Media Contact: Amy Beadle                                     

Phone: 217-789-2360 ext. 5533 or 217-414-1590

E-mail: amy.beadle@springfield.il.us

 

SPRINGFIELD, IL March 22, 2024– Visit Springfield was honored this week to receive the “Best Tourism Marketing Campaign” award in Peoria at the 2024 IL Governor’s Conference on Travel & Tourism.

The award submission highlighted the 24-week Carvertise summer marketing campaign in the Kansas City market, deployed March-August 2023.  Wrapped Uber and Lyft cars were deployed in the market over the time period, along with hosting four swarm events featuring the Visit Springfield cars.  The highlight of the campaign included the Visit Springfield team and Abraham Lincoln traveling to the NFL Draft Fan Experience to take advantage of all the activities offered in Memorial Park, while taking hundreds of photos with fans and handing out over 500 marketing pieces about Springfield.  The campaign produced 33,021,535 impressions for Springfield with 92,207 miles driven by the fleet of six cars, over 24-weeks.

The Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity issued a press release stating, Governor JB Pritzker joined tourism professionals from across Illinois at the Illinois Governor's Conference on Travel & Tourism, the state's premier educational and networking conference for tourism industry professionals. The three-day conference began March 19 at the Peoria Civic Center with the 2024 Illinois Excellence in Tourism Awards ceremony, honoring Illinois tourism leaders' contributions to the industry. The annual conference, held in Peoria for the first time, unites more than 360 tourism and hospitality leaders, travel experts and visionaries to explore the latest industry trends and insights that contribute to Illinois tourism.

 

"As Governor, I'm always proud to boast Illinois' impressive tourism industry, which thrives as a cultural and economic benefit to our state," said Governor JB Pritzker. "Thank you to all the travel and tourism professionals across Illinois, who have gone above and beyond the call of duty to welcome visitors and make this industry stronger than ever before."

 

"Illinois' tourism industry continues to be a significant economic driver, with 111 million visitors from around the globe spending $44 billion across our great state in 2022," said DCEO Director Kristin Richards. "The Illinois Governor's Conference on Travel & Tourism provides an opportunity for industry professionals and leaders to share our commitment to bolstering economic development in the travel and tourism industry throughout Illinois."

 

"It is an incredible privilege to recognize and celebrate our statewide tourism partners at this year's Illinois Excellence in Tourism Awards," said Daniel Thomas, Deputy Director of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Office of Tourism. "These awards are a reflection of our partners' unwavering commitment to Illinois' tourism industry, whose hard work and dedication promote Illinois as a premier travel destination."

Travel and tourism professionals from across the industry judged submissions in nine categories, ranging from best social media marketing campaign to best event or festival, with one exceptional entry receiving best of show. The Illinois Office of Tourism also announced two Illinois Tourism Legacy Awards to longtime Peoria businessman, George Manias with George's Shoeshine & Hatters and Roger Carmack, President & CEO of Great Rivers Country.

Each Excellence in Tourism Award category contained a Budget A for organizations with annual operating budgets of $750,000 and above, and Budget B for organizations with budgets under $750,000.

For the full IDCEO press release, visit https://dceo.illinois.gov/news/press-release.29773.html

Springfield and Sangamon County generated $536.8 million in visitor spending in the last reported year, as well as $17.2 million in local tax revenue.

The Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau (SCVB) is the official destination marketing organization for the City of Springfield, Illinois.  The SCVB markets the capital city as a unique convention, meeting and leisure destination in support of our City, our community and our hospitality partners

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Need more information, or to schedule an interview with Amy Beadle, please call 217-789-2360 ext. 5533 or e-mail amy.beadle@springfield.il.us