Media Release
February 2, 2020
At the 63rd annual Adrian Awards Gala in New York, the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) honored the Amelia Island Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) with two Gold Awards and a Bronze Award in what is the world’s largest and most prestigious travel marketing competition. The destination’s innovative use of cutting-edge augmented reality (AR) technology figured prominently in each winning entry.
“It is always an honor to see our marketing team recognized for their hard work and creativity, especially by such an esteemed organization and in such a competitive industry,” said Gil Langley, President and CEO of the Amelia Island CVB. “The new interactive augmented reality tools we introduced last year added a new dimension to our visitor experience and we’re proud to see our groundbreaking use of the technology recognized by the industry.”
Last spring, the CVB released its official 2019 Visitor Guide, along with an innovative Augmented Reality mobile app that enables visitors to activate a variety of custom-designed digital content right from the pages of the first-of-its-kind visitor guide. The CVB later introduced an expanded interactive AR experience with a collection of custom-designed, three-dimensional animations visitors can bring to life at key locations around the island.
At this year’s Adrian Awards ceremony, the CVB received awards for its use of Augmented Reality, winning Gold Awards in the Digital Marketing Innovation category for the Amelia Island Augmented Reality Mobile App, and in the Advertising/Brochure category for the new Amelia Island Visitor Guide with AR technology. The CVB also won a Bronze Award for its Integrated Marketing Campaign. All of the CVB’s award-winning AR work was developed in conjunction with Miles Partnership, a Florida-based strategic marketing company focused exclusively on travel and tourism.
HSMAI paid tribute to the Amelia Island CVB and other winners during the annual HSMAI Adrian Awards Gala, a black-tie affair attended by more than 800 hospitality, travel and tourism marketing executives at the New York Marriott Marquis on Jan. 21, which honors excellence in travel advertising, digital marketing and public relations.
All winning entries will be accessible in the Adrian Awards Winners Gallery online following the gala at www.AdrianAwards.com. Visit the site for more information on the event and competition.