Hats Off to the TDC!

BY MAGGIE KLEIN

KONKLIFE STAFF WRITER 

As locals of The Keys, you probably live your life based on community, socializing, and peace and love. This way of life is critical to the success of many businesses and companies in the area, and especially for the Tourist Development Council of Monroe County. In fact, the council was awarded “Henrys”, for multiple categories. Named after Florida pioneer Henry Flagler, the Flagler Award program, is an annual statewide competition recognizing outstanding Florida tourism marketing. The “Henry” is basically a gold medal level award!

The TDC was rewarded “Henrys” in the following categories: print and television advertising, public relations, and out-of-home categories. A silver award was granted to the TDC for mobile marketing, and a bronze for direct marketing. 

Rita Irwin, the Chairperson of the TDC, provided some context as to how her team achieved such notable recognition. Every four years, the team is evaluated with a critical lens, to see if they are doing the best they can, and to compare themselves to others in the industry. Irwin talks proudly about her team’s work, saying, “The fact that we got all these awards is so validating in the sense that we really got it right.” When asked about why The TDC of Monroe County received so many awards, Irwin says, “I think that we did a bold thing during the pandemic lock-down, something that not many other advertising places did. During that time, a lot of agencies pulled their advertising. Although we did pull much of our advertising, we didn’t pull all of it. We kept our PSA’s in the media, and felt strongly about our need to still remain relevant, and be present.” The team knew that because so many people were at home during this time, they would look to social media to pass time. Further, she says, “If they don’t see you when they’re online, they are bound to forget you. We maintained our images, trying to stay on their radar. We weren’t trying to convince anybody to travel right when they saw our posts, but we wanted to reassure them that we are still here. And we will still be here once all of this is over.” Maintaining recognition via social media during this difficult time proved to be very rewarding for the TDC. 

Irwin and her team pride themselves on their commitment to the trends, and what’s going on in the world. Because of the pandemic, and the worldwide health panic, they implemented a strict requirement regarding responsibility in personal hygiene. They want to reassure visitors that their health and safety is their number one priority. Irwin details their method of thinking by saying, “We try our best to provide our guests with the best experience they can have, and try to treat them in a way that will make them want to return. We post information for them about possible bad weather, we take our responsibility to cater to their visit very seriously, and truly want to share the beauty of the Key’s with every guest possible.” Irwin expresses her utmost pride in being a part of her team, whom she describes as “Unparallelled in their expertise, devotion and commitment to the Florida Keys.” 

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