Fort Smith, Van Buren miss out on tourism award list

That no event, company or person from the Fort Smith/Van Buren area was nominated for the prestigious Henry Awards is a reflection that “there are a whole lot of really good tourism projects happening across the state,” according to Claude Legris.

The Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism released Monday (Dec. 14) its list of nominees for the eight tourism-related awards presented during the annual Governor’s Conference on Tourism. The 2010 conference is scheduled for March 7-9 and will be held at the Best Western Inn of the Ozarks in Eureka Springs.

Legris, executive director of the Fort Smith Convention & Visitors Bureau, said he submitted several nominations for 2010, including nominations for Tales of the Crypt, Frontier Fest and Miss Laura’s players. A new submission he sent this year was for the Elvis Barbershop Museum at Fort Chaffee. The museum has become a hit at the former military post, with an anniversary ceremony of Elvis’ Army induction held March 25.

“I think that is a tremendous partnership between us and the folks at Chaffee Crossing,” Legris said.

For the 2011 Henry Awards cycle, Legris said the recent and successful “Christmas Honors” project should be submitted for one of the Henry Awards.

The area is not overlooked each year, Legris said, noting that in 2009 the Arkansas-Oklahoma State Fair won “The Grand Old Classic Special Event” award. This category annually honors a festival, fair or other special celebration which has stood the test of time to become an established example for the more than 1,200 special events held in Arkansas each year.

Following are the nominations for the Henry Award categories.
• The Media Support Award
This award recognizes a distinguished individual or organization for extraordinary attention to and/or support of Arkansas’s tourism industry through the use of media.
Bob Moore, Rust Communications, Cassville, Mo.
Jimmy Sledge, Warren
Newport Independent, Newport

• The Bootstrap Award
This award is presented to an individual, organization, or community that has achieved significant success “on a shoestring,” having limited means to work with, either in resources or finances.   
Argenta Downtown Council, North Little Rock
Sunken Lands Regional Chamber of Commerce, Tyronza
Whitton Farms, Whitton

• The Arkansas Heritage Award
This award is presented to an individual, organization, or community that has made a significant contribution toward the preservation of some aspect of Arkansas’s natural, cultural, or aesthetic legacy.
Crossett Historical Society, Crossett
David Bogle and the Museum of Native American History, Bentonville
Eureka Springs Parks & Recreation Commission, Eureka Springs

• The Grand Old Classic Special Event Award
Frisco Festival, Rogers
Opera in the Ozarks, Eureka Springs
Terrapin Derby, Lepanto

• The Outstanding Volunteer Service Award
This award is presented annually to a community, individual, or organization that, through outstanding volunteer spirit, has made a substantial contribution to Arkansas’s tourism industry.
Bert Turner, North Little Rock
Bull Shoals Powerhouse Tours, Lakeview
Lori A. Spencer, Paris

• The Community Tourism Development Award
This award is presented annually to an individual or organization which has achieved substantial success in the enhancement of its local resources through imaginative and innovative development efforts.
First Ever Annual World’s Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Hot Springs
Pumpkin Hollow, Piggott
Southern Bancorp, Helena-West Helena

• The Natural State Award
This award is presented annually to a community, organization, special event, or attraction which “stands out in the crowd” because of its unique appeal, media coverage, creative approach, and/or enhancement of community pride, thus benefiting the state’s quality of life.
Battle of Prairie Grove Civil War Reenactment, Prairie Grove
Caroling in the Caverns, Mountain View
Heifer International’s Heifer Village, Little Rock

• The Tourism Special Achievement Award
This award is presented annually to an individual or organization that has contributed to the tourism industry through leadership “above and beyond” the normal requirements of their jobs.
Nashville High School Travel & Tourism Program, Nashville
Northwest Arkansas Naturals, Springdale
Ross Moore, Clinton