Tourisme Centre-du-Québec held the Distinction Prize Gala yesterday (Thursday) at the Centrexpo Cogeco Drummondville. The event was organized as part of the 25th anniversary of the regional tourism association and aimed to highlight, through the awarding of seven different prizes, the extraordinary work of players in the regional tourism industry.
The evening began with a welcome cocktail and continued with dinner then the awards ceremony hosted by none other than Pierre Bruneau, a native of Centrale and well known for his television career and his skills as an outstanding host. He also offered the guests a memorable evening.
Of the seven prizes awarded during the Gala, the Public Favorite Prize was crowned on site among the 10 finalists determined by the votes of visitors to the region this summer. Ultimately, it was the Village Québécois d’Antan which was awarded the honors.
Another prize had as its sole jury the tourism companies of the region who had to determine among their peers which company represented real pride for them. This time, it was the Gourmet Walk which received with great joy the Regional Pride Prize.
For the other five prizes, a jury of experts analyzed all the applications submitted earlier in September. This jury was made up of Frédéric Roussel, deputy general director of MTLab, Frédéric Dubé, executive vice-president of the Quebec Tourism Industry Alliance and finally Nicolas Lemieux, president of GSI Musique. Their analysis made it possible to name the following winners:
The ANF Motel won the Young People’s Prize, intended for companies with less than five years of activity, having stood out for the complete revitalization of its business.
The Mont Gleason Station won the Human Resources Award for its achievements and inspiring practices in personnel management making its company a humane and stimulating work environment.
The Moulin Michel de Gentilly won the Sustainable Development Prize for its initiatives to renaturalize the Moulin River.
The Trad-Cajun Festival won the Outreach Prize highlighting its promotional efforts, its diverse involvement in the community and its growing influx of festival-goers.
The Musée des Abénakis won the Innovation Prize having stood out for its exceptional creativity in the presentation of its new exhibition W8banakiak.
The evening then continued with music with the Central group 4TheParty who kept the guests dancing until late in the evening.
In short, the evening was a great success for the tourist association which says it is proud of its winners, but also of all its members who make the destination a must-see in the eyes of travelers. 25 years of work were highlighted by the gala, in a festive and warm way, reflecting the regional tourism industry. All of these initiatives also promise a bright future for our industry if we are to believe the growth in attendance and goodwill season after season.
