InPress Public Relations has won the New Mexico Hospitality Association’s Top Hat award for Most Innovative Campaign, recognizing its marketing efforts for the Camels at Coronado event held in April at Coronado Historic Site.
The award was presented in November at the Albuquerque Sheraton Uptown during the association’s annual Top Hat Awards ceremony. The event honored tourism initiatives and hospitality industry leaders across New Mexico.
The Camels at Coronado event, held April 12, drew more than 600 visitors to the historic site in Bernalillo. The family-friendly program featured live camels, interactive artist demonstrations, storytelling and guided tours exploring the history of camels in the Southwest.
“I fell in love with camels while grooming and walking them; they’re such noble beasts,” said Dorothy Noe, event organizer. She credited Erica Asmus-Otero, president and CEO of InPress, with generating publicity that brought hundreds to the site.
The campaign competed against six other finalists, including marketing efforts for a hot air balloon emoji initiative, Route 66’s centennial celebration in Albuquerque and tourism campaigns from Las Cruces, Ruidoso, Santa Fe County and Red River.
The Sandoval County Tourism Alliance and the county’s Tourism Department coordinated the winning campaign.
Separately, the Town of Bernalillo’s Mountain West Fall Fest was recognized as a finalist in the Best New Experience category. The Oct. 4 event at Loretto Park was rebranded from the Mountain West Brew Fest to emphasize family entertainment.
The state hospitality association’s Top Hat Awards annually recognize excellence in marketing campaigns, events, attractions, sustainability efforts and individual achievement in the tourism industry.