Canandaigua , NY – Footprint Press has received the 2006 Tourism Legacy Award for Branding.

Branding -- it is word and image association – a capturing of the essence of a place in just a few words or striking images. Footprint Press (www.footprintpress.com) and its series of guidebooks on outdoor recreation in the Finger Lakes Region have captured the branding space for Finger Lakes hiking and biking. Sue and Rich Freeman left Kodak to pursue a better lifestyle – and turned that passion for the outdoors into a series of guidebooks.  When you’re looking to direct someone to a trail for hiking or biking in the Finger Lakes Region, these books are the resource of choice.

There are also online newsletters, articles for other publications – like Rochester Healthy Living and Nature’s Health Club and a website. It’s a whole package – as branding should be! “It was the Finger Lakes Region’s loss last year when Rich and Sue Freeman, authors and publishers of Footprint Press relocated to Florida – or perhaps not,” said Valerie Knoblauch, President of the Finger Lakes Visitors Connection, “we now have an advocate for our wonderful region working from another locale.”

The Tourism Signature Legacy Awards were presented by the Finger Lakes Visitors Connection on October 30, 2006 at the Bristol Valley Theater in Naples . This event is held biannually to honor individuals and organizations within Ontario County who have significant achievements, made significant contributions, or have demonstrated marketing or service excellence in the tourism industry.  There were three signature awards for this event – one for individual achievement; one for product development; and one for tourism industry support.

  A total of 15 individuals were recognized for marketing service and excellence at the event. Winner presentations ranged from website excellence, frontline service, behind the scenes, exemplary personalized service, and genuine hospitality to hard work. A complete listing of winners can be found at www.VisitFingerLakes.com/partners.

Finger Lakes Visitors Connection is the official tourism promotion agency for Ontario County , located at 25 Gorham Street in Canandaigua , NY . Its mission is to create visitorship and economic vitality for Ontario County by marketing its tourism assets and positioning the area as a premier leisure and meetings destination.

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