SVG receives Gold and Silver Adrian Awards

St. Vincent and the Grenadines has been recognized with Gold and Silver Adrian Awards by the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI), for the country’s outstanding broadcast coverage on four national television programmes in the United States, in less than one year.{{more}}

The winners will be acknowledged at a black-tie special awards presentation to be held at the New York Marriott Marquis Times Square Hotel, on Monday, January 31. This event is traditionally attended by more than 700 industry and marketing executives. The Adrian Awards – now in its 54th year – is the world’s largest and most prestigious travel marketing competition.

The broadcast campaigns were led by the Tourism Authority and SVG’s New York-based public relations agency, Spring, O’Brien & Co., Inc.

“We are thrilled to have been acknowledged among destinations worldwide for these two important awards,” said former Tourism Minister Glen Beache.

“It was a pleasure working with major broadcast shows like Good Morning America on ABC, and Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations on Travel Channel. These are the types of programmes that will put our islands’ natural attractions and culinary offerings on the American traveler’s map. We are grateful for our stakeholders’ unprecedented support, which made these programmes possible and has resulted in SVG getting broadcast coverage worth millions of dollars, with a very small financial outlay,” said Beache.

This country won the Gold Award in the “Feature Placement Television” category, for the five-minute, coveted placement on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” America’s #2 morning news and talk show, with 4.5 million viewers each day.

The first segment, which highlighted Bequia, Tobago Cays, Mayreau and Petit St. Vincent, aired on January 10. The online coverage on ABC.com included an editorial about the Grenadines, plus a slideshow with photos from the region. The second segment, which was dedicated to mainland St. Vincent, aired on April 18. The online coverage on ABC.com featured an article about the main island, as well as a slideshow with images from soft adventure attractions.

In addition, the destination was awarded a Silver Award in the “Marketing Programme Consumer” category, for all-encompassing television coverage in less than one year. Anthony Bourdain selected SVG for the 2010 Season Premiere. His popular one-hour Travel Channel show, “No Reservations”, featured the islands’ natural wonders above and beneath their pristine waters, and it also introduced a selection of indigenous culinary offerings – a never-before-seen side of the country. The GMA segments reported that “(SVG) is not a mass tourism destination, helping to preserve its natural beauty and authentic Caribbean feel.” Travelscope dedicated a 30-minute programme to SVG, in 175 markets, slated to air in Summer 2011. St.Vincent and the Grenadines and the partner private island resort received a total of 25 seconds visual and verbal coverage on “Four Weddings” on PBS.

Founded in 1927, HSMAI is an individual membership organization, comprising nearly 7,000 members worldwide, with 36 chapters in the Americas region. For more information on the Adrian Awards, visit www.adrianawards.com.