PRESS RELEASE: GACVB presents 2025 Georgia Tourism Awards at Annual Conference

ATLANTA, GA – The 2025 Georgia Tourism Awards were presented at the Georgia Association of
Convention and Visitors Bureaus (GACVB) Annual Conference. The conference was held
February 2 – 5 in Gwinnett, GA. The Georgia Tourism Awards celebrate industry achievements
and those who have excelled in leadership, creativity, initiative, innovation, customer service,
and partnership.

The Georgia Tourism Award recipients were recognized as part of a special ceremony,
co-sponsored by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Access Atlanta. Award winners are as
follows:

2025 Georgia Tourism Award Winners

Paul Broun Marketing Initiative

This award recognizes the entity that demonstrates an effective and unique marketing initiative.
Given in memory of Senator Paul Broun of Athens who was a huge supporter of tourism. He was
elected in 1963 and served many years in service to Georgia. He served as Chairman of the
Economic Development, Tourism and Cultural Affairs Committee and played a vital role in the
development and appropriations of tourism funding.

Visit Woodstock GA Website Redesign: Budget category under $1 million
Cobb Travel and Tourism-Bubbles and Brews: Budget category over $1 million

Larry Allen Tourism Leadership Award

This award recognizes an individual who demonstrates excellence in leadership skills and
abilities. Given in memory of Larry Allen, who was General Manager of Stone Mountain and
exemplified all around friendship, support and leadership in the tourism industry.
Lisa Anders, COO of Explore Gwinnett

Al Burruss Creative Expression

This award recognizes an individual or entity that develops a creative community public
relations initiative. Representative Al Burruss of Marietta was the majority leader and a huge
tourism advocate. He was instrumental in using his creativity and energy to get the Tourism

Division its first major appropriation in 1985 of $2.5 million which was a drastic increase from
the $300,000 allocated in prior years.

Roswell Brew Talks: Budget category under $1 million
31-81 Official Lifestyle Brand fo Jekyll Island: Budget category over $1 million

Paul Nelson Outdoor Recreation and Preservation

This award was established in 2013 to honor Paul Nelson. Paul had a passion for Georgia’s state
parks and devoted his professional life to sustaining and improving the state’s natural resources.
He spent most of his career working for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, where
he last served as assistant director of its parks, recreation, and historic sites division.
Lake Lanier Olympic Park Foundation

Tom Kilgore Lifetime Achievement

This award recognizes an individual who exemplifies outstanding lifetime commitment towards
tourism. Named for Tom Kilgore, legislator from Douglasville, who was an early advocate and
champion of tourism. Tom was one of the architects of the Hotel/Motel Tax legislation. In 2011,
the Governor's Tourism Conference Lifetime Achievement Award and the GACVB Tom Kilgore
Award were combined to form the current Tom Kilgore Lifetime Achievement Award.

● Paul Cramer, The Classic Center

Bill Hardman Sr Tourism Champion Awards

This series of awards was renamed in honor of Bill Hardman Sr. in 2014 in recognition of his
tireless support and guidance to the entire tourism industry. There are four categories under
the Tourism Champion umbrella in which a Tourism Champion award may be given: Private
Sector, Partnership, Product Development, and Government. Award recipients are individuals
and organizations that have taken leadership roles in developing tourism opportunities in
communities across the state.

Private Sector Champion Award: This award is given to an individual within the private sector
who has worked tirelessly to spread the message and garner support for Georgia tourism. The
first recipient of this award was Phil Jacobs, President, Georgia BellSouth. As founder of the
Georgia Chamber of Commerce’s tourism committee, Jacobs has long been a proponent of the
state’s tourism industry as a viable, promising tool for economic development.

● Sophia Smith, Little Light Coffee Co. | Middle Georgia Coffee Crawl

Partnership Champion Award: This award is given to an alliance that collaborates to increase
visitation and tourism expenditures in Georgia. The first recipient of this award was Georgia
Department of Transportation which partnered successfully with GDEcD and provided the
official state maps for distribution at Georgia’s Visitor Information Centers.

● Cartersville Bartow County Tourism | Welcome to Museum City Destination Com Corner
and Kiosk

Product Development Champion Award: is given to  a partner agency or individual for
outstanding work  in attracting capital investments for tourism projects. The first award

recognized Nancy Cobb, OneGeorgia Authority, which leveraged the state’s tobacco settlement
funds to attract capital investments for tourism projects in the state’s rural areas.

● Richmond Hill Convention and Visitors Bureau | Henry Ford’s Southern Town Driving Trail

Governmental Champion Award: This award is given to an individual or group who has shown
extraordinary support of tourism through their legislative or organizational efforts.

● Representative Matthew Gambill
Destination Marketing Visionary Award:

● Norm Easterbrook, RiverCenter for the Performing Arts

Further details about the individual projects can be found in the awards ceremony script and
the separate visual presentation. Photographs from the awards luncheon are also available
through GACVB.

Georgia Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus

The Georgia Association of Convention & Visitors Bureaus (GACVB) is a resource for Georgia’s
destination organizations and allied travel, hospitality, arts, and community development
industry partners to maximize the impact of the visitor economy via tourism education,
leadership development, and legislative awareness at the local, state, and federal levels. Our
mission is to be the unified voice of Georgia’s destination marketing organizations (DMOs) and
provide industry education, advocacy, and professional development opportunities to members.
www.GACVB.com