$25,000 Prize To Be Awarded at Conference Hosted by IUPUI Tourism Department

INDIANAPOLIS – Thirteen organizations are competing for a $25,000 prize to be awarded for the best cultural tourism initiative in the state.

The winner of the 2006 Efroymson Award for Excellence in Cultural Tourism Development prize will be announced at the Indiana Cultural Tourism Conference on May 12, 2006.

The conference, entitled “Capitalize on Culture,” is hosted by the Department of Tourism, Conventions and Event Management at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). It will be held at the University Place Conference Center, 850 W. Michigan Street, Indianapolis. The prize is made possible through a grant from the Efroymson Fund of the Central Indiana Community Foundation.

Organizations competing for the prize are:Arts Council of Indianapolis, Bands of America, Elkart County Convention and Visitors Bureau, eWireless, Fort Wayne/Allen County Convention and Visitors Bureau, Historic Landmarks Foundation, Indiana Black Expo, Indianapolis Downtown, Inc., Indiana State Museum, Indianapolis Zoo, Leora Brown School, Inc., Metamora Economic Development Corp., and The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis.

“The prize recognizes an organization for a highly creative, professionally executed cultural tourism initiative that met or exceeded results-driven goals,” said Sotiris H. Avgoustis, associate professor and chair of the department.

“This conference provides a forum for recipients to share exceptional performance practices with Indiana leaders in cultural tourism development,” Avgoustis said.

Indiana Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman will speak during a luncheon, at which the $25,000 award recognizing Indiana’s best cultural tourism practice will be presented.

Richard Florida, widely regarded as one of the most influential scholars on the rise of the creative class and the impact of cultural tourism on a city’s economy, will be the featured speaker at the event.

Organizations that conducted cultural tourism initiatives between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2005 or work initiated prior to January 1, 2005 that continued through this timeframe were eligible to enter the contest. Seventeen entries were submitted by 13 organizations.

A panel of objective tourism professionals will judge the entries on a combination of program description (20%), overall strategy (20%), anticipated results (40%) and plans for the award (20%). All budget levels will be considered and judged against like-budget projects.

For more information or to register to attend the conference, visit: http://www.culturaltourismconference.com/.