James E. McGreevey
Governor

William D. Watley
Secretary of Commerce

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Karen Wolfe - 609.292.2523

EXCELLENCE WITHIN THE TOURISM INDUSTRY RECOGNIZED WITH THE PRESENTATION OF THE 2003 GOVERNOR'S TOURISM AWARDS

Trenton, N.J. (April 4, 2003)—The best of the Garden State's tourism industry for the 2002 season have been cited for the New Jersey Governor's Tourism Awards.

The Governor's Tourism Awards celebrate New Jersey's second largest industry and those institutions and venues that have made noteworthy contributions during the past year.

"We are proud to honor those whose contributions helped make 2002 a successful tourism year and who have contributed significantly to advancing New Jersey's reputation as the premier tourism destination of the Northeast," said Nancy J. Byrne, executive director of the Travel and Tourism Office of the New Jersey Commerce and Economic Growth Commission.

The awards will be presented during the 2003 Governor's Conference on Tourism
April 10 during the Governor's Luncheon at Trump Marina Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City.

This year's honorees are:

ADVERTISING/PR/MARKETING AWARD (Business):

The Omni Media Consulting Group, Inc. of Voorhees will receive the Advertising/Public Relations/Marketing Award (Business) for its Amistad Project at the Camden Waterfront, a 10-day event about the infamous ship that attracted more than 13,000 people to the area.

ADVERTISING/PR/MARKETING AWARD (Non-Profit):

The Freehold Center Partnership will receive the Advertising/PR/Marketing Award (Non-Profit) for expanding what was originally a year-round calendar of 24 days of special events that run from March through December, including semi-annual Antique Fests, seasonal cruises, outdoor concerts and more.

ARTS AWARD:

The Surflight Theatre in Beach Haven will be awarded the Arts Award in recognition of a program or activity that encourages tourism and furthers the awareness, understanding and appreciation of the arts in New Jersey. Cultural tourism works in New Jersey and the Surflight Theatre demonstrates how arts attractions help build shoulder season activities for a shore community.

DIRECTOR'S AWARD FOR TOURISM:

The Coca-Cola Bottling Company will receive the 2003 Director's Award for its three-year partnership with a number of communities and properties across the Garden State to create memorable experiences for consumers by linking the Coca-Cola brand to the Jersey Shore and other popular attractions.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AWARD:

The Wildwoods Convention Center is recognized with the Economic Development Award for its valuable contributions to the city's economic vitality. In its first 9 months of operation, the Center hosted 118 groups that generated 246 events and some 148,000 people, while infusing over $45.4 million into the economy.

ECO-TOURISM AWARD:

The 22nd year of Lambertville's Shad Festival won the honors for the Eco-Tourism Award, which recognizes a program or activity that exhibits understanding, appreciation, and respect of the environmental location presented as a tourism attraction. The Festival combines an art and craft fair with the welcoming of spring and the annual return of the Shad to the Delaware River, and promotes recognition of ongoing efforts to revitalize and maintain the quality of the Delaware.

ELECTED OFFICIAL LEADERSHIP AWARD:

Atlantic County Executive Dennis Levinson is the recipient of the Elected Official Leadership Award for his extensive work in putting together an Advisory Committee of tourism professionals to forge a plan to help increase tourism throughout Atlantic County.

HERITAGE TOURISM AWARD:

The A.J. Meerwald - Bayshore Discovery Project in Port Norris is the recipient of the Heritage Tourism Award, which recognizes and encourages the awareness, understanding and appreciation of New Jersey's history, traditions and culture. The A.J. Meerwald and Bayshore Discovery Project programs shared New Jersey's rich maritime history with over 50,000 people in 2002.

MULTI-CULTURAL AWARD:

The Cultural Thread/El Hilo Cultural Exhibit is this year's recipient of the Multi-Cultural Award for an overall beautiful design highlighting photographs and reminiscences of the diverse people who worked together to establish and maintain the embroidery industry in northern New Jersey.

PARTNERSHIP AWARD:

The Great American Trolley Company (GATC) will receive the Partnership Award for its Atlantic City Sightseeing Trolley Tours Program, an initiative that witnessed the company forge relationships with 11 'primary' tour partners and over 20 'secondary' partners, with the latter including attractions that may not have received direct visitation from guests, yet were described in detail on tours.

PINNACLE AWARD OF EXCELLENCE:

Patricia Anne Salvatore of Historic Cold Spring Village in Cape May will be honored with the Pinnacle Award of Excellence, which recognizes an individual who acts as an ambassador for New Jersey tourism, working not only to improve their individual business or region, but also to promote New Jersey's economic growth through tourism.

SPECIAL EVENT AWARD:

The Sunset Lake Hydrofest Powerboat Race, the Special Event Award winner for 2003, will be recognized for attracting approximately 7,000 people during the shoulder season for its premier, one-of-a-kind event, proving a tremendous economic boost for the entire Jersey Cape region.

Other planned Governor's Conference highlights include: The Governor's Luncheon on April 10, which will have Governor James McGreevey as the featured speaker and include the award presentations; and the Exhibits Marketplace Luncheon on April 11, which provides an opportunity for tourism industry professionals to meet colleagues and learn what's new in destinations throughout the state.

A number of seminars have been developed to help participants discover the latest strategies and trends in the tourism marketplace.

Among the sponsors of the 2003 Governor's Conference on Tourism are: The Atlantic City Convention and Visitors Authority; The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey; Coca-Cola North America; Commerce Bank; Six Flags Great Adventure; Wild Safari and Hurricane Harbor; the Star-Ledger; AAA Clubs of New Jersey; Continental Airlines; the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority; and HMSHOST.

Other sponsors include: Caesars, Bally's, Hilton, Park Place Entertainment; the Greater Atlantic City Golf Association; Jersey Shore Partnership; Cendant Corporation; Delaware River & Bay Authority; Jersey Shore Partnership; Morey's Piers and New Jersey Monthly.

For more information on attending the 2003 Governor's Conference on Tourism, please call (609) 292-2470 or visit www.visitnj.org.