Visit Colorado Springs Celebrates Excellence in Bloom
The 2024 annual awards event honored excellence across the tourism industry
September 13, 2024 – Colorado Springs, Colo. – Last night, VCOS held its annual Tourism Awards Celebration, presented by Pikes Peak Lodging Association (PPLA). The garden gala, held at Hillside Gardens, celebrated with the theme "Excellence in Bloom."
The awards were sponsored by Pikes Peak Region Attractions. Winners were:
- Excellence in Tourism Leadership – Leslie Lewis, Executive Director of the Manitou Springs Chamber of Commerce
- Excellence in Lodging Hospitality – Oliver Neumann, Front Desk/Bartender at Buffalo Lodge Bicycle Resort
- Excellence in Tourism Customer Service – Samantha Wood, Rocky Mountain Food Tours
- Excellence in Community Service – Annie Schmitt, Board Member of Visit Manitou Springs
- Excellence in Team Collaboration – Aidan Ryan and team at the Colorado Springs Airport
- Excellence in Inclusion – El Paso County Parks
- The Janet Suthers Olympic City USA Community Service Award – Bernard Sandoval, Sandia Collaborative Marketing
The final award of the evening debuted in 2023 and was created to honor a community leader and visionary, Janet Suthers. The Janet Suthers Olympic City USA Community Service Award celebrates a community champion who upholds the Olympic & Paralympic ideals and has made a profound and lasting impact on the City.
In addition to the awards recognition, attendees enjoyed an evening promenade around the gardens, live entertainment from ICONS performers, food and libations, and a vintage photo booth by Joyce Riley with MiHi Entertainment. More than 225 guests were in attendance for the evening in the gardens.
Sponsors included: Pikes Peak Lodging Association (Presenting), Hillside Gardens (Host), Pikes Peak Region Attractions (Awards), Pikes Peak – America's Mountain, Hotel Polaris, Adventures Out West, Laser Sound, ICONS, Colorado Springs Sports Corp, Colorado Springs Airport, The Antlers, Studio JK, Radisson Colorado Springs Airport, Xledger, Ent Business Banking, Downtown Colorado Springs, U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum, Southwest Airlines®, Colorado Restaurant Association and Cravings 5-Star Events.
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About Visit Colorado Springs
Visit Colorado Springs is the leading marketing organization for group and leisure travel and tourism to the Colorado Springs – Olympic City USA and the Pikes Peak Region. The organization is dedicated to a strong national and international presence so that tourism is a primary contributor to a thriving local economy. We create economic vitality through memorable visits to the wonders of Colorado Springs and the Pikes Peak Region.
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