Tourism Celebration Frames the Importance of Local Arts Industry
Colorado Springs, Colo. – October 18, 2019 – Visit Colorado Springs celebrated the art of tourism alongside industry leaders Thursday night at Hotel Eleganté Conference and Events Center. Remarks were made by VCOS Board Chair, Barry Brown, VCOS President and CEO, Doug Price, Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region Executive Director, Andy Vick and Downtown Partnership Director of Urban Engagement, Claire Swinford. Tourism industry members were recognized for their leadership, customer service, collaboration and community involvement.
The night’s “Making a Splash: The Art of Tourism” theme hosted more than 200 guests in vibrant attire with live performances by the Colorado Springs Chorale and Red Herring Productions. Price painted a picture of the destination’s changing aesthetic thanks to a variety of newly opened, ongoing and future projects like the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum, the Willian J Hybl Sports Medicine and Performance Center, the Pikes Peak Summit Complex and forthcoming Downtown Stadium. He also showcased continued Olympic City USA branding efforts including the completed Interstate 25 welcome sign upgrade accentuated by the flame of excellence.
Brown detailed The Broadmoor’s Exhibit Hall expansion set for a spring 2020 completion as well as progress on the Pikes Peak Cog Railway, slated for a spring 2021 reopening. Vick shared how the Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region contributes to Colorado Springs’ thriving economy and culture while Swinford shared how more than two decades of the Art on the Streets program activate public spaces for both visitors and residents.
VCOS presented a variety of acknowledgments and industry awards:
Outgoing VCOS Board Members
Tom Osborne - Colorado Springs Sports Corporation
Steve Kanatzar - The Airplane Restaurant
Doctor Eric Olson - University of Colorado Colorado Springs
Staff Milestones
Pam Sherfesee (Vice President of Sales) - 25 years with VCOS
Gaby Stephenson (Executive Assistant) - 10 years with VCOS
Tourism Industry Awards
Hospitality Customer Service Award: Charles Bolden, Residence Inn by Marriott and Jake Ely, Hotel Eleganté Conference and Event Center
Tourism Customer Service Award: Bear Wilson, Manitou Springs Adventures High Country Excursions
Community Hero Award: Meeks and Laurel Prud’homme, Downtown Partnership of Colorado Springs
Tourism Leadership Award: Nicki Moser, Best Western Plus Peak Vista Inn & Suites and Best Western Executive Inn & Suites; Johannah Murphy, Goat Patch Brewing Company.
Stellar Award: Will Colon, Colorado Jeep Tours
Symphony Award: Raymond Martinez, Colorado Springs Marriott
Ensemble Award: Cole McKeel, U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Center of Colorado Springs
Inspiration Award: Board of Directors, Pikes Peak Chapter of the Colorado Restaurant Association
Soliloquy Award: Ashlee Sack, Fremont Adventure Recreation
Tourism Industry Achievement Award: Linda Carter, Garden of the Gods Visitor & Nature Center
Event sponsors included: Hotel Eleganté Conference and Event Center, Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region, Cottonwood Center for the Arts, Painting with a Twist Downtown, Ent Business Banking, RHW Hotels, Home 2 Suites by Hilton, Pikes Peak - America’s Mountain, Best Western Plus Peak Vista Inn & Suite and Best Western Executive Inn & Suites, Colorado Springs Airport, Pikes Peak Region Attractions Association, Downtown Partnership of Colorado Springs, Goat Patch Brewing Company, JanPro of Southern Colorado, U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, Colorado Fun Magazine and Rocky Mountain Connections.
