With the travel industry going through some difficult times, from bankruptcies to the war in Iraq, the Association of Travel Marketing Executives (ATME) wanted to recognized some of the most innovative leaders and companies in travel and marketing for its 22nd Annual ATME Atlas Awards on April 1, 2003 in New York, held in conjunction with the Travel Commerce Conference and Expo.

The ATME Atlas Awards
were created to honor and promote leaders and innovators within the travel marketing industry who have displayed breakthrough thinking and leadership in marketing. This year, ATME modified the competition by including ten new categories to recognize executives and companies for innovative tactics, results-oriented programs and broad marketing vision. In addition to the new categories, submissions were accepted online and judged by a group of expert panelists, judging effectiveness and results.

The 2003 awards were presented in thirteen major categories. The most prestigious ATME recognition was awarded to Robert Crandall, former American Airlines chairman receiving the ATLAS Lifetime Achievement Award.  David Neeleman, Founder and CEO, JetBlue Airways, won the Guerilla Marketer Award and Bruce Beckham, Executive Director, Travelers Conservation Foundation was awarded the Inspiration Award.  Recipients of other ATME Atlas Award categories include:

 

Best Website:

Gold - Fairmont.com

 

Integrated Marketing: Business-to-Business:

Gold - Outtask, Inc. for Cliqbook

 

Best Event Marketing:

Gold - Denver Convention & Visitors Bureau

 

Consumer Advertising:

Gold - Richard Group for Travelocity.com

Silver - Warren, Kremer, Paino for Maine Office of Tourism

Bronze - Campbell Group for Inter-Continental Hotels

 

 

Trade Advertising:

Gold - Travel Weekly for Six Continents

Silver - Davis Media Group for Best Western International


Bronze - Travel Weekly for Dominican Republic

Branding:

Gold - Richards Group for Motel 6

Silver - Ogilvy & Mather for US Virgin Islands

Bronze - M&C Saatchi/itraffic for British Airways

 

EMarketing:

Gold - Modem Media for Delta Airlines

Silver - M&C Saatchi/itraffic for British Airways

Bronze - Amtrak.com

 

Direct Marketing:

Gold - Grand Prix Tours

Silver - Advertisement Banners for Boundless Media Vacations

Bronze - Black Ink for The Hilton Club

 

Integrated Marketing:

Gold - Madigan Pratt & Associates for Nisbet Plantation

Silver - Silversea Cruises

Bronze - Fahlgren Benito for Visit Florida

 

Public Relations:

Gold - Vollmer Public Relations for Travelocity

Silver - Edelman Public Relations for Wyndham International

Bronze - M Silver Associates for Cunard

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