Iowa Tourism Award Winners Announced

The Iowa Tourism Office and the Travel Federation of Iowa presented 20 awards recognizing excellence in the tourism industry during last week's Iowa Tourism Conference in Waterloo.

Eight awards were presented for both metro and rural areas. Hall of Fame awards for leadership were presented to an individual, attraction and community. In addition, conference attendees voted for the People's Choice Award; nominees were the second-highest scoring nomination in each of the eight categories.

Outstanding Promotional Material
Dubuque Convention & Visitors Bureau (metro)
Villages of Van Buren (rural)

Outstanding Website
Des Moines Convention & Visitors Bureau (metro)
Charles City Whitewater (rural)

Outstanding Social Media
Blank Park Zoo, Des Moines (metro)
Fairfield Convention & Visitors Bureau (rural)

Outstanding Niche Marketing Initiative
Summer of the Arts, Iowa City (metro)
Grinnell Games, Grinnell (rural)

Outstanding Collaboration
Des Moines Convention & Visitors Bureau, Iowa Events Center, Iowa State University and Polk County, D1 Wrestling Championships (metro)
Mississippi River Power 100 Committee, Keokuk (rural)

Outstanding New Event
D1 National Wrestling Championships, Des Moines (metro)
Smoke on the Water BBQ Competition, Okoboji (rural)

Outstanding Tourism Business
Iowa Events Center, Des Moines (metro)
RVP~1875 and History Boy Theatre Co., Jefferson (rural)

Outstanding Tourism Experience
Reiman Gardens, Ames (metro)
American Gothic House Center, Eldon (rural)

Hall of Fame: Individual Tourism Leadership
Kelly Hayworth, City Manager, Coralville

Hall of Fame: Attraction Tourism Leadership
Grout Museum District, Waterloo

Hall of Fame: Community Tourism Leadership
Pella

People's Choice Award
"What Women Want" Event, Dubuque