Visit Lake Charles (VLC) is proud to announce that it received two Southeast Tourism Society (STS) Shining Example Awards during the STS Connections awards dinner held in Lake Charles on Wednesday, Sept 10.
Visit Lake Charles was honored with the Shining Example Partnership Award for the Spirit of Louisiana international partnership campaign and the Fired Up! Culture Beacon Award, recognizing the leadership of VLC President and CEO Kyle Edmiston.
The Fired Up! Culture Beacon Award honored Edmiston’s sustained leadership and dedication to his team and the Southwest Louisiana community. With more than two decades in the tourism industry and prior national recognition, including National State Tourism Director of the Year, Edmiston continued to lead Visit Lake Charles while navigating a personal medical diagnosis in 2024, remaining engaged with staff and partners while keeping Visit Lake Charles moving forward.
“I am deeply honored by this recognition. I feel like I’ve come full circle since receiving the STS Rising Star Award in 2009,” Edmiston said. “I couldn’t do this work without the support of our board and our incredible Visit Lake Charles team.”
The Partnership Award recognizes the collaborative campaign effort by Visit Lake Charles, together with New Orleans & Company, Visit Baton Rouge, and Lafayette Travel to promote Louisiana in the United Kingdom. With a limited shared budget, the partners executed an eight-day media road trip and culinary storytelling tour that secured coverage in major UK outlets and generated significant international reach, including roughly 75 million impressions and more than $500,000 in advertising value from outlets such as The Sunday Times, The Independent, and MoneyWeek.
“This Partnership Award shows what strategic partnerships and authentic storytelling can do to position Southwest Louisiana as a must-visit destination,” said Timothy Bush, chief marketing officer at Visit Lake Charles. “This partnership allowed us to come together and drive meaningful connections to one of Louisiana’s top international markets and showcased the diversity of experiences available through the four partner destinations.”
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About Visit Lake Charles
Visit Lake Charles, the official destination marketing organization for Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana, is the only organization in Southwest Louisiana providing advocacy, promotion, and education for the tourism industry. For more information on Visit Lake Charles and things to see and do in Louisiana’s Playground, log on to VisitLakeCharles.org.
