The Destiny Awards recognize U.S. Travel destination marketing organization (DMO) members for excellence and creative accomplishment in destination marketing and promotion at the local and regional level. The Destiny Awards celebrate the development of imaginative and innovative destination marketing promotion programs and activities.

The Destiny Awards are open to all city, local and regional destination marketing organizations or CVB’s that are members of the U.S. Travel Association.

* Public relations, marketing and advertising agencies and other entities that work with DMOs/CVBs may submit entries on behalf of these organizations; however, the president/CEO or director of marketing/CMO of the U.S. Travel member organization must send an email to estoawards@ustravel.org, authorizing the entry.

A $125 fee must accompany each entry. If submitting multiple entries, please submit all applications under one account and submit payment for all entries.

Entries and payment must be submitted electronically by June 25, 2021.

Campaigns launched in January 2019 must have concluded on or by May 31, 2021 to qualify for 2021 submission.

Each DMO may submit entries to no more than five (5) categories. An organization may not submit the same entry into multiple categories. An organization may not submit multiple entries in the same category.

Please view all categories here.

Before submitting an entry, the following sections must be completed in its entirety, including:

Application

• Travel Organization Name
• Award Program—Destiny or Mercury (dropdown menu)
• Category (dropdown menu)
• Entry Title (dropdown menu)

Program

• Please indicate the time period for this project, including the approximate campaign start and end dates.
• Tell your story. Explain the overall campaign and strategy. Please include the objectives of the campaign.
• Who is the target audience or market for this project?
• Cost: Please indicate the cost or budget for this project. Entries in the Marketing Program categories should indicate the budget allocated for the promotion or program.
• Please give a brief overall description of the program.

Solution

TACTICS: Describe tactics used and creative steps taken to create this campaign. Identify any partners and their roles. Describe the methodology used to evaluate this campaign/project.

OUTCOME: Please state quantified results achieved, if any. Indicate the cost or budget for this project. If quantifiable results are not available at the time of submission, please explain projections or what you hope to achieve with this campaign.

Media Files

• A maximum of 15 media files, 10 documents and 10 URL links for each submission.
• All video entries must be 3 minutes or less.

*In the event that your entry is a category winner, each entry must include at least two (2) .jpg or .png files for display and presentation purposes.

*NOTE: There is a 350-word limit for each section of the application, so remember to be concise.

Judges will review the entry summaries on an individual basis to determine how well the entrant addressed the key elements described under the entry guidelines (i.e. were the objectives clearly stated? Do the stated results pertain to the stated objectives?) Remember, please be clear and concise. Less is more in this case and quality is more important than volume.

• Please keep each criterion in mind when preparing your entry/entries.
  • Strategy: How well were objectives and tactics outlined?
  
  
  • Creativity: How inspired was the solution?
    • In project design, development, implementation, message delivery and originality, selection of media or promotional vehicle and use of visual or written material, etc.
  • Results: How well did it work?
    • Achieved in relation to the stated objectives. What was the return on investment? Results should be stated in measurable terms, (i.e. percentage increase over the previous year, actual numbers achieved versus projections stated in objectives, etc.).
  • Innovation: What was the one thing that makes this entry distinguish itself?
    • In approach, developing new markets, unconventional approaches to old markets, pioneering use of technology, etc.

The winners of the 2021 Destiny Awards will be announced and recognized on Tuesday, August 17 at ESTO in Los Angeles, Calif. Category finalists will be notified prior to ESTO as to the status of their entries. Award winners will be announced at ESTO.

U.S. Travel will feature an online awards display highlighting top entries from each award category following the closing night dinner at ESTO. The online awards display serves as an educational tool and aims to foster the development of imaginative and innovative destination marketing promotion, programs and activities. If you prefer that your entry/entries not be featured on the online awards display, please send an email to estoawards@ustravel.org, requesting this privacy.

The Mercury Awards recognize members for excellence and creative accomplishment in state/ territory destination marketing and promotion. The Mercury Awards showcase outstanding work, as well as the continued development of imaginative and exciting marketing and promotional programs

The Mercury Awards are open to all U.S. state and territory tourism offices that are members of the U.S. Travel Association.

*Public relations, marketing and advertising agencies and other entities that work with state tourism offices may submit entries on behalf of the organization; however, the president/CEO or director of marketing/CMO of the U.S. Travel member organization must send an email to estoawards@ustravel.org, authorizing the entry.

A $125 fee must accompany each entry. If submitting multiple entries, please submit all applications under one account and submit payment for all entries.

Entries and payment must be submitted electronically by June 25, 2021.

Campaigns launched in January 2019 must have concluded on or by May 31, 2021 to qualify for 2021 submission.

Each DMO may submit entries to no more than five (5) categories. An organization may not submit the same entry into multiple categories. An organization may not submit multiple entries in the same category.

Please view all categories here.

Before submitting an entry, the following sections must be completed in its entirety, including:

Application

• Travel Organization Name
• Award Program—Destiny or Mercury (dropdown menu)
• Category (dropdown menu)
• Entry Title (dropdown menu)

Program

• Please indicate the time period for this project, including the approximate campaign start and end dates.
• Tell your story. Explain the overall campaign and strategy. Please include the objectives of the campaign.
• Who is the target audience or market for this project?
• Cost: Please indicate the cost or budget for this project. Entries in the Marketing Program categories should indicate the budget allocated for the promotion or program.
• Please give a brief overall description of the program.

Solution

IDEA: Please enter your objectives for this project. Objectives must be clearly stated, specific, and measurable (what is to be achieved, by when, using what resources, etc.). This will aid judges in determining how well the stated results met the stated objectives.

STRATEGY: Describe the various elements of the program, activity, or campaign; techniques used.

TACTICS: Describe tactics used and creative steps taken to create this campaign. Identify any partners and their roles. Describe the methodology used to evaluate this campaign/project.

OUTCOME: Please state quantified results achieved, if any. Indicate the cost or budget for this project. If quantifiable results are not available at the time of submission, please explain projections or what you hope to achieve with this campaign.

Media Files

• A maximum of 15 media files, 10 documents and 10 url links for each submission.
• All video entries must be 3 minutes or less.

*In the event that your entry is a category winner, each entry must include at least two (2) .jpg or .png files for display and presentation purposes.

*NOTE: There is a 350-word limit for each section of the application, so remember to be concise.

Judges will review the entry summaries on an individual basis to determine how well the entrant addressed the key elements described under the entry guidelines (i.e. were the objectives clearly stated? Do the stated results pertain to the stated objectives?) Remember, please be clear and concise.

Less is more in this case and quality is more important than volume.

• Please keep each criterion in mind when preparing your entry/entries.
  • Strategy: How well were objectives and tactics outlined?
  • Creativity: How inspired was the solution?
    • In project design, development, implementation, message delivery and originality, selection of media or promotional vehicle and use of visual or written material, etc.
  • Results: How well did it work?
    • Achieved in relation to the stated objectives. What was the return on investment? Results should be stated in measurable terms, (i.e. percentage increase over the previous year, actual numbers achieved versus projections stated in objectives, etc.).
  • Innovation: What was the one thing that makes this entry distinguish itself?
    • In approach, developing new markets, unconventional approaches to old markets, pioneering use of technology, etc.

The winners of the 2021 Mercury Awards will be announced and recognized on Tuesday, August 17 at ESTO in Los Angeles, Calif. Category finalists will be notified prior to ESTO as to the status of their entries. Award winners will be announced at ESTO.

U.S. Travel will feature an online awards display highlighting top entries from each award category following the closing night dinner at ESTO. The online awards display serves as an educational tool and aims to foster the development of imaginative and innovative destination marketing promotion, programs and activities. If you prefer that your entry/entries not be featured on the online awards display, please send an email to estoawards@ustravel.org, requesting this privacy.