Belmont County Tourism Shines with RUBY Award
Belmont County Tourism recently received recognition for its achievement in marketing and advertising at the Ohio Travel Association’s RUBY Awards, held October 5 at the Shisler Conference Center in Wooster, Ohio. Belmont County Tourism received statewide recognition in two categories: a RUBY award for print advertising series with a “Flawless” designation for a near-perfect score, and a Citation of Excellence, second place, for their new website. Jackee Pugh, executive director of Belmont County Tourism accepted the awards on behalf of the organization.
The Ohio Travel Association’s RUBY Awards recognize excellence in Ohio’s hospitality and tourism industry for efforts in advertising, marketing, and public relations. In this year’s competition, the Recognizing Uncommon Brilliance Yearly (RUBY) Awards had a record-setting 236 entries. The awards, sponsored by Ohio Magazine, were presented during the Ohio Conference on Travel, the state’s tourism conference for all tourism industry sectors.
“I am so proud of the work we are producing in Belmont County, and even more proud that we are being recognized at a state level,” said Jackee Pugh, Belmont County Tourism executive director. She added, “We were competing against visitor bureaus from across the state, with much larger budgets and advertising agencies assisting with their creative process. Being recognized for our accomplishments in marketing Belmont County as a tourist destination truly is a great honor.”
Nine marketing professionals representing academia, consulting firms, and ad agencies judged each entry on the basis of overall concept, results, and creativity.
“Competition for these awards seems to grow every year, and this year was no exception. We had a record number of entries,” said Melinda Huntley, Ohio Travel Association executive director. “Winners truly represent the best of the best in marketing strategy and design. It’s inspiring.”
The Ohio Travel Association is a nonprofit trade association representing travel and tourism-related businesses throughout the state. For more information on OTA, visit www.ohiotravel.org.
Belmont County Tourism Council, Inc. is a nonprofit organization that believes that promoting tourism and economic development are of prime importance. The organization’s purpose is to actively promote the area’s attractions and events and carry on other duties necessary to promote Belmont County as a great place to visit, work, and live.
