Paducah Convention & Visitors Bureau Among Governor’s Award in the Arts Recipients
Governor Steve Beshear presented Paducah Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) with the 2015 Governor’s Awards in the Arts – Government Award at the Kentucky State Capitol on October 22. The Governor’s Awards in the Arts are the Commonwealth’s highest honors in the arts, recognizing individuals, organizations and businesses that have made extraordinary and significant contributions to the arts in Kentucky.
“The arts speak to Kentucky’s rich and fascinating culture in ways that inspire, motivate and inform visitors like nothing else can do and that’s why we incorporate the arts prominently in our overall tourism promotion for the state,” said Bob Stewart, Secretary, Kentucky Tourism, Arts & Heritage Cabinet. “At the local level, no community has done that more successfully than Paducah has – branding itself as an important cultural destination, not only in Kentucky but in the region and the country as well. The Governor’s Award in the Arts that Paducah received is richly deserved and serves a model for other destinations.”
Paducah CVB was recognized for leveraging Paducah's deep cultural heritage and diverse creative assets to enrich the city and broaden its international horizons. The CVB led the community’s application to join the United Nations Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Creative Cities Network and now facilitates the UNESCO Creative Cities program locally.
“The CVB recognizes creative tourism as an outlet to differentiate the destination experience from other destinations through authenticity,” said Mary Hammond, Paducah CVB Executive Director. “The UNESCO Creative Cities Network program has furthered our mission to promote Paducah’s authentic cultural assets on a global scale and create new opportunities with local impact.”
The Kentucky Arts Council coordinates the nomination process for the nine categories of awards. Other recipients included Al Smith, Linda Pigman Fifield, Big Ass Solutions, Creative Diversity Studio, Nathan Link, Willie Rascoe, Dave Shuffett and Sam Bush.
The Paducah Convention and Visitors Bureau is the official Destination Marketing Organization for Paducah/McCracken County. For more information, visit www.Paducah.Travel
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Media Contact:
Laura Schaumburg Oswald, Marketing Director
Paducah Convention & Visitors Bureau
