CARIBOU, Maine – Northern Maine Development Commission has received a 2018 Aliceann Wohlbruck Innovation Award from the National Association of Development Organizations for Aroostook County Tourism’s new efforts to market the region to potential tourists.
The Aroostook County Tourism Board and NMDC embarked on a new marketing campaign to attract tourists to Northern Maine by better utilizing social media, internet marketing and highlighting the experiences of Aroostook County residents.
In conjunction with the marketing agency Sutherland-Weston of Bangor, ACT repurposed funds away from traditional advertising and trade shows, to a greater emphasis on social media and improved web presence.
“We’re proud of what we have been able to accomplish to date,” said Alain Ouellette, director of ACT. “We also have exciting plans to expand the tourism industry in The County this coming year and into the future.”
“These awards demonstrate the value of regional development organizations and highlight their critical role in promoting economic development for the nation’s rural and small metropolitan communities,” said Robert Clark, NMDC executive director and NADO board member.
NADO is a Washington, DC-based membership association of regional development organizations that promotes programs and policies that strengthen local governments, communities, and economies through regional cooperation, program delivery, and comprehensive strategies. The association’s Innovation Awards program recognizes regional development organizations and their partners for improving the economic and community competitiveness of the nation’s regions and local communities.
Award-winning projects received recognition during NADO’s 2018 Annual Training Conference, held Oct. 13-16 in Charlotte, N.C. The 2018 award recipients included 90 projects spanning 24 states. These projects are presented in an interactive “Story Map” developed by NADO and Esri and include project summaries and partners. The Story Map is available online at: https://www.nado.org/innovation-awards/.
This year’s awards are presented in honor of Aliceann Wohlbruck, who passed away in March 2018. Wohlbruck was NADO’s first executive director, serving 24 years as a tireless champion for regional approaches to economic development in rural communities.
For more information about ACT’s award-winning project, contact Ouellette at aouellette@nmdc.org or by phone at (207) 551-5837.
