Taste of Shelby County wins Best Festival or Event at Indiana Tourism Association's 2024 conference

Monday, March 18, 2024 at 6:57 AM

Shelby County Tourism and Visitors Bureau won Best Festival or Event for The Taste of Shelby County Tuesday at the 2024 Indiana Tourism Association Conference in Evansville.

Shelby County was vying for the award against The Ducktail Run in Gas City, Evansville’s United States Specialty Sports Association Great Lakes Nationals softball tournament, A Night with a Star event by Perry County CVB, Visit Michigan City’s Great Lakes National Grand Prix, Visit South Bend’s 76th Annual International Juggler’s Association Festival, Visit South Bend’s Fusion Fest, and Whitestown’s Parks and Recreation Viking Fest.

Judges were from across the Midwest and commented, “Great description of the event and ROI is not always a monetary gauge, as it appears there was a significant amount of awareness gained from out of county visitors as well.”

Another comment was, “Impressive results. Opportunity to highlight what made this year’s event unique over previous years.”

“We are beyond thrilled that tourism professionals from across the Midwest honored The Taste of Shelby County with this year’s award,” said Rachael Ackley, Executive Director of Shelby County Tourism and Visitors Bureau. “We were up against some wonderful festivals/events from across the state, so everyone in Shelby County should be proud that our communities have been recognized for such an esteemed award.”

The 2024 Taste of Shelby County returns to downtown Shelbyville on June 7.

Ackley also was honored at the conference as a graduate of the Indiana Tourism Association’s Academy Class of 2024. She obtained her Certified Indiana Tourism Professional designation through the completion of the academy.

The conference drew 200 tourism leaders from around the state for networking and educational sessions from March 11-13.

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