During the month of November, the National Corvette Museum (NCM) attended several special events including the Kentucky Travel Industry Association (KTIA) Conference, the Professional Marketing Association (PMA) of Bowling Green Awards Ceremony, and the National Association of Automobile Museums (NAAM) Annual Conference. At each of the events, the Museum received recognition for its educational programs, online content, exhibits, and much more.
Kentucky Travel and Tourism businesses and marketing organizations vie for Traverse Awards for Excellence in Kentucky Tourism Marketing in ten different categories. Over 110 entries were submitted from throughout the Commonwealth for the competition, and each was judged by a panel of out-of-state travel and tourism industry experts. Award criteria include concept, creativity, results, and impact.
According to KTIA President and CEO Hank Phillips, “This year’s Traverse Awards are especially significant since they were not presented last year because of the cancellation of our conference due to the coronavirus. Therefore, the awards span a pre-pandemic period as well as the period during which the tourism industry was being devastated by the pandemic-induced economic crisis. Whether before or during the pandemic, the entries reflected the enormous creativity and marketing savvy that has propelled tourism to being a premier driver of the Kentucky economy and the source of jobs and enhanced quality of life for Kentucky families.”
The National Corvette Museum received three Bronze Traverse Awards in the categories of Website (corvettemuseum.org); PR campaign (Preparing for the Next Generation); and COVID-19 Community Support and Engagement (Experiencing National Corvette Museum From Your Home).
The KTIA represents and serves all segments of Kentucky’s tourism industry which, despite the pandemic’s severe impact, contributed $8.9 billion to Kentucky’s economy in 2020. The 900-member association engages in advocacy and provides its members with education, information, and business development opportunities. The KTIA also works to inform the public of the enormous economic, employment, and tax revenue contributions tourism brings to the people of Kentucky.
Just days after the annual KTIA Conference, the National Corvette Museum’s Marketing and Communications team attended the annual Professional Marketing Association of Bowling Green’s (PMA) Markie Awards. The purpose of the PMA of Bowling Green and Warren County is to offer an atmosphere for marketing professionals to meet on a regular basis for networking, professional development, peer recognition, and community involvement.
The Museum entered several awards categories and received the following recognition for its 2021 campaigns and tactics: Best of Show (Preparing for the Next Generation); Gold in Best Event or Fundraising Campaign (Expansion Campaign); Gold in Out-of-Home, Digital, or Print (Corvette Powered Billboard); Gold in Best Long Format Video :31 or More (Vettecademy); and Silver in Best Newsletter, Magazine, Booklet, or E-News (America’s Sports Car magazine). 
“It is an honor to receive these awards for our marketing and communications efforts. To be recognized by our peers in the field as well as our local community highlights the impact the National Corvette Museum has made in the area. We extend our congratulations to all the other winners this year and are proud to work in such a close-knit marketing community,” said Mariah Hughes, Senior Media and Marketing Specialist for the National Corvette Museum.
Just days after the PMA Markie Awards, the Museum hosted the National Association of Automobile Museums’ Annual Conference which focused on the future growth and success of automobile museums, utilizing a Corvette-centric theme: NextGen. The museum professionals gathered to discuss collections, digitization of archives, guest experience, new technology, and more.
At the conclusion of the conference, awards were given to those who submitted entries in several categories. This year the NCM received a total of seven awards including First Place Interpretive Exhibits (E. Pierce Marshall Memorial Performance Gallery); Second Place Interpretive Exhibits (Cartoon Creatures, Kustom Kars, and Corvettes: The Art and Influence of Ed “Big Daddy” Roth); First Place Educational Programs (Vettecademy); Second Place Film and Video (Fully Vetted); Third Place Film and Video (Vettecademy); First Place Newsletters and Magazines (America’s Sports Car magazine); and First Place Events and Public Promotions (2020 Virtual Michelin NCM Bash). 
“Receiving these awards for the significant projects the Museum undertook during a global pandemic, that have been judged by our peers, truly shows the dedication and hard work our staff puts into everything we do here at the Museum, and the quality and professionalism to which we aspire,” said Derek E. Moore, Director of Collections and Curator for the National Corvette Museum.
These awards serve as a showcase for the continued growth of the National Corvette Museum. We would like to thank our members, donors, staff, and visitors for making it possible through your continued support.
