awards program.

Durham's marketing agency, the Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau, received four awards, bringing its total over twelve years to 68 awards. This year DCVB received two platinum awards for its 2010 Annual Report and for its innovative use of the social gaming application Scvngr.  Two gold awards for the new Durham Hospitality Jobs website and the Durham News Service website were also earned.

Awards to Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs) are broken down by the organization's size and into different categories of innovations and marketing initiatives. Durham is evaluated in comparison to places including Asheville, Charlotte, Greensboro, and Raleigh. 

Additionally, DCVB President and CEO Shelly Green was awarded the NC Travel Industry Association Public Service Award in honor of Bill Sharpe who was North Carolina's first tourism director.  It is bestowed in recognition of outstanding individuals and/or organizations for their past or current contributions to the promotion or development of the travel industry in North Carolina.  Given annually since 1987, previous winners include famed NC-born broadcaster Charles Kuralt, The North Carolina Zoo and Keep NC Beautiful.

"Receiving these awards is always special," said Shelly Green, President & CEO of the Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau.  "Having also earned the Alfred P. Sloan Award for Workplace Flexibility last week, too, leaves me particularly proud of DCVB and the work it does." 

Recognized nationwide for innovations in Destination Marketing, DCVB has received more than 130 awards and recognitions over the past 15 years.  Such recognition serves as affirmation of one the organization's most important core values:  CANI – Continual and Never-Ending Improvement.