Excellence in Tourism Awards

2015 Excellence in Tourism Award Recipients

The 2015 awards were presented Monday, February 2 at the Palmer House Hilton. Please select this link (Adobe PDF format) to read a press release summarizing the conference and awards.

Friend of Tourism
  • Judy Baar Topinka, posthumously, for her decades of unwavering support for the Illinois tourism industry
Best in Show
  • Rockford Area Convention and Visitors Bureau
Best Leisure Collateral
  • Division A - Wedding/Bridal Advertisement, submitted by Galena/Jo Daviess County Convention and Visitors Bureau
  • Division B - Mississippi Valley Wine Trail, submitted by Quincy Area Convention and Visitors Bureau
Best Sales Collateral
  • Division A - DuPage County Meeting Planners Guide, submitted by DuPage County Convention and Visitors Bureau
  • Division B - Kankakee County Direct Mail, submitted by Kankakee County Convention and Visitors Bureau
Best Social Media Marketing
  • Division A: Luna the Sea Otter campaign, submitted by Shedd Aquarium
  • Division B: #aboutquincy Photo Contest, submitted by Quincy Area Convention and Visitors Bureau
Best Cooperative Partnership
  • Summer in Lake County, submitted by Visit Lake County
Best Branding Initiative
  • Division A: Marvels on the Mississippi River, submitted by Quad Cities Convention and Visitors Bureau
  • Division B: Abraham Lincoln and Pig Statue, submitted by Taylorsville Tourism Council
Best Website
  • Division A: SheddAquarium.org, submitted by Shedd Aquarium
  • Division B: VisitKankakeeCounty.com, submitted by Kankakee County Convention and Visitors Bureau
Best Visitors Publication
  • Division A: 2014 Lake County Getaway Guide, submitted by Visit Lake County
  • Division B: Illinois Lincoln Highway Coalition, submitted by Illinois Lincoln Highway Coalition
Best Festival or Event
  • Stroll on State, submitted by Rockford Area Convention and Visitors Bureau
Best Hotel/Lodging Campaign
  • ACME Hotel Campaign, submitted by ACME Hotel
Best Culinary Marketing Campaign
  • The Local Fix Culinary Guide, submitted by Quincy Area Convention and Visitors Bureau
Best Tourism Marketing Campaign
  • Division A: Galena/Jo Daviess County, submitted by Galena/Jo Daviess County Convention and Visitors Bureau
  • Division B: Ottawa Visitors Center, submitted by Ottawa Visitors Center