The 2018 Henry Awards winners will be revealed at the 44th Annual Arkansas Governor’s Conference on Tourism to be held in West Memphis at Southland Park Gaming & Racing March 11-13, 2018. The awards ceremony will take place during the Governor’s Banquet on Tuesday, March 13. The Henry Awards honor Henri de Tonti, the man historians consider to be among the first “Arkansas Travelers.”
The awards and respective finalists are:
The Media Support Award, which is presented annually to a distinguished individual or organization for extraordinary attention to and/or support of Arkansas’s tourism industry through the use of media.
- Arkansas Travel Channel
- AY (About You)
- The Show With No Name
The Bootstrap Award, which is presented annually 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.
- Fort Smith Convention & Visitors Bureau GRIT Awards
- Helena Downtown Partnership
- Visit Hot Springs and 61 Celsius
The Arkansas Heritage Award, which is presented annually 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.
- Arkansas Travelers
- Faulkner County Historical Society
- Wilson (Town of Wilson and the Lawrence Group)
The Grand Old Classic Special Event Award, which is presented annually to a festival, fair or other special celebration that has “stood the test of time” and become an established example to follow.
- Christmas Frolic at Historic Arkansas Museum
- Miss Arkansas Scholarship Pageant
- Warfield Concerts
The Outstanding Volunteer Service Award, which is presented annually to a community, individual or organization that through outstanding volunteer spirit has made a substantial contribution to Arkansas’s tourism industry.
- Brandy Jordan, Mountain Home
- Floyd and Sue Robison, Fort Smith
- Keep Arkansas Beautiful
The Community Tourism Development Award, which is presented annually to a community or organization that has achieved substantial success in the enhancement of its local resources through imaginative and innovative development efforts.
- City of Augusta
- Batesville (Main Street Batesville, Batesville Chamber of Commerce, City of Batesville)
- Fayetteville Roots Festival
The Natural State Award, which is presented annually to a community, organization, special event or attraction that “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.
- Arkansas Goat Festival
- Murphy Arts District (MAD)
- Quapaw Canoe Company
During the Henry Awards ceremony, the Tourism Person of the Year will also be announced. Selected by former honorees, the Tourism Person of the Year Award is presented annually to an individual who has been actively involved in tourism and who has made a substantial contribution, within the past year, to the betterment of the tourism industry as a whole.
For more information on the 44th Annual Governor’s Conference on Tourism, contact the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism at 501-682-1088. For specific information on the Henry Awards, contact Brandy Flowers at 501-682-5240.
