2009 Ontario Tourism Summit: Award Winners


2009 Marketing Awards The Ontario Tourism Awards celebrate excellence and innovation in the tourism industry. This year's awards program featured five marketing awards, two journalism awards and seven industry awards of excellence. Winners were announced at a gala awards ceremony held September 30th at Caesars Windsor. The awards celebrate marketing excellence and innovation in the tourism industry, and recognize individuals and organizations who have successfully promoted Ontario as a must-see destination. Nominations were open to all organizations or individuals in the tourism hospitality industry operating in Ontario and were judged by an independent, third-party panel of industry and marketing experts including:


Marketing Awards: Cyndy Carruthers, President, FUEL Advertising Inc. Loren Christie, Director of Sales, Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel Jo-Anne Cusimano, VP Business Director, Young & Rubicam Lori Dodd, Vice President, Dodd Media Ian McMillan, Executive Director, Tourism Sault Ste. Marie


Industry Awards of Excellence: Vicki Lymburner, President & CEO, Ontario Tourism Education Corporation Lynn Hill, President, MultiLink Tourism Consulting Stephen Smith, Professor, Dept. of Recreation and Leisure Services, University of Waterloo Ryan Locke, (A) Director, Outreach, Promotion and Business Development Branch, Ministry of Research and Innovation Bill Allen, President, Tourism Industry Association of Ontario Susan Cudahy, General Manager, Waterloo Regional Tourism Marketing Corporation


Culinary Awards: Barb Shopland, Chair of the Board of Directors, Ontario Culinary Tourism Alliance Charles Grieco, President ,Ontario Hostelry Institute Suzanne Caskie, Curriculum Developer, The Centre for Hospitality & Culinary Arts, George Brown College Sasha Chapman, Journalist Rogier Gruys, Manager, Experiences for the Canadian Tourism Commission Congratulations to all of the winners for their outstanding contributions to promoting Ontario tourism. For more information, read the news releases below.


Lifetime Achievement Award Anne Marshall was rewarded for her contributions to the tourism industry with a lifetime achievement award. For news release, click here. Photo (from left): Robin Garrett, President and CEO, OTMPC; The Honourable Monique Smith, Minister of Tourism; Anne Marshall; Bill Duron, Chair, OTMPC.


Marketing Awards Best Tourism Advertising and Best Interactive Marketing Tourism Toronto was honoured twice at the 2009 Ontario Tourism Awards, winning Best Tourism Advertising and Best Interactive Marketing for its continued effort to position Toronto as a compelling holiday destination. For news release, click here. Photo (from left): Robin Garrett, President and CEO, OTMPC; Barry Smith, Metro Toronto Convention Centre, on behalf of Tourism Toronto; Bill Duron, Chair, OTMPC.


Best Marketing Initiative Under $25,000 A campaign to promote local culinary and agritourism earned Norfolk County Tourism and Economic Development an Ontario Tourism Award for its resourcefulness in executing a promotional campaign that cost less than $25,000. For news release, click here. Photo (from left): Robin Garrett, President and CEO, OTMPC; the Honourable Monique Smith, Minister of Tourism; Clark Hoskins, Norfolk County Tourism and Economic Development; Bill Duron, Chair, OTMPC.


Best Tourism Marketing Partnership The Ontario Federation of Snowmobiling Clubs' 'Go Snowmobiling' campaign was honoured for the Best Tourism Marketing Partnership. For news release, click here. Photo (from left): Bill Duron, Chair, OTMPC; Josh Grills, Ontario Federation of Snowmobiling Clubs; Robin Garrett, President and CEO, OTMPC.


Best Tourism Printed Collateral Material 'Taste the County', the partnership promoting Prince Edward County tourism experiences, received the Best Printed Collateral Material at the 2009 Ontario Tourism Awards for its creatively inspired media kit. For news release, click here. Photo (from left): Robin Garrett, President and CEO, OTMPC; Kathy Kennedy, Taste the County; Grace Nyman, Taste the County; the Honourable Monique Smith, Minister of Tourism; Bill Duron, Chair, OTMPC.


Best Travel Photography Gary and Joanie McGuffin received the Best Travel Photography award for their photo which appeared on the cover of Superior Outdoors magazine. For news release, click here. Photo (from left): Bill Duron, Chair, OTMPC; Carol Caputo, Algoma Kinniwabi Travel Association, on behalf of Gary and Joanie McGuffin; Robin Garrett, President and CEO, OTMPC.


Best Travel Journalism Lucy Izon received the Best Travel Journalism award for her article 'The Towers of Toronto', which appeared in the American Express Executive Travel magazine. For news release, click here. Photo (from left): Robin Garrett, President and CEO, OTMPC; Lucy Izon; Bill Duron, Chair, OTMPC.


Industry Awards of Excellence Sustainable Tourism Award Bartlett Lodge received the Sustainable Tourism award for its incorporation of sound environmental processes - from peat moss filtration septic, solar energy and hot water systems, to renewable electricity. For news release, click here. Photo (from left): Robin Garrett, President and CEO, OTMPC; Marilyn Smith, Bartlett Lodge; the Honourable Monique Smith, Minister of Tourism; Bill Duron, Chair, OTMPC.


Tourism Innovator of the Year Award A Relax, Recharge and Renew program earned Tourism Toronto the Tourism Innovator of the Year Award. The program provides parents of children with special needs a much-deserved weekend getaway, including limo pick up, two night hotel stay, theatre and attraction tickets and all meals. For news release, click here. Photo (from left): Robin Garrett, President and CEO, OTMPC; Barry Smith, Metro Toronto Convention Centre, on behalf of Tourism Toronto; Bill Duron, Chair, OTMPC.


Employee Attraction and Retention of the Year Award Great Wolf Lodge received Employee Attraction and Retention of the Year award for its �Wolf Pack�, a continuous celebration and show of pride for its 600+ employees. For news release, click here. Photo (from left): Robin Garrett, President and CEO, OTMPC; Keith Simmonds, Anne Marie Malleau, Great Wolf Lodge; the Honourable Monique Smith, Minister of Tourism; Bill Duron, Chair, OTMPC.


Business/Event of the Year Award The 5 day, 10^th anniversary Sarnia Rogers Bayfest won Business/Event of the Year award. The innovative music event saw 60% of attendees utilize local hotels with additional spin-off benefiting attractions, restaurants and retailers. For news release, click here. Photo (from left): Nick Stokley; Michele Stokley.


Volunteer of the Year Award Lt. Colonel Rick Kennedy won Volunteer of the Year award for his efforts in leading the Canadian International Military Tattoo from its lowest point to a profitable phase of growth - in addition to its being named a Festival of Distinction by Festivals and Events Ontario. For news release, click here. Photo (from left): Robin Garrett, President and CEO, OTMPC; Lt. Colonel Rick Kennedy; the Honourable Monique Smith, Minister of Tourism; Bill Duron, Chair, OTMPC.


Culinary Awards: Ontario Culinary Tourism Experience Award Windsor Eats' Wine Trail Ride, a partnership promoting the tastes, sights and sounds of Essex County and its wineries by bicycle, won Ontario Culinary Tourism Experience award. For news release, click here. Photo (from left): Rebecca LeHeup, Ontario Culinary Tourism Alliance; Adriano Ciotoli, Pina Ciotoli, Windsor Eats; the Honourable Monique Smith, Minister of Tourism; Bill Duron, Chair, OTMPC.


The Ontario Culinary Tourism Leadership Award Prince Edward County's Taste the County won the Ontario Culinary Tourism Leadership Award for its efforts in building relationships over the past 10 years between the agricultural and tourism industry to develop signature regional experiences. For news release, click here. Photo (from left): Robin Garrett, President and CEO, OTMPC; Kathy Kennedy, Taste the County; Grace Nyman, Taste the County; the Honourable Monique Smith, Minister of Tourism; Bill Duron, Chair, OTMPC.

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