Explore Chinatown takes P.R. award

M. Silver Associates won one of the top public relations awards, the Silver Anvil, for its “Explore Chinatown” campaign, Thursday night.

The New York and Florida based public relations agency was recognized for its two-year public relations campaign at the Public Relations Society of America’s annual Silver Anvil Awards presentation, in the category, Marketing Consumer Services Travel and Tourism/Hospitality. “The Silver Anvil in the public relations industry is our equivalent of the Oscar,” M. Silver Associates President, Virginia Sheridan said. “It’s generally thought of as the highest and most prestigious award.”

The campaign was established by the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation to rejuvenate Chinatown after 9/11. “A big part of the campaign was to get people to feel confident and comfortable to visit Chinatown and give them a reason to come back,” Sheridan said. The campaign started out as a two-year campaign but the L.M.D.C. approved the campaign for a third year.

M.S.A. treated Chinatown as a “travel destination” during their campaign, bringing in travel journalists and introducing them to Chinatown restaurants and personalities. “We showed them what was interesting about Chinatown,” said Sheridan. The campaign also established the first public map, photo library, and visitor information kiosk in Chinatown, in addition to publicizing some old favorite events, like the Lunar New Year celebration.

While M.S.A had a small office celebration the day after the award ceremony, they are planning to celebrate properly in Chinatown later this month. “We’re going to take all of our office staff down for a Dim Sum Chinese banquet,” Sheridan happily exclaimed.

—Anindita Dasgupta
Volume 19 • Issue 5 June 16 - 22, 2006

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M. Silver Associates' ‘Explore Chinatown’ Campaign Wins Silver Anvil Award

PRSA Recognizes Multi-faceted Program Designed to Revive Lower Manhattan’s Economy

NEW YORK --- (June 9, 2006) --- Accepting on behalf of the September 11th Fund and Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, M. Silver Associates last night took home top honors at the Public Relations Society of America’s annual Silver Anvil Awards presentation. The New York- and Florida-based agency, noted for its destination marketing and travel public relations programs, won a Silver Anvil for its multi-faceted “Explore Chinatown” public relations campaign.

The Silver Anvils, regarded as the preeminent achievement in public relations and the highest watermark of success for any practitioner, recognize complete public relations programs incorporating measurable and sound research, planning, execution and evaluation. M. Silver Associates has earned over 260 industry awards, including the Silver Anvil, on behalf of a broad range of clients, from national and regional tourism organizations to leading travel suppliers and hospitality companies.

After September 11th, Chinatown in New York City was devastated economically. To re-build business in the area, the September 11th Fund and Lower Manhattan Development Corporation funded a two-year campaign to resuscitate tourism conducted with M. Silver Associates.

The branded “Explore Chinatown” campaign developed the destination’s first map, brochure, website, photo library, b-roll, visitor information kiosk, public relations program and advertising campaign. It created new events and supported existing events, increasing visitation substantially. Aggressive media outreach and press visits generated extensive media coverage increasing image and visibility in the city, nationwide and worldwide. It placed Chinatown “on the map” with tourists and locals, as well as rebuilding tour product. The objectives of the campaign were to restore consumer confidence in the area, increase revenue for Chinatown businesses, increase visitation and gain the support of the local Chinese business community to work collaboratively for the first time.

The program also recently won Platinum and Gold Adrian Awards from the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI), a Gold Aaron Award from the Society of American Travel Writers and a Bulldog Reporter Silver Award for “Excellence in Media Relations and Publicity.”

Over 30 years, M. Silver Associates Inc. has established itself as one of the United States’ leading public relations/marketing communications agencies specializing in travel and tourism. M. Silver also has the distinction to be the only company to have two agency principals – Chairman and CEO Morris Silver and President Virginia M. Sheridan – receive the prestigious Winthrop W. Grice Award for outstanding leadership and lifetime achievement in public relations from Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI).

Headquartered in New York City, MSA also has an office in Fort Lauderdale and is a member partner of The Worldcom Public Relations Group, a worldwide alliance of independent public relations agencies, which enables the agency to create global campaigns that can be implemented locally.

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