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 In conjunction with Sheridan Travel & Tourism  

The Wyoming Office of Tourism is accepting nominations

for the 3^rd Annual Statewide “REACH” Awards  

Four Nomination Categories:

• Customer Service Organization of the Year
• Customer Service Employee of the Year
• Industry Partner of the Year
• Destination or Attraction of the Year

The Wyoming Office of Tourism presents the

3^rd Annual REACH Awards  

As part of National Travel and Tourism Week in Wyoming, the Wyoming Office of Tourism is honored to present the 3rd annual “REACH” Awards.  

These awards for Rare and Exceptional Achievement for Customer Service and Hospitality recognize business and individual contributions to the travel and tourism industry. These businesses and individuals have demonstrated outstanding service in the tourism and hospitality industry and have enhanced Wyoming’s reputation as a first-class visitor destination. The Wyoming Office of Tourism is requesting that you nominate hospitality and tourism industry colleagues who show commitment to providing outstanding service to Wyoming visitors. From this pool of nominations, one employee, business or destination will be selected in each category as the recipient of the “REACH” Award. 

Instructions for nominating an individual or organization:

Nominations will be accepted four categories: Customer Service Employee of the Year, Customer Service Organization of the Year, Industry Partner of the Year, and Destination/Attraction of the Year. All nominations must include a letter of nomination from the sponsoring individual or organization, as well as relevant supporting documents. All nominations must be received by Tuesday, April 2nd, 2013. 

Customer Service Employee of the Year (2012)

For any employee in the hospitality and tourism industry who has demonstrated outstanding contributions in customer service. For example, a guest sent in a letter about the exceptional service they received, or a back of the house employee went beyond regular job duties to assist a customer. 

Required Information:

In the letter of nomination, please include: the category for which you are nominating, the employee’s name, the employer, and a thorough description of the accomplishments and reasoning for recognition. Examples of supporting documents may include letters from guests, certificates of recognition from the organization, or letters of support from co-workers. 

Customer Service Organization of the Year (2012)

For any organization in the hospitality and tourism industry who has demonstrated an exceptional contribution to creating a culture of customer service within the organization. For example, a business who has implemented a customer service program, or who continually recognizes the importance of customer service and creating that culture among their employees. 

Required Information:

In the letter of nomination, please include: the category for which you are nominating, the name of the organization, the owner/manager, and a thorough description of the accomplishments and reasoning for recognition. Examples of supporting documents may include letters from guests, certificates of completion for customer service related training, or letters of recommendation from outside organizations that can attest to the culture of service. 

Industry Partner of the Year (2012)

For any state, federal or tribal agency partner who has demonstrated outstanding support and advocacy for the hospitality and tourism industry. For example, an industry partner who has actively worked with tourism and legislative leadership to accomplish a project or activity that enhances the tourism industry.

This nomination may be for an individual, an agency or an organization. 

Required Information:

In the letter of nomination, please include: the category for which you are nominating, the name of the organization/agency/individual, and a thorough description of the accomplishments and reasoning for recognition.
Please include at least three additional letters of support. 

Destination or Attraction of the Year (2012)

For any local community, destination or attraction that has demonstrated an exceptional effort and commitment towards tourism and hospitality development. For example, a destination or attraction that has completed a tourism related project/plan to make their community more visitor friendly or contribute to the tourism infrastructure. 

Required Information:

In the letter of nomination, please include: the category for which you are nominating, the name of the community/destination/attraction, the name of that entity’s leader/manager, and a thorough description of the accomplishments and reasoning for recognition.
Please include at least three additional letters of support. 

All nominations must be submitted by April 2nd, 2013.

Please submit nomination forms to:

Shannon Stanfill, Visitor Services Manager

Wyoming Office of Tourism

email: shannon.stanfill@wyo.gov

fax: 307-777-2839
5611 High Plains Road
Cheyenne, WY 82007   

Statewide REACH Awardees will be invited to the REACH Awards Luncheon.  This year the REACH Awards will be held as part of the National Travel and Tourism Week celebration.  The Awards ceremony will be May 7th, 2013 in Wind River County at the Wind River Casino.  Awardees will be notified by mid-April and will be offered a travel reimbursement of up to $100 to attend the event.

By Day

During the day, speed across alpine meadows on a snowmobile, take a leisurely snowshoe trek on mountain trails, or try a bit of ice fishing with a local outfitter. Just outside of town, the majestic Bighorn Mountains offer endless snow adventures during the winter months.

Name your winter sport in Sheridan where the majestic Big Horn Mountains set the scene and offer a winter wonderland of trails and vast open meadows.

Here winter sports enthusiasts find an abundance of opportunities for invigorating outdoor recreation including boon docking, alpine and cross-country skiing, and snowboarding in an ideal mountain setting. It’s a beautiful place to enjoy snow sports and activities, as well as to revel in the magnificent scenery.

Sheridan, nestled in the foothills of the majestic Big Horn Mountains, is home base, while the Big Horns provide the winter wonderland!  Sled heads ride the range by snowmobile on 218 miles of Top 15 rated trails in the Big Horn Mountain Trail System.  Springtime provides excellent snow conditions with fresh powder, deep snow, warm days, and riding into April. The nearest trailhead is located just 15 miles south of Sheridan, with 100% “real” dry powdery snow. Cross-country trails are abundant in wide-open meadows and on telemark hillsides.

Deep snows, spectacular scenery and the vastness of the West are why people ride the Big Horns. Riding opportunities are both challenging and endless in these rugged and inviting mountains, offering some of the most enticing snowmobiling in the world. During the winter it’s easy to find fresh untracked powder and steep rolling hills to explore, with a diverse trail system that provides easy access.

Within nearly one million acres of national forest, the Big Horns also provide almost 50 miles of ungroomed trails, countless miles of cross-country exploring, and exciting off-trail opportunities. Limited commercial development keeps the crowds down both on and off the trails, while first-class lodging is available just a short drive away in Sheridan.  In the historic downtown, dining runs the gamut from down-home to gourmet, and specialty shopping ranges from antiques and cowboy memorabilia to intriguing boutiques and galleries.

For cross country enthusiasts, the area offers fantastic skiing with untouched powder.  Groomed and ungroomed trails criss-cross the Big Horns.  Here skiers may hit the trails and escape into the inviting quiet of the forest.

In addition, Sheridan and the Big Horn Mountains offer a bevy of outdoor recreation opportunities including ice-skating and snowshoeing. Children and adults both enjoy skating at Whitney Community Ice Rink. The area also offers other winter outdoor activities including ice fishing and wildlife viewing. Wildlife is as abundant as the snow, with large animals such as moose, elk, and deer viewed throughout the winter months.

Strolling With the Elves

Does your Christmas shopping begin with fireworks, carolers, musicians, a beautifully decorated downtown, pictures with Santa and homemade chili? How about rides on a trolley, hay wagon or miniature train? No? Then you need to come to Sheridan, the day after Thanksgiving!

This year will mark our 17^th anniversary of Christmas Stroll. On Friday, November 23^rd, from 4:00 to 8:00 pm, Main Street in our historic downtown will be shut down to vehicle traffic to allow visitors, locals, families and friends to stroll downtown to do some Christmas shopping.

Christmas Stroll is a great time to get your shopping done early. Sheridan’s downtown has a fantastic mix of specialty gifts, clothing, shoes, home decorations, crafts, sporting goods, kitchenware, bath products, art, furniture, antiques, books and of course western wear. Think of how many people on your Christmas list fit into those categories.

To keep with Sheridan’s fine tradition, be sure to pick up your collector Stroll button! Each button features a unique number. If the number on your button matches the winning button number posted in a participating store, you win a gift from that store! Almost 100 stores participate, so that is 100 chances to win! And as if that wasn’t good enough, button holders can also register for a weekly $100 prize drawing each time they visit a participating business. Then all of these registrations are entered into the Grand Prize drawing for $1,000. Now that’s a Merry Christmas!

If you want to experience a true family-friendly town shopping experience, we will see you in Sheridan on November 23^rd. For more information on the Christmas Stroll, call the Sheridan County Chamber of Commerce at 307-672-2485.

SHERIDAN, WYOMING has a new reason to celebrate thanks to a new ranking by Livability.com. The King of Cowboy towns was named in Livability.com’s Top 10 Small Towns.

Livability.com narrowed down the original list of 500 Best Places to Live using a range of factors. Population, median household income, crime rate, and unemployment were a few of the first categories considered. Once the initial selections, the next set of criteria evaluated lifestyle amenities like outdoor activities, museums, art galleries, community events, and performance venues.

Sheridan is cradled in the majestic Bighorn Mountains, a popular destination for sportsmen and outdoor recreation enthusiasts. Sheridan has worked to share its frontier roots while simultaneously looking ahead. In Sheridan’s Historic Main Street District there are more than 46 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. The King’s Museum, Bradford Brinton Memorial and Museum, Trail End State Historic Site, and Mandel Cabin are a few of the museums and historic sites in Sheridan where residents and visitors can look back through the town’s wild west past. Just outside of town, there are living history displays and reenactments at forts and battle sites.

While history is preserved in Sheridan, the new west can be seen here as well. Modern parks, downtown sculptures, summer street festivals and concerts, and championship golf courses are just a few new west additions. Seasonal festivals such as the Big West Arts Festival and WYO Rodeo highlight some of Sheridan’s cultural attractions. Residents also enjoy a low unemployment rate and diverse business climate. All of these were considered in Liveability.com’s decision.

Sheridan’s warm, small town atmosphere, rich history, and varied recreational opportunities have attracted notice for years. Sheridan was named one of the 2011 Dozen Distinctive Destinations by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the King of Cowboy Towns by Western Horseman Magazine.

To learn more about Sheridan, Wyoming visit www.sheridanwyoming.org or contact Penny Becker at Stt@sheridanwyoming.org.

An outdoor paradise, the Bighorn Mountains and Bighorn National Forest are filled with recreational opportunities including hunting, fishing, camping, hiking and backpacking, horseback riding, mountain biking, picnicking, sightseeing, photography, and in winter snowmobiling, skiing, and sledding.

The Bighorn National Forest, including the Cloud Peak Wilderness area, is unique and diverse. Within the Forest area, you can encounter grass prairies, evergreen forests, mountain meadows, rugged alpine peaks, dramatic canyons, as well as desert lands and cascading waterfalls – all within a day’s journey…

Whether you’re looking for an exciting ATV trail or a stroll through quiet pines, the Bighorn National Forest offers a wide variety of recreational opportunities. Explore Medicine Wheel, the sacred Native American treasure, and Shell Falls the thundering heartbeat of the magnificent Bighorns!

Sheridan, the King of Cowboy Towns, is in the foothills of the mountains, and also the Golf Capital of Wyoming, offering three championship golf courses. Get in a round while enjoying the crisp autumn air.

It is no wonder Sheridan was voted in the Top 100 Adventure Towns by National Geographic Adventure Online!

Penny L. Becker, Executive Director

Sheridan Travel and Tourism

Sheridan, Wyoming – Voted #1 Western Town in America!

307-673-7120 - stt@sheridanwyoming.org

www.sheridanwyoming.org

Exciting does not get much better than the tourism public relations work over the past 5 weeks, bringing special visitors from three different countries and the U.S. to the ‘King of Cowboy Towns’!

Along with our outstanding area partners and the Wyoming Office of Tourism, Sheridan Travel and Tourism (STT) hosted Sheridan’s segment of the tour for the Australian film crew of six! This tour will result in bike tour documentaries for 2013’s programming on the Discovery Channel – the #1 international channel in the Asian-Pacific market. Sheridan will be showcased in one of 8 segments in their upcoming second season, and enjoyed by 132 million monthly viewers!

Then this week, STT and our partners hosted journalists for the development of three Primo magazine feature stories on Wyoming, reaching 260,000 people in Belgium and the Netherlands. This promotional trip also will result in avid bicyclists traveling the newly-created tour throuAlso that same week in August, a seasoned writer for Fox News and several guide books came to explore our tourism offerings! It was a pleasure to have my counterpart in Cody direct Gerrie to visit us in Sheridan for further feature opps. Partnerships are crucial, and my 14 years with STT has been all about building partnerships locally, state-wide, regionally and, as you see, also internationally!one of 8 segments in their upcoming second season, and enjoyed by 132 million monthly viewers! upcoming second season, and enjoyed by 132 million monthly viewers!

Then this week, STT and our partners hosted journalists for the development of three Primo magazine feature stories on Wyoming, reaching 260,000 people in Belgium and the Netherlands. This promotional trip also will result in avid bicyclists traveling the newly-created tour through Idaho, Wyoming and South Dakota – mimicking the Tour de France. The trip’s two-fold purpose of the travel articles and bike tour escalates our ultimate goal of bringing in even more international paying guests.

And yet to come in September, is a familiarization trip from a Japanese tour representative who actively promotes U.S. “Fly & Drive” destinations.This connection will directly benefit us in the Asian markets and thus grow our tourism destination.

As the air turns cool and the trees show their colors, it’s a reminder that autumn is the perfect time to visit one of American Cowboy’s “Best Places to Live in the West.” In northern Wyoming, the historic town of Sheridan has an adventure for every taste.

Lovers of history and western culture will enjoy a trolley tour through the Historic Main Street District. There are 46 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places including the Sheridan Inn, which was once co-owned by Buffalo Bill.

Just outside of town, the majestic Big Horn Mountains call to campers, hikers, hang gliders, horseback riders,photographers, and outdoorsmen. A multi-time winner in Outdoor Life’s “Top 200 Towns for Sportsmen.”

Patrons of the arts will have plenty to see between Vaudeville-style shows at the WYO Theater, 30 sites of public art on the self-guided ‘Art on Display’ tour, and the paintings from famous American artists at the Bradford Brinton Memorial Museum. Of course the beauty of the area during the fall may inspire travelers to pickup paintbrushes and cameras themselves.

Autumn kicks off with the final third Thursday street festival September 20^th. This fall take a trip to this historic, adventurous, artistic, and award-winning destination. Sheridan offers a variety of accommodations for quaint cottages and rustic camp sites to larger hotels and cozy B and Bs.

 

Truly a must-see, Don King’s Museum is one of the best western museums in the nation, showcasing a fabulous collection of cowboy memorabilia gathered during the many years of Don’s interest and business in saddle making. The collection is comprised of hundreds of saddles, wagons, chaps, spurs, antique guns, Indian artifacts and collections from every facet of the western life-style, as well as a variety of wild game animals.

King’s Saddlery began in 1947 after Don King learned leather tooling from his father, a working cowboy. King’s holds an international reputation in their field. Don is famous for the trophy saddles he built for the Rodeo Cowboys Association, and their rope business developed in 1963, houses lariats, floor-to-ceiling, coiled in all sizes, weights and colors. When visiting King’s; be sure to enjoy seeing the production of their ropes and custom leather products.

King’s still offer the personal touch, whether serving visitors of great notoriety and fame, or the working cowboy right off the ranch. The museum, located at 184 North Main Street in Sheridan, is open Monday-Saturday from 8 AM – 5 PM.

EXCITING and NEW is the name of our game! The tourism game, that is, as we head into a promising summer tourism season . . . .

With all the great promotions in place for our successful season, we are excited with each feature of our seasonal events, activities, historic sites, and attractions! Kicking off work with our oldest and biggest annual tourism event, the Sheridan WYO Rodeo (as if I had to tell you), has an enhanced presence with their NEW display at the Information Center on East 5th Street! This means the nearly 100,000 visitors coming though the Center annually have yet one more reason to stay in Sheridan longer, or to come back on their return trip.

In our highest May visitation since 2007, our Center’s team served nearly 10,000 visitors! And for this very purpose, we continue to enhance our customer services and displays to showcase each.

We also now have a NEW B&B within the city limits – the Residence Hill B&B! For overnight travelers, this lovely, historic lodging property, adds to our unique and varied options – quaint local inns and cottages, chain hotels, mountain lodges and authentic ranches. We anxiously await future progress for the Sheridan Inn’s NEW Buffalo Bill character suites.

Sheridan Travel and Tourism’s (STT) work with the Wyoming Film Office and Rosie Berger showcased Sheridan to major film company scouts seeking NEW set locations again this past week. The Los Angeles scouts, with cameras in hand, explored Eatons’ Ranch, Kendrick Mansion, our polo facilities, and mountains. And following our French TV programming two years ago, Director Girard called recently to continue promotions of Sheridan and our western culture!

Speaking of filming, we are blessed with Craig Johnson’s brand NEW “Longmire” episodes weekly debut on A&E, and in the Wall Street Journal, and on billboards across the East Coast! For years he has taken Wyoming and Sheridan to a whole new level with his books’ features of the fictitious Absaroka County (a lot like Sheridan County), and now his ten TV episodes! I thoroughly enjoyed the first two, and you will want to tune in with me at 8 PM for Sunday’s third episode.

Surrounded by these positive energies and projects, STT continues to enhance our outreach to over 19 million through our aggressive marketing endeavors – coordinating all with our NEW ‘Blaze Trails’ theme. Our EXCITING, and NEW $300,000 advertising campaign covers broadcasting, web, electronic, print and billboards – all driving perspective visitors to our website, via multiple QR codes over the last few years, and then naturally to the Sheridan area!

STT’s marketing, revealed in the 3-state, 15-billboard campaign, draws those traveling the ‘rubber-tire market’ between Yellowstone National Park and the Black Hills – with Sheridan’s convenient location midway between these two national icons.

In the last 2 weeks we have distributed 73,000 brochures regionally! The NEW ‘Blaze Trails’ brochures and postcards also showcase our area offerings and are available to you and your guests, compliments of STT. Just call us for your supply at 307-673-7120.

Although the ‘project’ is not so new, NEW efforts are certainly on an exciting cutting edge of opportunities to improve our air service. We all know how key this is to our area’s economics and health! And with this week’s assistance and direction from heavy hitters in the Wyoming Aeronautics Division and Senator Hank Coe’s interactions, a core group of the area’s concerned and involved citizens, organizations and businesses is growing. With Sheridan’s current 70% leakage to the Billings airport, it is crucial we unite commitment to enhanced air service with a serious commitment and plan of action for the future of our tourism and business travelers – focusing on price, schedule and reliability!

Sheridan can be proud of our cohesive teams and team-building skills! I know my small team of seven STT Board of Commissioners makes me proud as they work year-round, year after year and they deserve kudos for their proactive dedication to tourism, economics and Sheridan! Thanks Steve Jacobson, Sharie Prout, Ryan Franklin, Dave Youngren, Gary Small, Ryan Mulholland and Rich Bridger!

by Penny Becker
Executive Director
Sheridan Travel and Tourism

The residents of Sheridan, Wyoming have always been proud of their western heritage and have long worked to preserve and showcase it for interested travelers. Last year the National Trust for Historic Preservation rewarded their efforts by naming Sheridan as one of its 2011 Dozen Distinctive Destinations and in 2012 Western Horseman Magazine named Sheridan the ‘King of Cowboy Towns.’

Visitors to Sheridan can experience the town’s rich history on a guided trolley tour of the historic Main Street District, explore the town’s extensive walking trails, watch a re-enactment at a nearby fort or battle site, or join the  Sheridan WYO Rodeo festivities. During the summer months many events celebrate this historic town including Don King Days, the Big West Arts Festival, weekly polo matches, and 3rd Thursday Street Fests on Main Street.

President of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Stephanie Meeks describes Sheridan as “a classic Western town, offering visitors a real taste of its ranching, farming and mining heritage, as well as contemporary theater, arts and dining opportunities.”

Nestled in the Big Horn Mountains, Sheridan can also offer travelers a wealth of outdoor recreation adventures. The trails of the Big Horns call for snowmobilers, cross-country skiers, equestrians, rock climbers, and hikers. In summer the area’s many streams, lakes, and rivers have tremendous boating and fishing opportunities and fields of wildflowers draw hikers and picnickers. Even the air around Sheridan holds thrills, supplying some of the best thermals in the northern Rockies for hang-gliding.