The Cocke County Partnership's Tourism Director Linda Lewanski
accepted Middle East Tennessee Tourism's prestigious Award of
Excellence for Advertising and Promotion last the week.

The Tourism Excellence Awards were created to recognize
outstanding programs that promote travel to and within the Middle
East Tennessee region.
The Partnership's entry was the regional billboard campaign
between Cocke County and Gatlinburg. This "groundbreaking"
partnership implemented an advertising program by purchasing
billboards along the 1-40 and 1-81 corridors and urging travelers
to use Newport's 435 exit as the "Best Route to Gatlinburg." The
effort has resulted in an increase in traffic of almost 35
percent at that exit.

"Joint efforts like the billboard program between Cocke County &
Gatlinburg are great way to make marketing dollars go further,"
said METTC Executive Director April Montgomery. "Visitors to the
Smoky Mountains don't see different communities but one,
beautiful area to explore. I am so proud of Linda and this award
and I congratulate her."

"With a small budget, you have to get creative" said Cocke County
Partnership's Tourism Director Linda Lewanski. "The Tourism
department collaborated with the Gatlinburg Department of Tourism
in an effort to promote Cocke County's Interstate 40 - Exit 435
as the "Best Route to Gatlinburg". Leveraging a small amount
of marketing dollars, we have been able to benefit from
Gatlinburg's hefty marketing campaign. By offering cultural and
heritage based tourism venues, Cocke County has an opportunity to
capture some of the tourist dollars being spent by those
visitors. AAA is now promoting this exit as well as in
fulfillment marketing pieces. I am so pleased to have our efforts
recognized by METTC."

Entries were open to hospitality organizations or entities
located in the Middle East Tennessee region and must have been
produced or published between July 1, 2005 and June 30, 2006.

Entries were judged on presentation, quality, efficiency and
community or economic impact. Size of staff and operating budget
of entity were considered and entries were divided into large
hospitality organizations, with annual budget over $1 Million,
and small hospitality organizations, with budgets under $1
Million.

Gatlinburg Department of Tourism won in the large market
category. Walter Yeldell, Tourism and Public Relation Manager for
the Department accepted the award.
"This billboard campaign has proven beneficial to everyone
involved," Yeldell said. "Naturally, it has been good for Cocke
County and Gatlinburg. Best of all, the Gatlinburg visitor has
found a new and quicker entryway that has less traffic and can
shave as much as an hour off the drive time, especially on busy
traffic days!"

"In the category of Special Projects, this small hospitality
association took a problem and made it into an opportunity," said
WBIR's John Becker, who emceed the program, held at Magnolia
Manor in Loudon County.
"Because of the mass quantity of visitors to the Smoky Mountain
Area, state & federal highways can sometimes turn into a parking
lot. The project has led to a refreshing break from the traffic
congestion found at other gateway exits and resulted in a
cooperative effort between two East Tennessee tourism
departments," said Becker while presenting the award to Lewanski.
"Congratulations."

Cocke County Partnership President Donald Hurst is proud of the
recognition.
"It is always good to be recognized for your efforts," Hurst
said. "The Partnership continually looks for opportunities to
work regionally. We make it our mission to implement projects
intended to spur economic development in our county and our
region. I think this effort is a good example of that. With a
traffic increase of almost 35 percent at exit 435, we can count
this as a very successful project. I appreciate METTC's
recognition of our work and our thanks go to our City and County
officials for their support of our programs."

County Mayor Iliff McMahan, Jr. is also proud of the department's
achievements.
"Having served as a member and chair of Middle East Tennessee
Tourism Council, I know how important this council take its
mission to promote our beautiful natural resources and our
cultural heritage traditions," McMahan said." I congratulate our
Tourism Director Linda Lewanski on this prestigious award and
thank her and the Council for all the hard work that went into
making this award possible.
"This award is proof that dreams can be achieved, "he added." And
shows what a council of fine folks can do when they put their
heads together. If not for the vision of Linda, our Tourism
Council and the fine folks in Gatlinburg, this program would
never have happened.
"Again, congratulations."

City of Newport Mayor Connie Ball added his congratulations.
"On behalf of the City of Newport I congratulate the Tourism
department for receiving this outstanding award," Ball said. "The
Cocke County Partnership is always working to make or community a
better place to live. It is very important that all citizens and
groups join forces with each other as a team to better promote
our great resources.
"I greatly appreciate the efforts of the Tourism Council and
Tourism Director Linda Lewanski. "Hard work, organization and
dedication always pay off in the end," he added.

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