Amarillo Non-Profit Recognized in State Competition

Release Date: May 8, 2007

The 2006 Texas Ford Dealers Tri-State Fair & Rodeo may be long gone, but the event is still generating applause. Not only did the 2006 fair break previous attendance records, but the marketing campaign is still generating hype.

The Texas Association of Fairs and Events (TAF&E) recently presented four awards to the Amarillo Tri-State Exposition for the advertising campaign used to promote the Tri-State Fair and Rodeo. The plaques were presented at the TAF&E annual convention and trade show in Houston.

“This was the first time our organization has won a TAF&E award for marketing, so we were very pleased when our name was called. Then, they kept repeating our name,” said Tri-State Expo General Manager Virgil Bartlett.

The Amarillo event competed with other Texas events in the 100,001-500,000 attendance category. The Texas Ford Dealers Tri-State Fair & Rodeo took home three second-place honors and one for third place.

The awards were for a black and white newspaper ad and the fair’s newspaper insert which both appeared in the Amarillo Globe-News. The event also won awards in the outdoor advertising and miscellaneous printed material division.

“We hoped our ad campaign would resonate with the people here in the Panhandle, but to know that it turned heads downstate too is quite an honor,” according to Marketing Director Holly Shelton. “Of course, our campaign took shape with the help of our generous partners like the Globe-News and Davy Knapp Photography.”

The TAF&E Marketing Awards program recognizes excellence in marketing campaigns that promote fairs, festivals and other events. The Texas Association of Fairs and Events is an organization made up of over 100 member organizations.

The 2007 Texas Ford Dealers Tri-State Fair & Rodeo is set for September 14-22.

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