San Diego, Calif.,-- February 15, 2011 – Three PRA Destination Management offices have been named as finalists in the 2011 Association of Destination Management Executives (ADME) Achievement Awards, according to Fran Rickenbach, CAE, IOM, executive vice president of ADME. The PRA offices in the finals are PRA Destination Management Atlanta, PRA Destination Management New Orleans and PRA Destination Management San Francisco. This marks the fifth consecutive year PRA has been named among the finalist for this prestigious industry award, having won every year of entry submission.
"Each year ADME honors deserving destination management companies with achievement awards for client programs,” commented Kathy Fort Carty, president of Allied North America, overseeing PRA Destination Management and its 20 US-based franchise and wholly-owned offices. "The PRA offices in the finals displayed creativity, innovation and outstanding logistics, delivering the world-class services PRA is known for. We are so proud of the PRA teams and the collaboration it took with their clients to submit these fine examples of PRA’s exceptional programs for industry peer review.”
PRA Destination Management Atlanta is a finalist for the Best Innovative Event $200,000 and Above for its Children’s Circle of Care program. PRA Atlanta joined Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta hosting the 2010 Children’s Circle of Care North American Leadership Conference (NALC). This unique opportunity allowed PRA Atlanta to work closely with a high-profile local charity. The all day event was planned over two years and included a mini-conference prior to the main NALC conference. PRA Atlanta produced an over-the-top day including four venues and transfers for up to (800) guests in twelve hours. Events included a breakfast and conference meeting at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre with Dr. Sanjay Gupta and other leading pediatric doctors; an energy-packed lunch at the Georgia Dome with local SW DeKalb Marching Band, Falcons cheerleaders and players and comedian Jeff Foxworthy; a black-tie gala dinner at The Georgia Aquarium, followed by a concert with Lionel Richie at Pemberton Place.
PRA Destination Management New Orleans is a finalist for Best Transportation Logistics for its part in setting up a transportation system to assist the federal government during one of America’s worst natural disasters—the BP Oil Spill. On Sunday, May 23, 2010 Jeff O’Hara, president of PRA New Orleans, received an urgent call. President Obama had ordered thousands of Coast Guard to the Gulf Coast to respond to the BP Oil Spill, and they were to begin arriving the next morning. The challenge was that nobody knew exactly how many were coming, where they were coming from nor when they were arriving. PRA was charged with setting up a transportation system beginning at 7:00 Monday morning for unlimited blind airport arrivals, hotel room assignment and deployment across the Gulf Coast. This operation continued 7 days a week for the next 5 months. Over the course of the operation PRA New Orleans conducted over 40,000 guest/trips on over 2,000 transfers.
PRA Destination Management San Francisco is a finalist in the Best Innovative Event $50,000 and Under for a Ladies High-Fashion Brunch. A major association sponsor selected PRA Destination Management San Francisco to produce an unforgettable event to increase exposure and mindshare at the annual conference. PRA San Francisco chose an urban-chic art gallery with a lively, ethereal vibe and the ideal set-up for an eco-friendly fashion show in which selected designers incorporated sustainable materials or processes to create their vision. During the show, guests dined on a three-course gourmet brunch and enjoyed the mash-up stylings of a local DJ. Afterwards, guests met the artists and were able to purchase the designs that they had just watched on the runway.
The 2011 Achievement Awards are presented by the Association of Destination Management Executives (ADME), the only professional society for destination management executives with more than 300 members in North America and the European Community. The winners will be announced during a gala banquet this month at the Red Rock Casino, Resort & Spa in Las Vegas, NV. Destination management executives from around the world participate in the event.
Members of the ADME Achievement Awards' judging teams select the award winners among the Finalists. Companies throughout North America were submitted for consideration in 10 categories, including Best Innovative Events in three budget categories, Best Overall Program, Best Public Event, Best Destination Marketing, Best Creative Events – Tour, Recreation and Teambuilding Program and Best Logistics/Transportation.
PRA Destination Management, an Allied International Company, is a leading destination management and event planning company in 20 US destinations, serving an impressive array of corporate clientele, representing practically every major industry. For more information on the PRA portfolio of destination management services, please contact (760) 496-0540 or visit www.pra.com.
PRA Destination Management, Inc. (www.pra.com), an Allied International Company, is the franchisor of destination management companies throughout North America with 20 franchise offices located in Arizona, Atlanta, Austin, Chicago, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New England, New Orleans, New York, Orange County, Orlando, Palm Springs, San Antonio, San Diego, San Diego North, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Seattle, and Southeast Florida.
Allied Europe (www.allied-europe.com) is the service provider of destination
management programs in, France, Spain, Monaco, Italy and the United Kingdom.
Allied Arabia (www.allied-arabia.com) is the service provider of destination management programs in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Oman.