Visit Sarasota County Named a Top Government Team by Statewide PR Association

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All eyes were on the 941 as Visit Sarasota County was honored with five awards at the 68th Annual Golden Image & Pinnacle Awards Gala, hosted by the Florida Public Relations Association (FPRA). Recognized as the hallmark of excellence in public relations and communications, the Golden Image Awards and Pinnacle Awards celebrate outstanding strategy, innovation, and results on a state level.

In the Public Relations Division, Visit Sarasota earned top honors – a Golden Image Award and Judges’ Award – for its crisis communications campaign #SupportThe941 assisting in community economic recovery following Hurricane Milton. Visit Sarasota also won an Award of Distinction for its special event, the Indicators & Insights Summit, which returns this Fall on November 18.

The tourism bureau also took home a Silver Pinnacle Award for Government Team of the Year and its Director of Community Relations & Partnership, Hunter Carpenter, APR, was named the statewide PR association’s inaugural Young Professional of the Year.

“Our job is to celebrate Sarasota County as the award-winning destination we all know it is – and yet, moments like this reaffirm that our campaigns are in fact resonating and critically, that we’re doing right by our community,” said Erin Duggan, President & CEO of Visit Sarasota County. “These peer-awarded accolades underscore the vitality of our local hospitality industry and what’s possible when tourism is used to improve quality of life for our businesses and residents alike.”

The Golden Image Award is the top award presented to the very best across the state in its respective category, while the Judges’ Award recognizes entries that achieve impressive return on investment and the Award of Distinction for those that meet a set standard of excellence.

Whereas Golden Image distinguishes outstanding campaigns, the Pinnacle Awards celebrate individuals and businesses for their strategic work. The Pinnacle Award for Government Team of the Year recognizes a local or state governmental agency, department, or office operating in the state of Florida doing exceptional work using public relations, marketing, and communications to improve the lives of its community. The award for Young Professional of the Year – new this year – commends a public relations or communications professional who demonstrates exceptional work and leadership in the industry and is under the age of 40.

FPRA, the oldest professional association for PR professionals in the U.S., introduced the Golden Image Awards program in 1957 to recognize the very best in the field of public relations. In 2024, the association would launch the Pinnacle Awards as an extension of the competition.

Photo: Hunter Carpenter and Olivia Turpening accepting the Golden Image Award and Judges’ Award for the Support the 941 campaign with Chris Graham, VP of Golden Image, and Julie Frey, FPRA State President. (L-R: Chris Graham, APR, CPRC; Oliva Turpening; Hunter Carpenter, APR; Julie Frey, APR, CPRC)

Credit: Florida Public Relations Association/Joe Gallagher

About Visit Sarasota County 

Visit Sarasota County (VSC) is the official tourism marketing entity and primary provider of visitor information for Sarasota County where tourism is the top industry. Through programs and partnerships, VSC makes Sarasota County a better place by promoting our community on the world stage. These efforts bring together over 500 partners to keep visitors coming, local businesses open and residents employed all year. VSC is accredited by the Destination Marketing Accreditation Program, a program of the Destination Management Association International (DMAI). To learn more, visit www.visitsarasota.com

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Media Contact:  
Hunter Carpenter, Visit Sarasota County 
941-893-0090 (cell) 
[email protected]