Connecticut Commission On Culture & Tourism Selects M. Silver Associates For Public Relations Representation

HARTFORD, CT — After an extensive search, the Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism has chosen M. Silver Associates, Inc. as the state’s agency of record to spearhead a public relations/marketing communications campaign designed to position the state as one of the country’s leading, trend-setting culture and tourism destinations.

A top priority for the agency will be to respond to and translate the needs and concerns of Connecticut’s tourism industry, including its tourism regions and promotion entities, into effective marketing strategies aimed at key geographic and demographic audiences at home and abroad. Working with tourism, cultural and arts organizations throughout the state, MSA will help identify and promote attractions, events, organizations and people which give Connecticut the competitive edge among destinations appealing to both leisure and business travelers on a year-round basis.

With 30 years experience in hospitality industry promotion, M. Silver Associates is one of the country’s leading public relations firms specializing in travel and tourism with top-tier destination, hotel, cruise, airline and travel product and services clients. MSA is a member partner of The WORLDCOM Group, the largest consortium of independent public relations agencies, which enables the agency to plan marketing strategies nationally, even globally, and implement them locally. The agency is New York based, has a South Florida branch office and a professional staff of 40. M. Silver provides a broad scope of communications services with particular emphasis on consumer marketing, brand development, media relations, special events, and promotions, partnerships and strategic alliances.

The Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism was created in 2003 to provide collaboration, coordination and promotion to stimulate growth in the arts, historic preservation, tourism and film. CCT is the state’s primary organization charged with promoting Connecticut to travelers through greater awareness of the benefits and opportunities for visitors to enjoy a wide range of cultural and tourism attributes.

Read more!

Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Association Signs Two Nationally Acclaimed Public Relations Agencies

BALTIMORE – The Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Association (BACVA) has concluded its nationwide search for public relations representation by naming two award-winning agencies that will work together to reposition and promote the Baltimore region as a premier tourism and convention destination.

The New York-based M. Silver Associates, Inc., winner of more than 260 awards on behalf of domestic and international clients in the field of travel and tourism, will handle the national public relations campaign while Baltimore’s own TBC, Inc. (Trahan Burden & Charles) will conduct regional and local media work and oversee constituency relations. The agencies are charged with “providing strategic counsel, tactical execution and communications services” in support of marketing the Baltimore region to business, meeting and leisure travelers.

“In choosing M. Silver Associates and TBC, we have formed a partnership with two outstanding public relations agencies that have demonstrated their ability to create compelling destination brands and to reach the audiences that we have targeted,” said Leslie R. Doggett, president and CEO of BACVA. “We are confident that, together with our own resources and directives, they will help spearhead the renaissance of Baltimore as a leading American travel and tourism destination.”

In service for almost 35 years and ranking among the top independent agencies in the country, M. Silver Associates has established itself as one of the United States’ leading public relations and marketing communications firms specializing in travel and tourism. With a staff of 40 in its New York headquarters and South Florida office, M. Silver has represented a diverse portfolio of international and domestic destinations, including New York City, Scotland, Thailand, Israel, the Hudson River Valley, Portugal, Monaco and the United States Travel and Tourism Administration. Additional client representation includes leading hotel and resort companies, major airlines, cruise lines and tour companies, financial service companies, and retail travel product providers.

M. Silver provides a broad range of communications and technical services including branding and image development, crisis communications, media management, special events, and strategic alliances and partnerships.

The agency has achieved notable recognition for its work on clients such as Greater Fort Lauderdale where it successfully rebranded the destination from its previous reputation as a college student Spring Break magnet to a sophisticated and internationally acclaimed region attracting more than 9.5 million annual visitors. In 2004, the agency launched Cunard Line’s Queen Mary 2 achieving global recognition for the $800 million ship and its debut as the world’s largest and most expensive ocean liner.

TBC is a full-service marketing communications firm headquartered in Baltimore, with a New York branch office. Celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2004, TBC remains an independently owned firm with a national client roster and is the only Baltimore-based agency to have won over 75 CLIOS, 21 of which were first place, and the coveted London International Award.

Over the years, the agency has built its reputation and portfolio based on nationally recognized and award-winning creative campaigns supported by internal teams of brand strategists, market researchers and media analysts. Founded initially as a creative boutique, the firm today employs 116 talented communications professionals in all disciplines, with major departments dedicated to advertising, public relations, direct marketing, Internet marketing, and broadcast and collateral production.

TBC has served as the branding steward for a broad roster of clients, including Niagara USA; New Haven, Connecticut; ResortQuest; Gaylord Entertainment; the New Orleans Tourism and Marketing Corporation; Cape Cod Economic Development Council; the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development; and Madison Square Garden.

M. Silver Associates and TBC are member partners in The WORLDCOM Group, the world’s largest consortium of independent public relations firms with 100 offices operating in 33 countries on five continents.

Read more!