Plover Area organizations nominated for Governor’s Tourism awards
Metro Wire Staff
The Plover area will be taking center stage next week at the Wisconsin Governor’s Conference on Tourism in Lake Geneva as three local organizations received award nominations.
The Portage County Historical Society has been nominated for the Governor’s Arts, Heritage and Culture Award. This award is presented to a business or destination that showcases the arts, culture or heritage for the enhancement of the tourism experience and economic well-being of a community.
PCHS was nominated for this award on behalf of their current exhibit, “We Just Wanted to Play: The Story of Women’s Athletics in Portage County.”
Nominated by the Plover Area CVB, the PCHS exhibit has drawn visitors to the Plover Area from across the country to experience living women’s history. This exhibit is on display at Heritage Park in Plover through the end of the 2024 season.
“At the heart of what they do, the Portage County Historical Society showcases heritage in everything they do,” the nomination stated. “The Portage County Historical Society inspires people to dive into the heritage of Portage County and the region by sharing the often-untold stories through preservation and education.”
This exhibit intentionally celebrates women’s history and the 50th anniversary of Title IX legislation passing.
“Most athletic exhibits highlight the accomplishments of men with a small feature for women,” PCHS Executive Director John Harry said. “We wanted to flip that and recognize only the women apart from what male athletes have done.”
Plover Area CVB Executive Director Malorie Paine was also nominated for a Governor’s Tourism Award.
Paine was nominated for the Rising Star Award by the Wisconsin Agricultural Tourism Association. The Rising Star Award recognizes new to the industry individuals who have shown leadership, commitment and passion for Wisconsin tourism.
Paine was appointed as the PACVB Executive Director last year.
“Since June 2023, she has developed and implemented strategic marketing and communication plans launching the greater Plover region as a must-visit destination,” the nomination said. “She has worked to develop partnerships among tourism-related entities in the Plover Area that were previously operating independently. She has guided the PACVB to take a collaborative approach by working closely with other CVBs in the region.”
Paine has grown the PACVB’s digital enhancements by 1,900 percent and led a successful fall marketing campaign, the nomination stated.
The newly opened Food + Farm Exploration Center was self-nominated for the Tourism Innovation Award. This award recognizes a business or community that has implemented a new strategy that has positively impacted their organization and/or destination through an innovative approach in technology, sustainability, adaptivity and/or the implementation of best practices.
“What started (more than) five years ago as a smaller scale plan to develop an agriculture literacy program, quickly grew to what we see today,” the nomination states. “Through a community mindset, the Food + Farm Exploration Center exists to educate everyone on the importance of agriculture in the lives of everyone. When you visit, you will see different colored tractors, different brands of equipment, neighboring growers, all coming together to meet (the) mission.
Award winners will be announced Tuesday, March 12 during the Governor’s Dinner and Awards Celebration at WIGCOT.
