To top off the 107th year of our chamber, we were honored to receive statewide honors for our digital outreach for our recent Chowderfest campaign.
The New Jersey Tourism Industry Association held it’s Tourism Excellence Award Ceremony at the Hard Rock Casino in Atlantic City on December 1. Winners included a variety of marketing and tourism achievements from Haddonfield, Wildwood, Cape May County and Elizabeth.
The esteemed annual award receives nominations throughout the state and has an outside committee select projects, events, programs, partnerships, promotional initiatives, digital outreach, or attractions by any person, business or organization, be it public or private, profit or non-profit who works toward the common goal of improving the New Jersey tourism product, increasing over-night stays and attracting out-of-state visitors and
increasing mid-week stays, increasing tourism expenditures, and positively promoting locations within New
Jersey as a destination.
For more than 30 years, Chowderfest has served as Long Beach Island’s farewell to summer. Each October,
thousands of people flock to the Taylor Avenue in Beach Haven to soak in the sounds and sights of this
bayfront festival. In 2020, with the coronavirus pandemic preventing such a gathering, the question was
how an iconic event such as Chowderfest could continue. The organization met with success in 2021 with
the cook off portion driven directly to support participating restaurants and the free onsite weekend
ceremonies featuring live music, beer, chowder for purchase and activities.
The award was received by Southern Ocean Chamber board members Christopher Schwab, Jeremy
DeFilippis, Andrea Driscoll, Marie Daley, Jerry Thompson, Michele Collins Davies, Carol Holmes, along
with staff Lori Pepenella, Kate Krier and Samantha Cisternas.
