FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | October 18, 2021 -

TOLEDO, Ohio – Destination Toledo recently received recognition for achievement in marketing and advertising winning multiple awards at the Ohio Travel Association’s RUBY Awards and the Ohio Association of Convention & Visitor Bureaus’ STAR Awards.

“I am very proud of the work our marketing team has done and it is exciting to see their creativity recognized, amongst our industry peers, at the state level,” said Lance Woodworth, president and CEO for Destination Toledo.

The Ohio Travel Association’s RUBY Awards presentation was held October 7 at Cherry Valley Hotel in Newark, Ohio. Destination Toledo received two RUBY awards for Television Advertisement and Innovations in Marketing for the 419 Ale Trail. Destination Toledo also received Certificates of Achievement in three categories: Travel Guides and Planner, Marketing Campaign and Digital Campaign. Accepting the awards was Destination Toledo president and CEO, Lance Woodworth and partnership development manager, Cathy Miller.

The Ohio Association of Convention & Visitor Bureaus (OACVB) held its annual STAR Awards, September 16 at the Huntington Center in Columbus, Ohio. Destination Toledo received two STAR Awards; First Place for 2021 Toledo Official Visitors Guide and Runner Up in the Specialty Marketing category for the 419 Ale Trail.

“Our team has worked together with amazing creative partners, Hart and Great Lakes Publishing, to execute many of these initiatives. We’re honored to be recognized at the state level for the work our organization is doing to showcase Toledo as a great destination,” said Caleigh Heuring, marketing manager for Destination Toledo.

The Ohio Travel Association’s RUBY Awards recognize excellence in Ohio’s hospitality and tourism industry for efforts in advertising, marketing and public relations. In this year’s competition, the Recognizing Uncommon Brilliance (RUBY) Awards had 177 entries in 17 categories. The awards, sponsored by Ohio Magazine, were presented during the Ohio

Conference on Tourism, the state’s largest conference for tourism industry professionals. Nine marketing professionals representing academia, consulting firms and ad agencies judged each entry on the basis of concept, results and creativity. “The competition this year was fierce,” said Melinda Huntley, Ohio Travel Association executive director. “Despite the hardships created by the pandemic, these professionals produced some amazing campaigns and projects that resulted in increased sales for businesses in their communities.” The Ohio Travel Association is a nonprofit trade association representing travel and tourism-related businesses throughout the state. For more information on OTA, visit ohiotravel.org.

The OACVB STAR (State Tourism Achievement Recognition) Awards honor outstanding efforts by Ohio Convention & Visitor Bureaus in their work to market and promote their area destinations and to generate overall awareness of the tourism industry. Recipients are honored for their innovation, creativity, effectiveness and impact in travel and tourism marketing and advertising.
The Ohio Association of Convention & Visitor Bureaus is OACVB is a resource for destination marketing organizations in Ohio to maximize the economic impact of tourism via effective communication, cooperative marketing, industry education, legislative awareness, issues management, trend identification, and professional development. For more information on OACVB, visit oacvb.org.