TOLEDO, Ohio – Destination Toledo recently received recognition for achievement in marketing and advertising at the Ohio Travel Association’s RUBY Awards presentation, held Oct. 13 at Kalahari Resorts and Conventions in Sandusky, Ohio. Destination Toledo received awards in the Digital Marketing Campaign category for highlighting Winterfest, and the Targeted Marketing Campaign category focused on meeting planners. Destination Toledo also received a Citation of Excellence for Innovation in Travel Marketing for The Great Lake Erie Birding Trail. Accepting the awards were Caleigh Heuring, Marketing Manager and Cathy Miller, Media Relations Manager.

“Our team worked with our marketing partners at Hart to execute these campaigns and we are very pleased with the results. It's an honor for them to win RUBY Awards and to be recognized amongst our peers for our efforts to attract visitors and meeting planners to Toledo,” 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 Yearly (RUBY) Awards had 184 entries in 17 categories. The awards, sponsored by Ohio Magazine, were presented during the Ohio Conference on Tourism, the state’s tourism conference for all sectors of the tourism industry.

Nine marketing professionals representing academia, consulting firms and ad agencies judged each entry on the basis of overall concept, results and creativity. “Competition for these awards seems to grow every year,” said Melinda Huntley, Ohio Travel Association executive director. “Winners truly represent the best of the best in marketing strategy and design. It’s inspiring.”

About Ohio Travel Association
Destination Toledo 401 Jefferson Avenue Toledo, Ohio 43604-1067 p: 419-321-6404 f: 419-321-5040 VisitToledo.org The Ohio Travel Association is a nonprofit trade association representing travel and tourismrelated businesses throughout the state. For more information on OTA, visit www.ohiotravel.org.

Photo Description: Lance Woodworth, Caleigh Heuring, Cathy Miller and Kendahl Plank from Destination Toledo