Artion Conferences & Events: in the Top Four Finalists for the ICCA Best Marketing Award

ARTION Conferences & Events is among the top four finalists for the best marketing campaign award given by the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA Best Marketing Award). The company’s marketing campaign presents the successful bid to organise the 37th World Association of Chefs Societies Congress in Athens in 2016, amidst the Greek economic crisis and under a particularly adverse climate for such a nomination. The bid for the Conference was coordinated by ARTION Conferences & Events on behalf of the Hellenic Chefs’ Federation.

The ICCA selected four finalists, three public organisations and one private company, ARTION. This honorary distinction was the crowning of the company’s outreach activities. ARTION Conferences & Events, wishing to valorise this unique opportunity in the best possible way, and promote through its nomination the potential of Greece within the global tourism community, is preparing feverishly for a seamless presentation. Having got through to the final stage of the competition, it will be competing for the much coveted award with Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, Meet Taiwan and the Netherlands Board of Tourism.

ARTION’s marketing campaign focuses on the efforts to bid for a congress of international acclaim, within the framework of an unfavourable economic environment, and also on the effort to “regain the lost trust” in Greece, and Athens in particular, as a tourist destination. The strengths of the campaign are the targeted communication strategy aiming to reverse the negative climate towards Greece, as well as the particularly successful visual identity of the Congress that is an artistic paraphrase of an ancient Greek temple with symbols from the culinary arts. The visual identity was designed by the creative studio from Thessaloniki known as ‘togetherdesign’.

The ICCA Best Marketing Award has been awarded annually since 1997 by the International Congress and Convention Association and aims to honour the members of ICCA for their excellent performance and achievements in their efforts to promote a tourist destination or product. Entries can range from from full scale campaigns and branding exercises to individual promotions and events. The ICCA Best Marketing Award is open to all ICCA members, regardless of their sector, and is kindly sponsored by Bedouk Event Sourcing Solutions.

The final presentation will take place on 23 October at the annual congress of the International Congress and Convention Association in Puerto Rico, while the results of the vote (600 members worldwide) will be announced on the following day, the 24th October 2012.