 A combined total of nearly 200 Convention Centers, Meeting Hotels and CVBs have received “Awards of Excellence” for 2009. Since 1993, the Facilities Media Group has given out the awards, and the list of winners and official announcement appears in the current issue of the Facilities & Destinations SuperBook.
“Actually the number of venues is about average,” said Michael Caffin, Associate Publisher. “we like to recognize quality as well as the hard work it takes to have a successful venue for meetings.We did get more venues voted on this year.”
Ballots for voting appear online at Facilitiesonline and in the Facilities & Destinations SuperBook and Facilities & Destinations Planner Guide. Facilitiesonline receives approximately 3,000 visitors per day and each of the print publications has a circulation of 50,000+, including distribution at conventions, trade shows and other major industry events. This circulation is compromised of meeting and event planners and is mailed to the members of: American Society of Association Executives & The Center for Association Leadership; Meeting Professionals International, International Association of Exhibition & Events, Canadian Society of Association Executives, Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International, Professional Convention Management Association, Religious Conference Management Association, and National Coalition of Black Meeting Professionals.
The Prime Site Awards of Excellence are designated into three distinct categories—the Prime Site Award, which is given to Convention Centers and similar, large meeting venues; the Top Destination Award, which is given to Convention & Visitors Bureaus similar destination marketing organizations and the Hotel & Resort Elite List Award, which is given to large meeting hotels and resorts.
“Nobody has to be told that the economy made 2008 a difficult year and 2009 has shown little improvement,” said Caffin. “These awards always acknowledge quality in terms of service, the facility and the personnel at each venue and/or destination, but I would say that this particular group of award winners are above and beyond, because they were able to provide quality in an economic environment filled with cut-backs and uncertainty. These are people who delivered under unusually tough circumstances.”
Will these tough circumstances continue into 2010? “I don’t have a crystal ball, but there have been signs of optimism in the industry. We’re already have received a good number of ballots for next year,” added Caffin.
Facilities & Destinations 2009 Prime Site Award Winners
Albuquerque Convention Center, Alliant Energy Center , Atlantic City Convention Center, Austin Convention Center, Baltimore Convention Center Baton Rouge River Center Convention Center , Birmingham-Jefferson County Convention Center, Boston Convention & Exhibition Center , Branson Convention Center , Carolina First Center, Charleston Civic Center, Greater Columbus Convention Center, Connecticut Convention Center, Cox Business Services Convention Center, Dallas Convention Center, David L. Lawrence Convention Center, DeVos Place, Direct Energy Centre, Fairplex, Greater Ft. Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center, Fort Worth Convention Center, Fresno Convention & Entertainment Center, George R. Brown Convention Center, Georgia International Convention Center, Georgia World Congress Center, Hamilton Convention Centre, Hampton Roads Convention Center, Hawaii Convention Center, Jackson Convention Complex, Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, Kansas City Convention Center, Knoxville Convention Center, Las Vegas Convention Center, Los Angeles Convention Center, Meadowlands Exposition Center, Memphis Cook Convention Center, Miami Beach Convention Center, Midwest Airlines Center, Minneapolis Convention Center, Mobile Convention Center, Monona Terrace Convention Center, Morial Convention Center, Moscone Center, Nashville Convention Center, Norfolk Scope Cultural & Convention Center, Ohio Expo Center, OnCenter Complex, Ontario Convention Center, Orange County Convention Center, Oregon Convention Center, Overland Park Convention Center, Pennsylvania Convention Center, Phoenix Civic Plaza Convention Center, Prime Osborn III Convention Center, Puerto Rico Convention Center, Quest Center, Reliant Center, Richmond Convention Center, Rhode Island Convention Center, Rochester Riverside Convention Center, Roland E. Powell Convention Center, Sacramento Convention Center, Salt Palace Convention Center, San Diego Convention Center, Savannah International Trade & Convention Center, TELUS Convention Center, Tulsa Convention Center, Valley Forge Convention Center, Virginia Beach Convention Center, Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Washington State Convention & Trade Center
Facilities & Destinations 2009 Top Destination Award Winners:
Akron/Summit CVB, Amarillo CVB, Austin CVB, Baltimore Area CVB, Baton Rouge CVB, Greater Birmingham CVB, Boise CVB, Greater Boston CVB, Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority, Chicago CTB, Positively Cleveland/Greater Cleveland CVB, Daytona Beach Area CVB, Denver Metro CVB, Experience Colorado Springs at Pikes Peak CVB, Greater Ft. Lauderdale CVB, Fort Worth CVB, Greater Hartford CVB, Greater Houston CVB, Jacksonville & The Beaches CVB, Kansas City CVB, Greater Lansing CVB, Las Cruces CVB, Las Vegas CVA, Lexington CVB, Lisle CVB, Los Angeles CVB, Louisville and Jefferson County CVB, Memphis CVB, Greater Miami CVB, Greater Milwaukee CVB, Meet Minneapolis/Greater Minneapolis CVA, Mississippi Gulf Coast CVB, Nashville CVB, New Orleans CVB, Newport Beach CVB, Norfolk CVB, Oakland CVB, Ocean City CVB, Oklahoma City CVB, Greater Omaha CVB, Palm Beach County CVB, Pasadena CVB, Greater Phoenix CVB, Visit Pittsburgh, Providence/Warwick CVB, Puerto Rico Convention Bureau, Rapid City CVB, Reno Sparks CVA, Richmond CVB, Sacramento CVB, Saint Louis CVC,Saint Paul CVB, San Antonio CVB, Savannah CVB, Seattle-King County CVB, Topeka CVB, Tourisme Montreal, Tucson CVB, Tulsa CVB, Valley Forge CVB, Virginia Beach CVB, Greater Wilmington CVB
2009 Hotels on the Elite List (H.O.T.E.L.) Award Winners:
Atlanta Hilton and Towers, Bellagio Las Vegas, Big Sky Resort, Borgata Hotel and Casino, Broadmoor Hotel, Caesar’s Atlantic City, Caesar’s Palace Hotel & Casino, Caribe Royale, Chicago Hilton and Towers, Disneyland Resorts Hotel, Fairmont Hotel San Francisco, Foxwoods Resort Casino, Galt House Hotel, The Garden City Hotel, Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, Gaylord Palm Resort & Convention Center, The Grand Del Mar, Grand Hyatt New York, The Greenbrier, Hershey Resorts, Hilton Anatole, Hilton New Orleans Riverside, Hilton New York, Hilton Sedona, Inverness Hotel & Golf Club, Lansdowne Resort, The Lodge at Torrey Pines, Loews Coronado Bay Resort & Marina, Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Mark Hopkins InterContinental, Marriott Marquis New York, MGM Grand Hotel Casino, Orlando World Center Marriott, The Peabody Memphis, Peabody Orlando, Philadelphia Marriott, Radisson Mart Plaza Hotel & Radisson Centre, Radisson Valley Forge Hotel & Conference Center, Renaissance Nashville Hotel, Renaissance Sea World Orlando, Rio All Suite Hotel & Casino, San Diego Marriott Hotel & Marina, Savannah Marriott Riverfront, Scottsdale Plaza Resort, Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre Hotel, Sheraton World Resort Orlando, Turning Stone Casino Resort, Vail Cascade Resort & Spa, Venetian Resort Hotel Casino, Waldorf Astoria, Westin Copley Place
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