Chamber Vision November 2016 | Page 15

Emporia Area Chamber of Commerce and Convention & Visitors Bureau November 2016 15 Emporia CVB Big Winner at Kansas Tourism Conference Takes Home 1st Place for Integrated Marketing Campaign EMPORIA, Kansas, October 20, 2016 - - The staff of the Emporia Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) recently attended the Kansas Tourism Conference (KTC) presented by the Travel Industry Association of Kansas (TIAK) and came home winners. The CVB was awarded first place in the category Integrated Marketing Campaign. The CVB works with IM Design Group for advertising, marketing, and design services. The integrated marketing campaign was titled Adventure Here and included print, magazine, and outdoor advertising and community involvement. A committee of marketing and design professionals from across the State judged the entries submitted for this category. Emporia CVB Director Susan Rathke says, “Winning the top honors in the Integrated Marketing Campaign category of the 2016 TIAK Marketing Awards speaks highly of what the CVB has accomplished this year with our advertising partners at IM Design Group. The title of the campaign, Adventure Here, brought together all the cycling themed print ads, outdoor advertising, backlit hosted b y the Olathe Convention displays, banners, and community and Visitors Bureau. Mitch Holthus, involvement to promote a large Voice of the Kansas City Chiefs, portion of Emporia’s brand; was a guest speaker and shared his adventurous, playful, quirky, and love of all things Kansas. Another exciting. recipient of a Kansas’ Finest award Also recognized at the banquet was Emporia author Cheryl Unruh. Cheryl received the award Kansas’ Finest for her stories and poems about Kansas. Torell Flickinger was El Dean Holthus, Mitch’s father, for his support of the Home on the Range cabin, where the state song of Kansas was written. TIAK presents the state tourism of the Emporia CVB accepted the conference annually. The 2017 award for Cheryl who was unable to conference will be held in Garden attend. City, hosted by the Finney County The tourism conference was held at the Olathe Conference Center and Convention and Visitors Bureau.