Best in the Valley • Partner of the Year • Volunteer of the Year
CUMBERLAND VALLEY, PA (November 9, 2015) - Cumberland Area Economic Development Corporation (CAEDC) announced the winners for the 2016 Best in the Valley, Partner of the Year and Volunteer of the Year at the annual Cumberland Valley Tourism Conference on November 4, 2015 at Linw
ood Estate in Carlisle.
The Tourism Conference is held annually to update area businesses and organizations about CAEDC's previous year highlights, plans for the future and the economic impacts of tourism. This year the Tourism Conference highlighted the art of storytelling and the importance of telling your story as a business to gain customers.
The keynote presentation was by Ty Bennett who spoke on the importance of telling your story and offered tips for business owners to communicate with their audiences using references from his popular book The Power of Storytelling: The Art of Influential Communication.
2016 Best in the Valley Winners:
CAEDC has been collecting votes throughout the year for the best restaurant, shop, attraction, lodging facility, outdoor attraction, nightlife spot and event in Cumberland Valley. Voters were encouraged to submit their votes online at VisitCumberlandValley.com/Best. The outdoor, nightlife and event categories were new for this year of voting.
Below are this year's winners. You can also watch a short video of the winners receiving their awards here.
Best Restaurant - Boiling Springs Tavern (3rd Year in a Row): One voter said, "The food is consistently cooked to perfection! The service is always welcoming and professional."
Best Shop - Village Artisans Gallery (4th Time Winning): One voter said, "The selection, quality, creativity and category depth at Village Artisans Gallery are simply top notch. I have never visited this shop and not found an artful treasure that delights me every time I view it. PJ is the best proprietor of a best shop."
Best Attraction - U.S. Army Heritage & Education Center: One voter said, "Something for everyone...history, learning experience, patriotism..."
Best Lodging - Carlisle House Bed & Breakfast: One voter said, "Beautiful, historical with modern updates, great location, affordable."
Best Outdoor Attraction - Pine Grove Furnace State Park: One voter said, "Walking trails, lake and beautiful views."
Best Nightlife - Molly Pitcher Brewing Company: One voter said, "They provide a variety of locally crafted beers. Their environment is intimate and the service is great."
Best Event - Harvest of the Arts by Downtown Carlisle Association: One voter said, "Lots of great shopping and fun things to see!"
The 2016 winners will receive a cling to display at their establishment, a personalized poster for display, recognition on CAEDC collateral including VisitCumberlandValley.com and eNewsletters, and a group choice of either a print ad in a local publication or digital billboards displayed in the area.
CAEDC will continue the Best in the Valley campaign in 2016 and voting has already begun. CAEDC encourages businesses to seek votes from their customers and friends on VisitCumberlandValley.com/Best.
Partner of the Year:
CAEDC also announced the staff-chosen Partner of the Year Award at the Tourism Conference. The staff selected Jason Illari, Executive Director at the Cumberland County Historical Society to receive this year's award. Shireen Farr, CAEDC COO, presented Jason with the award stating, "Jason is being recognized here today for his forward-thinking leadership to our treasured Cumberland County Historical Society. He recognizes how important CCHS is to the Cumberland Valley story and he is committed to expanding its reach beyond the Greater Carlisle area." She continued by sharing sentiments from the CAEDC staff and presenting the "modern historian" with a GoPro Video Camera to help continue to tell the stories of our destination.
Volunteer of the Year:
CAEDC also awarded Volunteer of the Year to Doug Weirich. He has contributed almost 100 hours this year to the Area Information Desk at the U.S. Army Heritage & Education Center.
About CAEDC
CAEDC is Cumberland County's authorized agency charged with leveraging and promoting Cumberland Valley's economic development and tourism assets to drive growth, create jobs and improve the quality of life. Offices are located at 53 W. South Street, Carlisle PA. For more information, visit www.cumberlandbusiness.com and www.visitcumberlandvalley.com.
