NewcastleGateshead Convention Bureau is celebrating after taking gold in the Best Brochure category at the prestigious Meetings Industry Marketing Awards (MIMA), the award was presented at a glittering ceremony held at The Brewery, London on Monday 01 October.
The Bureau also took gold in 2010, for their previous Meeting & Events Guide, but in a change to the usual format, the team was this year up against not only other destinations, but also venues from across the globe. They beat off stiff competition from Marketing Brisbane (silver), Quantum Leap Events (bronze) and etc.venues.
Speaking after the ceremony, Senior Business Tourism Manager at the Convention Bureau, Adrian Evans, said: “We knew we had a tall task ahead of us this year. Our last Meeting & Events Guide was so successful, winning gold at the 2010 MIMA awards and receiving fantastic feedback from our clients and partners.
“We wanted to ensure it remained a practical and design savvy guide, but that it also moved forward to take into account the increasing popularity of integrated digital platforms and other ways of accessing information about the Convention Bureau’s services and our partner venues across North East England.”
The 2012 NewcastleGateshead Meeting & Events Guide has incorporated a series of QR codes throughout the printed publication, allowing readers to access additional venue information with 360° virtual tours via their smart phone or mobile device, as well as a short animated video detailing the free services of a Convention Bureau.
It was a golden evening all round for the North East, with Rockliffe Hall nr Durham, also picking-up gold for best brand marketing campaign.
The Meetings Industry Marketing Awards (MIMA) was launched in 2002 to raise the standards of marketing in the meetings and events industry and to recognise the marketers; it is organised by Meetings & Incentive Travel magazine.
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For media enquiries contact:
Shelley Armstrong
Media & PR Manager
T. +44 (0)191 440 5739
M. +44 (0) 7717631109
E. shelley.armstrong@ngi.org.uk
Notes to editors:
• NewcastleGateshead Initiative is a destination marketing and management agency; a public-private partnership supported by Gateshead and Newcastle City Councils, working with around 165 private sector member organisations across NewcastleGateshead and the wider region.
All of our activity aims to promote and position NewcastleGateshead as a world-class vibrant tourism destination, through targeted marketing and PR campaigns nationally and internationally and through the work of our cultural programming team and convention bureau.
NewcastleGateshead Initiative is supported by a board offering expertise from a range of sectors and professions. We also work with a wide range of partners, stakeholders and businesses, who share our ambition to promote NewcastleGateshead as a world-class place in which to live, learn, work, and visit.
• NewcastleGateshead Convention Bureau’s mission is to position and promote NewcastleGateshead as a leading European destination for leisure and business visitors through event bidding and high-profile, targeted destination marketing and PR activity.
Our Convention Bureau uses local knowledge and expertise to help organise conferences, meetings or events in NewcastleGateshead and the surrounding area. It provides a free service including arranging everything from venue sourcing and booking to accommodation, transport and entertainment for delegates. With a huge choice of state-of-the-art venues NewcastleGateshead is fast becoming one of the UK’s most popular destinations whether it’s for a meeting of 10 people or a conference for thousands.
• United by seven bridges across a spectacular riverscape, Newcastle (a city on the north bank of the River Tyne) and Gateshead (a town on the south bank) form a single, diverse and extremely vibrant visitor destination. World-class culture, vibrant nightlife, award-winning dining, inspiring heritage, fantastic shopping and acclaimed architecture are combined here like nowhere else, by the famous Geordie spirit which is symbolised by Antony Gormley’s iconic Angel of the North as it welcomes travellers to the area.
Imagery / Photography opportunities:
• www.NewcastleGateshead.com/Images – NewcastleGateshead’s Initiative’s extensive royalty free image library
Useful links:
• www.NewcastleGateshead.com/Media – NewcastleGateshead Initiative’s media website
• www.NewcastleGateshead.com/Meet – business meeting and event specific website for NewcastleGateshead