Tourism agency names the Mint Charlotte’s best attraction
Visit Charlotte announced the winners of the Partner of the Year Awards on Jan. 22 at an awards breakfast and ceremony at the Hilton Charlotte Center City. Charlotte’s top hospitality and tourism professionals were in attendance to recognize the front-line organizations and individuals that directly impact tourism in the Charlotte region. Judy Rose, Charlotte 49ers director of athletics, gave the keynote speech.
Visit Charlotte Director of Partnership Kamin Brennan described the event as a special time to celebrate the champions of the local tourism industry. “It is important to recognize and celebrate our partners for their exceptional effort, collaboration and customer service throughout the year,” Brennan said. “They are often the first to interact with visitors in Charlotte. With the help of these outstanding partners, we are able to continue to provide a positive experience for visitors and develop the Charlotte region as a thriving visitor destination.”
The hospitality and tourism industry in the Charlotte region makes an impact that generates a critical $4.4 billion in direct tourism spending, employs more than 45,000 in Mecklenburg County and saves each Mecklenburg resident an average of $325 in taxes per year.
CRVA CEO Tom Murray was also in attendance at the awards ceremony and recognized local champions in the community who have collaborated with Visit Charlotte to bring significant meetings and conventions to the city, which will also boost the economic impact of tourism in Charlotte. Local champions recognized include Arts & Science Council VP of Marketing & Communications Krista Terrell, who helped bring the Americans for the Arts Marketing Projects Conference to Charlotte in November 2012; Charlotte Area Transit System CEO Carolyn Flowers, who helped secure Charlotte as the site for two American Public Transportation Association conventions in May 2016; Charlotte Fire Department Chief Jon Hannan, who helped confirm Charlotte as the convention location for the 2017 and 2021 International Association of Fire Chiefs; and Charlotte City Councilman James Mitchell, who helped secure the National League of Cities in October 2017.
Since 2007, Visit Charlotte has held the Partner of the Year Awards to celebrate exceptional contributions to Charlotte tourism. Winners were nominated by Visit Charlotte employees and partners. Award categories included Attraction, Dining, Full Service Hotel, Select Service Hotel, Nightlife & Entertainment, Retail and Service. Individual honors given at the event included the Hospitality Unsung Hero Award, Outstanding Ambassador Award and Hospitality Professional of the Year Award. And new this year, the Local’s Choice Award was chosen by followers on the ‘Charlotte’s got a lot’ social media channels including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest by identifying their favorite place to go in Charlotte.
The 2013 Partner of the Year award winners are:
Attraction of the Year: Mint Museum
Restaurant of the Year: Hickory Tavern
Full Service Hotel of the Year: The Ballantyne Hotel & Lodge
Select Service Hotel of the Year: Hampton Inn & Suites Mooresville / Lake Norman
Nightlife & Entertainment Venue of the Year: NC Music Factory
Retail Establishment of the Year: Concord Mills
Service Company of the Year: Conder Flag Company
Local’s Choice Award: U.S. National Whitewater Center
Hospitality Unsung Hero Award: Delia Rodriguez, Housekeeper at Hampton Inn & Suites South Park @ Phillips Place
Outstanding Ambassador Award: JJ Jackson, Guest Services at the Holiday Inn Charlotte – City Center
Hospitality Professional of the Year: Susan Hornsby, Sales & Event Manager at NC Music Factory
About the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority (CRVA)
The Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority (CRVA) works to ensure the visitors and events that choose Charlotte have a positive experience. Responsibilities include destination marketing through Visit Charlotte and the region’s destination marketing brand, ‘Charlotte’s got a lot,’ and management of Charlotte’s public assembly facilities, which include the Charlotte Convention Center, Time Warner Cable Arena, Bojangles’ Coliseum, Ovens Auditorium and the NASCAR Hall of Fame. The CRVA’s mission seeks to leverage its hospitality marketing and management expertise to maximize the impact of the Charlotte region’s economy, creating opportunities and jobs for the community. charlottesgotalot.com