06/21/2024
Be RUBY-Worthy: The Power of Awards for Ohio Travel Businesses
Looking to elevate your organization and showcase your marketing achievements? Awards are a powerful tool to achieve just that. They're tangible proof of your success, impressing your board, visitors, and colleagues.
The RUBY Awards, sponsored by Ohio Magazine, are the pinnacle of recognition for Ohio travel businesses. Each year, the Ohio Travel Association selects expert judges to evaluate entries across 17 unique marketing categories.
There are three awards you can receive: Certificate of Achievement, Citation of Excellence, and the coveted RUBY. Importantly, awards are given based on marketing budget size, ensuring fair and competitive competition.
Why Apply for a RUBY Award?
Boost Visibility: Get noticed! The RUBY Awards ceremony at the Ohio Conference on Travel attracts over 300 industry professionals. Winning an award allows you to promote your success through press releases and social media, further amplifying your brand. The Ohio Travel Association even provides resources like photos and press release templates to help you spread the word!
“We make it a point each year to submit multiple RUBY Award entries, not only to support OTA, but also to measure our work against the high caliber of our talented peers in the industry. The competition makes each win a big deal and keeps the bar high for quality destination marketing in Ohio. Local partners love to see the recognition and gain confidence in our award-winning work promoting Ohio Wine Country. As new ideas get tossed around, we now internally ask ourselves, ‘is this RUBY-worthy?!’ ” -Stephanie Siegel, Executive Director for Ashtabula County Visitors Bureau
Build Credibility: Recognition validates your hard work. Winning a RUBY Award, Citation of Excellence, or Certificate of Achievement signifies that your marketing efforts rank among the best. This recognition strengthens your reputation within the industry and demonstrates your cutting-edge approach.
“The RUBY awards provide an opportunity for destinations across the state to showcase their hard work and accomplishments. Receiving an award, when judged against the top tourism destinations across the state, is such an honor and source of pride which reflect our team’s dedication to creativity and innovation in marketing campaigns. Receiving an award inspires us to continue striving for excellence and reinforces our commitment to delivering impactful and engaging campaigns to reach our target audience. Thank you to the Ohio Travel Association for providing the platform to showcase this work.” -Adria Bergeron, Director of Marketing and Communications for Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District
Measure Accountability: The RUBY Awards offer valuable benchmarks for your marketing program. The competition is fierce within each budget category and judges are carefully selected. This allows you to see how your marketing stacks up against similar businesses. With 17 categories encompassing print media, newsletters, TV ads, blogs, social media campaigns, and more, there's an opportunity to shine in your specific marketing area. Plus, the more entries you submit, the more RUBYs you could win!
“Our team here at the Warren County CVB has been participating in the RUBY Awards for at least the better part of a decade now and we can’t speak highly enough about the program. Not only are the awards a fun and engaging way to fuel some friendly competition with our colleagues and friends here in the Ohio tourism industry, but they’re also a great means for getting genuine feedback on our current marketing efforts and new ideas for future projects. Whether we win big at the awards luncheon or fall a little short, we always leave with an urge to think more creatively and to find that next big ‘RUBY-worthy’ idea.” -Scott Hutchinson, Director of Marketing and Communications for Warren County Convention & Visitors Bureau
Don't miss the July 12, 2024 submission deadline! Showcase your achievements at the RUBY Awards luncheon on October 3rd, 2024 at the Ohio Conference on Travel.