16 February 2009 – London, UK:  The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) today announced the 12 finalists for the 2009 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards. Under WTTC’s stewardship since 2003, the prestigious Awards recognise best practices in sustainable tourism in four different categories – Destination Stewardship, Conservation, Community Benefit and Global Tourism Business. A record number of entries were received this year from over 40 countries and six continents.

The 12 finalists were selected by an international team of independent judges in each of the four award categories for having successfully demonstrated sustainable tourism  practices, including the protection of natural and cultural heritage, social and economic benefits to local people,  and environmentally-friendly operations.

The 2009 Finalists are:
Destination Stewardship Award
Grupo PUNTACANA, Dominica Republic – www.puntacana.com
Heritage Watch, Cambodia – www.heritagewatch.org
South West Tourism, UK – www.swtourism.org.uk
Conservation Award
Ionian Eco Villagers, Greece – www.relaxing-holidays.com
Lane Cove River Tourist Park, Australia – www.lcrtp.com.au
NatureAir, Costa Rica – www.natureair.com
Community Benefit Award
Community Action Treks, Nepal – www.catreks.com
Ol Donyo Wuas, Kenya – www.oldonyowuas.com
Zakoura Foundation for Micro Credits, Morocco – www.zakourafondation.org
Global Tourism Business Award
GAP Adventures, Canada & Global – www.gapadventures.com
Marriott International Inc, USA & Global – www.marriott.com
Metropolitan Touring, Ecuador – www.metropolitan-touring.com

Costas Christ, Chairman of Judges said: “We have reached a global tipping point in the travel industry, as more businesses and countries realise that sustainable tourism is not only about protecting the environment and safeguarding cultural diversity, but that it is also an important economic opportunity.  The Tourism for Tomorrow Awards judging process goes beyond just what a company says it is doing in sustainable tourism. Our next phase of judging involves an on-site expert evaluation of each finalist to assess what they are doing in practice, leading up to the selection of one winner in each category. ”

“The outstanding quality of this year’s entries reflects the growing interest in the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards, “ said WTTC President and CEO Jean-Claude Baumgarten. “They demonstrate the Travel & Tourism industry’s long-term commitment to responsible tourism management, protecting the natural, social and cultural environment.”

The Tourism for Tomorrow Awards are endorsed by WTTC Members and other organisations. They are organised in association with two Strategic Partners – Travelport and The Leading Travel Companies Conservation Foundation – with additional sponsors Fairmont Hotels & Resorts and Rothschild Inc. Media partners include BBC World, Breaking Travel News, e-Turbo News, FVW, greentravelguides.tv, Grupo RBS, Mercados & Eventos, National Geographic Adventure, Newsweek, Simon & Baker Travel Review, Telegraph Media Group, Travel Daily News, TravelMole, Travel Weekly, Travel Weekly UK, TTN Middle East, USA Today and 4hoteliers. Contributors are Adventure in Travel Expo, BEST Education Network, the Rainforest Alliance, Sustainable Travel International, the World Heritage Alliance, Reed Travel Exhibitions and World Travel Market.

CONTACT
For more information about the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards and the finalists, please call Susann Kruegel, WTTC’s Manager, e-Strategy and Tourism for Tomorrow Awards, on +44 (0) 20 7481 8007, or contact her by email at susann.kruegel@wttc.org. You can also check out the website: www.tourismfortomorrow.com

WTTC Announces Panel of International Experts for 2009 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards

December 10, 2008 – London, UK – The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) recently announced the Judges for the 2009 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards, WTTC’s high-profile sustainable tourism accolade, in association with Travelport and The Leading Travel Companies Conservation Foundation.

The Tourism for Tomorrow Awards are presented annually to organisations pioneering responsible tourism management and helping to improve the livelihoods of communities in host destinations through sustainable tourism development. The Awards have gained international recognition thanks to a rigorous judging process, including an on-site verification for all finalists.

Costas Christ, Chairman of the Panel and internationally acclaimed expert in sustainable tourism, said: “The Tourism for Tomorrow Awards are truly a global recognition of best practices in sustainable tourism. Not only does our diverse panel of judges represent a high level of Travel & Tourism expertise, but they also represent countries from all around the world.”

The judges on the Finalist Selection Committee for 2009 are:

Dr Peter Burns, Professor, Centre for Tourism Policy Studies, University of Brighton
Tony Charters, Principal, Tony Charters & Associates
Erika Harms, Executive Director of Sustainable Development, United Nations Foundation
Marilú Hernández, President, Fundacion Haciendas del Muno Mayas
Dr Janne J Liburd, Associate Professor, University of Southern Denmark & Chair, BEST Education Network
Brian Mullis, President, Sustainable Travel International
Mahen Sangkhrajka, Chairman, Big Five Tourism and Expeditions
Kaddu Sebunya, Director of Program Design, Africa Wildlife Foundation
Mandip Singh Soin FRGS, Founder & Managing Director, Ibex Expeditions (P) Ltd
Jamie Sweeting, Vice President of Environmental Stewardship & Global Chief Environmental Officer, Royal Caribbean International
Albert Teo, Managing Director, Borneo Eco Tours
Michelle White, Director of Sustainability, Indigo Books and Music Inc

This internationally acclaimed panel includes representatives of both the public and private sectors, as well as media and academia. Its members will review and select a shortlist of finalists in each of the four Award categories to move to the second stage of the judging process, during which on-site inspections will take place. Following the third stage of judging, a final Panel will choose the winner for each category.

Members of the Winners’ Selection Committee are:

Costas Christ, Chairman of Judges, Tourism for Tomorrow Awards
Graham Boynton, Group Travel Editor, Telegraph Media Group
Fiona Jeffery, Chairman, World Travel Market & Just A Drop

The Tourism for Tomorrow Awards are endorsed by WTTC Members and other organisations. Sponsors include Travelport and The Leading Travel Companies Conservation Foundation, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts and Rothschild Inc. Media partners include BBC World, Breaking Travel News, e-Turbo News, greentravelguides.tv, Meltwater News, National Geographic Adventure, Newsweek, Telegraph Media Group, Travel Weekly UK, USA Today and 4hoteliers. Contributors are Adventure in Travel Expo, BEST Education Network, the Rainforest Alliance, Sustainable Travel International, the World Heritage Alliance, Reed Travel Exhibitions and World Travel Market.

CONTACT
For more information about the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards, please call Susann Kruegel, WTTC’s Manager e-Strategy and Tourism for Tomorrow Awards, on +44 (0) 20 7481 8007 or contact her by email at susann.kruegel@wttc.org. You can also check out the website: www.tourismfortomorrow.com

      
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE      

Contact:

Elena del Valle elena@lnaworld.com 
305-270-6309
Diane Gomez diane.gomez@prsa.org
212-460-1437 

Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations (HispanicMPR.com) http://www.hispanicmpr.com/, an online forum and audio podcast for the exchange of information and ideas on Hispanic marketing and public relations, and the Public Relations Society of America, (PRSA) http://www.prsa.org/, recently announced a cross-promotional event partnership agreement

NEW YORK and BOCA RATON, Fla. March 11, 2008 – Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations (HispanicMPR.com) http://www.hispanicmpr.com/, an online forum and audio podcast for the exchange of information and ideas on Hispanic marketing and public relations, and the Public Relations Society of America, (PRSA) http://www.prsa.org/, recently announced a cross-promotional event partnership agreement for 2008. Under that agreement, the two organizations will exchange access to information and registration materials for some 2008 PRSA events.

“This joint effort offers our members an excellent opportunity to gain a better understanding of how to engage diverse communities in both communications and collaboration,” said PRSA Chair and CEO Jeffrey Julin, APR. “It also is a demonstration of PRSA’s commitment to the wide interests and areas of expertise of our members.” 

The three PRSA events that will benefit from additional Hispanic market exposure are the Health Academy’s 19th Annual Conference conference.html to be held April 2-4 in Chicago, Ill., Counselors Academy Spring Conference to be held May 18-20 in Naples, Fla., and the PRSA International Conference http://www.prsa.org/conf2008/ to be held Oct. 25-28 in Detroit, Mich.

“We’re excited to work with PRSA for the second year in a row,” said HispanicMPR.com Editor Elena del Valle, MBA. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for both organizations to expand our reach and offer richer content alternatives to our audiences.”

Started as a companion Web site for the Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations book (Poyeen Publishing, $49.95); HispanicMPR.com features original content, including downloadable expert presentations http://www.hispanicmpr.com/resources/hmpr-products/, daily articles and weekly podcast audio interviews. Visitors may sign up for e-mail updates, search the Web site for Hispanic market information, and watch videos and listen to podcasts online, as well as download them for convenient listening on their MP3 or iPod players.

The Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations book was a 2006 Choice Outstanding Academic Title, the first title in its category to be selected for the prestigious recognition. The book provides 435 pages of information, case studies, graphics, market data and opinions based on the experiences of nineteen U.S. Hispanic market experts. Seventeen practitioners and two university academics contributed fifteen chapters to the book.

The Public Relations Society of America, headquartered in New York City, is the world’s largest organization for public relations professionals with nearly 32,000 professional and student members. PRSA is organized into 109 Chapters nationwide and 19 Professional Interest Sections and Affinity Groups, which represent business and industry, counseling firms, independent practitioners, military, government, associations, hospitals, schools, professional services firms and nonprofit organizations. The Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) has 291 Chapters at colleges and universities throughout the United States and one Chapter in Argentina.

Elena del Valle, MBA, principal of LNA World Communications (http://www.lnaworld.com/) will speak about “How to Reach and Pitch the Hispanic Media” at the Annual Conference for Media Relations Professionals of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) March 10 in Chicago, Illinois. Following her presentation, she and Julian Posada, general manager, Hoy will participate in a panel discussion moderated by Carlos Barroso, director of Marketing and Communications and adjunct faculty member, Saint Andrew’s School.

Del Valle is responsible for media training, strategic planning and client relations at LNA, a marketing and communications company. She is also director and editor of the Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations book (Poyeen Publishing, $49.95) and host of the companion website and weekly audio podcast program by the same name, Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations (http://www.hispanicmpr.com/). As a veteran expert on the Hispanic market and frequent presenter at national and international events, she was invited by the conference organizers to share insights and information on the 45 million Hispanics in the United States and how to interact with Latino media.

HispanicMPR.com, an online forum and podcast for the exchange of information and ideas on Hispanic marketing and public relations, was recently selected Women that Win February 2008 Business of the Month.  Del Valle was recently profiled in HispanicEntrepreneur.com, an online portal that profiles Hispanic and Latin American entrepreneurs, companies and investors which provide them with start-up funds and capital.

Started as a companion website for the Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations book HispanicMPR.com provides a forum for readers and authors of the book, website subscribers and visitors to connect, discover the latest Hispanic daily market news and updates and listen to expert downloadable presentations and weekly podcast interviews.  Visitors may sign up for daily email updates, search the website for Hispanic market information; watch videos and listen to podcasts on the podcast announcement page, the website’s audio player or download them for convenient listening on their MP3 or iPod players.

The Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations book was a 2006 Choice Outstanding Academic Title, the first title in its category to be selected for the prestigious recognition. The book provides 435 pages of information, case studies, graphics, market data and opinions based on the experiences of nineteen U.S. Hispanic market experts. Seventeen practitioners and two university academics, contributed fifteen chapters to the book. 

The mission of Council for Advancement and Support of Education is to advance and support educational institutions around the world by enhancing the effectiveness of the alumni relations, communications, marketing, fund raising, and other advancement professionals who serve them. Conference details are available at http://www.case.org/conferences/mrp/program.cfm

January 30, 2008

Boca Raton, FL – Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations, HispanicMPR.com, an online forum and podcast for the exchange of information and ideas on Hispanic marketing and public relations, was recently selected Women that Win February 2008 Business of the Month. More information is available online at http://www.hispanicmpr.com/

Started as a companion website for the Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations book (Poyeen Publishing, $49.95), HispanicMPR.com provides a forum for readers and authors of the book, website subscribers and visitors to connect, discover the latest Hispanic daily market news and updates and listen to expert downloadable presentations and weekly podcast interviews.  Visitors may sign up for daily email updates, search the website for Hispanic market information; watch videos and listen to podcasts on the podcast announcement page, the website’s audio player or download them for convenient listening on their MP3 or iPod players.

The Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations book was a 2006 Choice Outstanding Academic Title, the first title in its category to be selected for the prestigious recognition. The book provides 435 pages of information, case studies, graphics, market data and opinions based on the experiences of nineteen U.S. Hispanic market experts. Seventeen practitioners and two university academics, contributed fifteen chapters to the book. 

Florida based Women that Win (WomenThatWin.com), founded by Kellie Kuecha, is dedicated to empowering women to continuously seek new horizons in their careers by providing educational seminars, unique opportunities to form strategic alliances and unlimited resources that enable them to define, develop and achieve their personal and professional goals.

Contact: Elena del Valle
elena@lnaworld.com
Kellie Kuecha
kellie@womenthatwin.com

 

Photo: Cristian Lazzari 

Elena del Valle, MBA, editor, Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations (HispanicMPR.com) will discuss “Hispanics Online: Tapping a Golden Opportunity” during the 14th Annual Marketing to U.S. Hispanics & Latin America conference to be held in Miami January 27-29, 2008.

As an veteran expert on the Hispanic market and frequent presenter at national and international events, she was invited by the conference organizers to share insights and information on the 17 million Hispanics online and how to market to them with the attendees to the Strategic Research Institute event.

Elena is principal of LNA World Communications, a marketing and communications company, where she is responsible for media training, strategic planning and client relations. She is also the director and editor of the Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations book (Poyeen Publishing, $49.95) and host of the companion website and podcast. 

ALM, the parent company of the Strategic Research Institute, is an integrated media company, focused on the legal and business communities. ALM owns and publishes 33 national and regional magazines and newspapers. The company is one of North America’s largest producers of conferences and trade shows for business leaders and the legal profession. ALM is an Incisive Media company.

Incisive Media is a provider of specialist business information, in print, in person and online. Incisive Media operates in four principal markets: financial services, risk management, professional services and marketing services.

Elena del Valle, principal, LNA World Communications 

Photo: Cristian Lazzari 

Elena del Valle, principal, LNA World Communications will discuss the “New Media Revolution – RSS feeds, blogs, Wikis and other interactive communications tools” during the 2007 Professional Development Day of the Palm Beach Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Thursday, September 27, 2007. In addition to Palm Beach Chapter members, the members of the Gulfstream Chapter of PRSA, the Gold Coast PR Council and the local chapter of the American Marketing Association will be invited. 

Elena was invited for a second year in a row to discuss this popular and timely topic. Elena is principal of LNA World Communications, a marketing and communications company, where she is responsible for media training, strategic planning and client relations. She is also the director and editor of the Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations book (Poyeen Publishing, $49.95) and host of the companion website and podcast. 

The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) is the world’s largest organization for public relations professionals. Its nearly 20,000 members, organized into 114 chapters, represent business and industry, technology, counseling firms, government, associations, hospitals, schools professional services firms and nonprofit organizations.

Click here for event brochure 2007 Professional Development Day of the Palm Beach Chapter of PRSA

Contact:
Elena del Valle                                                    
elena@lnaworld.com

Editors: JPG photos available

Started as a companion website for the Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations book (Poyeen Publishing, $49.95), HispanicMPR.com provides a forum for readers and authors of the book, website subscribers and visitors to connect, discover the latest Hispanic daily market news and updates and listen to expert downloadable presentations and weekly podcast interviews.  Visitors may sign up for daily email updates, search the website for Hispanic market information; and listen to podcasts on the podcast announcement page, the website’s audio player or download them for convenient listening on their MP3 or iPod players.

The Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations book was a 2006 Choice Outstanding Academic Title, the first title in its category to be selected for the prestigious recognition. The book provides 435 pages of information, case studies, graphics, market data and opinions based on the experiences of nineteen U.S. Hispanic market experts. Seventeen practitioners and two university academics, contributed fifteen chapters to the book, which benefits the Hispanic Marketing & Communication Association (HMCA), is a volunteer driven nonprofit professional association dedicated to Hispanic marketing excellence. 

There are 35 categories in the Blogger’s Choice Awards 2007 including Best Animal Blogger, Best Blog About Blogging, Best Blog About Stuff, Best Blog Design, Best Blog of All Time, Best Blogging Host, Best Business Blog, Best Celebrity Blogger, Best Charity Blog, Best Corporate Blog, Best Education Blog, Best Entertainment Blog, Best Food Blog, Foreign Language Blog, Best Geek Blog, Best Gossip Blog, Best Health Blog, Best Hobby Blog, Best Humor Blog, Best Marketing Blog, Best Parenting Blog, Best Photography Blog, Best Podcast, Best Political Blog, Best Pop Culture Blog, Best Religion Blog, Best Shopping Blog, Best Sports Blog, Best Travel Blog, Best Video Blogger, Freakiest Blogger, Hottest Daddy Blogger, Hottest Mommy Blogger, Most Obnoxious Blogger, The “Blogitzer” and Worst Blog of All Time. Additional information on the awards is available at BloggersChoiceAwards.com.

Contact:
Elena del Valle                                                    
elena@lnaworld.com

Editors: JPG photos available

Boca Raton, FL – HispanicMPR.com, an online forum and podcast for the exchange of information and ideas on Hispanic marketing and public relations, released a new downloadable audio recording, “Emotional Branding: How to capture the heart and mind of the Hispanic consumer” by Jay Gronlund and Mario Quiñones. The downloadable recording sells for $109.95 and features an interview with and presentation by Latino market experts Gronlund and Quiñones. For a limited time the recording is available on a complimentary basis for those who complete the HispanicMPR Subscriber Survey. Details on the recording are available online at http://www.hispanicmpr.com/resources/hmpr-products/emotional-branding/

Gronlund, vice president and managing director, Latin Pulse USA, is a marketing professional with over 30 years of senior management experience in large multinationals and international consulting. Mario Quiñones, president and founder, Latin Pulse, is responsible for the operations of Latin Pulse since July 2000. The company has operations in Mexico, Central America, South America and the U.S Hispanic market.

“Emotional Branding” is the latest addition to the HispanicMPR.com Resources Section launched in 2006. Other presentations by experts and leaders in the field are: “Hispanic Market Overview,” “The Next Step: Secondary Latino Markets,” “Latino Media and Hispanic Media Training,” “Marketing to Hispanics Online,” “Search Engine Marketing to Hispanics,” “Latino Family Dynamics,” “Hispanic Projections,” “Electronic Publicity and Broadcast Media,” and “Hispanic Market Translation Issues.”

Experts include: Joel Bary, CEO and board member, LatinMedios.com; Liria  Barbosa, senior research analyst, C & R Research; Alex Carvallo, U.S. Hispanic media manager for Consumer Marketing, Intel Americas; Elena del Valle, MBA, principal, LNA World Communications; Martha E. Galindo, president and CEO of Galindo Publicidad Inc.; David Henry, president and founder of TeleNoticias; Brenda Hurley, vice president, C & R Research; Matias Perel, founder and president, Latin3; Roger Selbert, Ph.D., principal, The Growth Strategies Group; Federico Subervi, Ph.D., professor, School of Journalism and Mass Communication, Texas State University-San Marcos; Dora O. Tovar, MPA, president, Tovar Public Relations; Michele Valdovinos, vice president of Research and Marketing, Phoenix Cultural Access Group.

Started as a companion website for the Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations book (Poyeen Publishing, $49.95), HispanicMPR.com provides a forum for readers and authors of the book, website subscribers and visitors to connect, discover the latest Hispanic daily market news and updates and listen to expert downloadable presentations and weekly podcast interviews.  Visitors may sign up for daily email updates, search the website for Hispanic market information; and listen to podcasts on the podcast announcement page, the website’s audio player or download them for convenient listening on their MP3 or iPod players.

The Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations book was a 2006 Choice Outstanding Academic Title, the first title in its category to be selected for the prestigious recognition. The book provides 435 pages of information, case studies, graphics, market data and opinions based on the experiences of nineteen U.S. Hispanic market experts. Seventeen practitioners and two university academics, contributed fifteen chapters to the book, which benefits the Hispanic Marketing & Communication Association (HMCA), is a volunteer driven nonprofit professional association dedicated to Hispanic marketing excellence.  More information is available online at http://www.hispanicmpr.com/
 

Contact:

Elena del Valle                                                     
elena@lnaworld.com

Editors: JPG photos available

Attention editors jpg photos available

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   

Boca Raton, FL (January 29, 2007) – Choice magazine selected The Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations Understanding and Targeting America’s Largest Minority book (Poyeen Publishing, $49.95) a 2006 Outstanding Academic Title. This makes Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations the first ever Hispanic marketing title selected for the exclusive list. Only 640 outstanding works were selected for their excellence in scholarship and presentation, the significance of their contribution to the field, and their value as important – often, as in this case, the first – treatment of their subject. The Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations book was one of more than 25,000 titles considered for selection by Choice in 2006. Outstanding Academic Titles are the “best of the best.” Information about the book, including a list of authors and table of contents, is available at http://www.hispanicmpr.com/the-book/

Choice reviews about 7,000 titles a year. From those, the editorial staff select the best titles for a once a year list of outstanding works. The 2006 list of Outstanding Academic Titles was announced in January 2007. Choice is a publication of the Association of College and Research Libraries, a division of the American Library Association.

Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations is useful for anyone targeting U.S. Hispanics, including marketing professionals and students.  The book, provides 435 pages of information, graphics, (including 93 tables and figures), case studies, market data and opinions based on the experiences of nineteen U.S. Hispanic market experts, and benefits the Hispanic Marketing & Communication Association, HMCA. 

“It’s really exciting to see experts from across the country collaborate to provide this information which is invaluable for practitioners and students alike,“ said Elena del Valle, book editor. “The book provides information that would cost readers hundreds if not thousands of dollars in research and consulting fees for a very affordable price while promoting Hispanic marketing excellence.”

Seventeen practitioners and two university academics, contributed fifteen chapters to Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations. Cris Ascunce of CAT Grafix, Inc. designed the cover. Topics include a U.S. Hispanic market outline, acculturation issues, Hispanic online usage, reaching Hispanics in-language, demographic projections, perceptions, qualitative and quantitative research considerations, public relations, special events, Hispanic media, electronic publicity and media training.  Authors include a veritable who’s who of U.S. Hispanic marketing.  Research guru Carlos Santiago, president of the California based Santiago Solutions Group, wrote the foreword.

Contact:  
Elena del Valle
elena@lnaworld.com
1(305) 270-6309