Tourism bureau wins award
The Pennsylvania Restaurant & Lodging Association presented its Spirit of Hospitality Campaign of the Year award to the Butler County Tourism & Convention Bureau.
The bureau won the award for its annual holiday promotional campaign, 30 Days of Giveaways, an online contest that is now in its third year.
“We've developed this program to highlight our member businesses and we want the community to know about them,” said Jack Cohen, president of the tourism & convention bureau. “We're excited to see this program grow and honored to be the recipient of PRLA's 'Spirit of Hospitality Campaign of the Year.'”
Contestants can visit the bureau's Facebook page to “like” and comment on posts about businesses to be entered for a chance to win prizes donated by local businesses.
On Monday in Bedford County during its annual conference, the PRLA presented the award to Tiffany Hernandez, the bureau's public relations and communications specialist who came up with the idea for the contest.
“It worked so well last year that a lot more businesses wanted to be a part of it,” Cohen said of this year's contest, which kicks off on Monday.
The increased business participation means two prizes will be given away daily instead of just one, Cohen said.
This year's contest runs from Nov. 25 to Dec. 24. Among the $6,000 worth of donated prizes are gift certificates to local shops, restaurants and specialty stores, as well as theater tickets, hotel stays and spa services.
Contestants must “like” and “comment” on the Facebook post to be entered into the contest. The next day, a name is randomly chosen and the winner is notified.
Last year, nearly 11,000 people entered the contest and shared their experiences with the businesses.
These personal reviews ultimately led to more people visiting businesses for the first time, according to a press release issued by the bureau.
Cohen said the online contest is a great way for residents to learn about businesses located in the county.
“We submitted the contest (to the PRLA) on behalf of the bureau. The association picked that to be the best way to market the community. It was really nice,” Cohen said of the award.
