HSMAI TO HONOR VISIT JACKSON WITH A SILVER ADRIAN FOR OUTSTANDING TRAVEL MARKETING

Visit Jackson will be honored by the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) at the annual Adrian Awards Celebration on February 23, 2023, with a Silver Adrian Award for its winning entry in the Public Relations (PR) & Communications Special Event category.

Jackson's destination organization launched an integrated marketing campaign celebrating its Bicentennial year. The campaign's goals included:

• Unify the local community with a brand that represented the entire city.
• Drive awareness of Jackson's history and cultural offerings.
• Increase website traffic to visitjackson.com and the dedicated bicentennial landing page, 200jxn.com.

The ultimate goal was to increase visitation to the city through public relations campaigns and marketing activations.

"I am very proud of what we have accomplished to celebrate our bicentennial year in the City With Soul," said Yolanda Clay-Moore, Director of Communications for Visit Jackson. "Our storied history is American history and important to tell. We were able to spotlight community leaders, iconic figures, and everyday people to tell the Jackson story. We shared our resilience and perseverance that has postured us to stand two hundred years, and generations to come will tell of two hundred more.”

Visit Jackson's campaign yielded 51.7 million earned media impressions and 21.6 million social media impressions. Website traffic to visitjackson.com increased 91% with 252K users, while traffic to 200jxn.com reached over 15k users.

The Adrian Awards, now in its 66th year, is the largest and most prestigious competition in global travel marketing. For 2022, Adrian Awards are being presented in advertising, digital, PR/communications, and integrated campaign categories, as well as the following "focus categories":

• Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Marketing (inclusive marketing that considers diversity in all forms);
• Recruitment Marketing (tactics used to attract and retain employees); and
• Audience Marketing on New Platforms (marketing programs on new consumer or technology channels, including TikTok, gaming, and NFTs).
  

The 2022 Adrian Awards Competition adopted "The Next Great Chapter" as its theme to highlight the travel industry's emergence from the COVID pandemic and encourage contestants to consider the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.

"The travel industry is thriving once more and poised for new growth," said Robert A. Gilbert, CHME, CHBA, president and CEO of HSMAI. "The Adrian Awards celebrate the innovation and ingenuity that fuel our success and recognize the hospitality sales, marketing, and revenue optimization leaders whose extraordinary efforts literally 'open the doors' of exploration and excitement. They are writing the next great chapter of travel, and HSMAI is proud to honor them."

The Adrian Awards Celebration is a must-attend industry event that attracts leading hospitality, travel, and tourism marketing executives and their agencies annually. Winning entries will be viewable in the winners' gallery on the Adrian Awards website following the February 23 Celebration.

Visit adrianawards.hsmai.org for more information on the event and competition.