June 9, 2017

DESTINATION CLEVELAND, COMMUNITY PARTNERS RECOGNIZED FOR MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS EFFORTS

CAMPAIGN TO PROMOTE CLEVELAND SURROUNDING THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION WINS NATIONAL AWARDS

CLEVELAND (June 9, 2017) - The marketing communications campaign designed to educate visitors and media about Northeast Ohio leading up to and throughout the 2016 Republican National Convention was nationally recognized at the Silver Anvil award ceremony which honors the nation's top public relations efforts of the year. The event was hosted by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) in New York City last night.

The community's efforts received the 2017 Silver Anvil Award in the Events and Observances - Fewer than Seven Days category, as well as a 2017 Silver Anvil Award in the Integrated Communications category. In addition, the entry in the Events and Observances category was recognized as one of five finalists for the Best of Silver Anvil award, the top national honor bestowed by PRSA every year.

The awards were presented to Destination Cleveland who submitted the entries in partnership with the City of Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Cleveland Plus, Cleveland Neighborhood Progress, JumpStart Inc., Downtown Cleveland Alliance and Greater Cleveland Partnership, as well as the five Cleveland-based marketing and communications agencies who supported the campaign - The Adcom Group, Dix & Eaton, Falls Communications, Hennes Communications, and thunder::tech.

The awards recognized the organizations and supporting agencies for their work to improve Cleveland's narrative as a place to live, work and do business, play and visit through the region's hosting of the 2016 Republican National Convention.

Destination Cleveland, the region's convention and visitor bureau, led the marketing effort for the Cleveland 2016 Host Committee for the Republican National Convention and coordinated efforts with the Host Committee's public, private and civic partners. In addition, Destination Cleveland organized and managed a steering committee and six subcommittees comprised of more than 100 local marketing and communications professionals to engage the community's expertise.

"Given the long-term benefit that transforming perceptions provides, capitalizing on the opportunity to improve Cleveland's narrative as a place to live, work and do business, play and visit was as crucial as planning the logistical elements of the Convention," said David Gilbert, president and CEO, Destination Cleveland and the Cleveland 2016 Host Committee. "I'm incredibly proud of the results that were achieved through this community-wide collaboration and the countless hours of campaign execution by the Destination Cleveland marketing team and our partners."

Based on input from the steering committee and subcommittees, an overall campaign strategy was established to educate convention delegates, guests, enthusiasts and media built around "Living, Working and Doing Business, Visiting and Playing in Cleveland." The successful campaign, which included paid, earned and owned efforts, exceeded all goals and expectations.

"We're honored to be recognized nationally for the hard work and creativity put into this campaign," said Colette Jones, vice president of marketing, Destination Cleveland and leader of the Cleveland 2016 Host Committee's integrated marketing effort. "The collaboration between Cleveland's public, civic and private sectors allowed us to successfully maximize the opportunity that hosting the Convention presented. The integrated campaign, combined with excellent logistical planning and flawless execution by all parties, allowed Cleveland to shine during the event and ultimately helped us shift perceptions of our region."

"The Silver Anvils represent the most extraordinary communications work being done today. Congratulations to Destination Cleveland and its partners for seizing the opportunity to leverage the 2016 Republican National Convention to change the city's narrative," said PRSA 2017 National Chair Jane Dvorak, APR, Fellow PRSA. "The team did an exemplary job of showcasing the vibrancy and revitalization that has taken place in Cleveland."

In addition to the Silver Anvil awards from PRSA for the overall integrated campaign related to Cleveland's hosting of the Republican National Convention, specific marketing and communications elements of the campaign have also recently been recognized for their excellence and effectiveness. Since October 2016, Destination Cleveland has received the following awards for work related to its support of the Cleveland 2016 Host Committee:

• The 2016 Ohio Travel Association (OTA) RUBY Awards* were awarded for the following initiatives: 
o Guide/Planner: Spring/Summer Issue of The Official Cleveland Visitors Guide with special RNC cover
o Digital Campaign: The Cleveland 2016 Host Committee's Come Early/Stay Late video campaign for the Republican National Convention
o Mobile Application: Destination Cleveland's Mobile App which launched in July 2016
*The RUBY Award stands for Recognizing Uncommon Brilliance (RUBY) and recognizes excellence in Ohio's travel industry for efforts in advertising, marketing and public relations.

• PRSA Cleveland Rocks Gold Award
Community Relations
Destination Cleveland Prepares the Community to Engage, Assist and Prepare for the 2016 Republican National Convention

• PRSA Cleveland Rocks Gold Award 
Media Relations 
Destination Cleveland and Cleveland Plus with support from Dix & Eaton 
Making the Most of the RNC Media Frenzy

• PRSA Cleveland Rocks Judges' Choice Award - Non-Profit 
Destination Cleveland and Cleveland Plus with support from Dix & Eaton 
Making the Most of the RNC Media Frenzy

• 2017 PRSA Bronze Anvil
Media Relations - Associations category

• PRSA East Central District Diamond Award
Media Relations - Special Events & Observances category

To learn more about Destination Cleveland, please visit thisiscleveland.com, follow us on TwitterFacebook and Instagram and subscribe to our channels on YouTube and Pinterest.

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ABOUT DESTINATION CLEVELAND: Destination Cleveland is Cleveland's convention and visitors bureau. This private, non-profit organization's mission is to drive economic impact and stimulate community vitality for Greater Cleveland through leisure and business travel. Cleveland welcomes more than 17 million visitors annually. For more information, visit thisiscleveland.com.

ABOUT SILVER ANVIL AWARD: Since its inception in 1944, the annual Silver Anvil Award is the oldest awards competition for excellence in public relations and communication. The iconic Silver Anvil Award symbolizes the breadth of talent among industry practitioners while recognizing outstanding individual professional achievement. Entries are judged on their research, planning, execution and evaluation, while also considering factors such as creativity, ethics and budget. For more information on the Silver Anvil Awards, please visit the event website.

ABOUT THE PUBLIC RELATIONS SOCIETY OF AMERICA: PRSA is the nation's largest professional organization serving the communications community. The organization's mission is to make communications professionals smarter, better prepared and more connected through all stages of their career. PRSA achieves this by offering its members thought leadership and innovative lifelong learning opportunities to help them develop new skills, enhance their credibility and connect with a strong network of professionals. The organization sets the standards of professional excellence and ethical conduct for the public relations industry. PRSA collectively represents more than 30,000 members comprised of communications professionals spanning every industry sector nationwide and college and university students who encompass the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA).