Visit Rochester Announces Inaugural Tourism Achievement Award Winners  

Visit Rochester is pleased to announce the inaugural recipients of the Tourism Achievement Award. Awarded as part of the organization’s Recommend Rochester event for local influencers, the Tourism Achievement Award recognizes the contributions of two local residents who have been integral in bringing large-scale meetings and events to Rochester, NY.

The inaugural recipients of the Visit Rochester Tourism Achievement Awards are:

  • Dr. Amy DelCorvo, CEO and Executive Director of NYSCATE (New York State Association for Computers and Technologies in Education). Dr. Delcorvo has served as the CEO of NYSCATE since 2010, bringing more than 30 years of education technology experience to the position. Dr. DelCorvo previously served as the Assistant Superintendent of Monroe 1 BOCES, Orange Ulster BOCES and the Director of Strategic Initiatives at Wayne Finger Lakes BOCES. She has been the driving force behind bringing NYSCATE’s annual convention to Rochester each November. 2023 marks the 19th year the organization will have hosted its convention in Rochester. The event brings more than 1,500 attendees and 150 exhibitors on an annual basis to the Joseph A. Floreano Rochester Riverside Convention Center and a multitude of hotels around Monroe County. NYSCATE is the largest conference the Greater Rochester community hosts annually, and the event’s long-term success in Rochester can be tied directly back to Dr. Amy DelCorvo.
     
  • Allen Buell, past-president Drum Corps Associates. Allen Buell has been involved in the world of drum and bugle corps for more than 45 years, including serving as the Vice President & President of Drum Corps Associates.  Buell was the catalyst in the Drum Corps World Championship’s return to Rochester and Monroe County in 1996 (it had not been held in Rochester before than since 1976). In total, DCA’s World Championship was held in Rochester 21 times during the organization’s 50+ year history, including 11 years under Buell’s leadership. Over the course of its history in Rochester, the DCA World Championship has generated an economic impact of more than $25 million for the local community. Further demonstrating his commitment to the Greater Rochester community, Buell is a past President of Visit Rochester's Visitor Industry Council.  In addition to his involvement in competitive drum corps, he is the Senior Director of Special Events at the George Eastman Museum in Rochester, where he has worked for the past 40 years.

“Local residents have the power and the potential to help Monroe County’s tourism industry grow and prosper. Tonight’s Tourism Achievement Award winners are excellent examples of this,” said Monroe County Executive Adam Bello. “Congratulations to Dr. Amy DelCorvo and Allen Buell for using their influence to bring tens of millions of tourism dollars to our community and for their commitment to sharing our vibrant community with the nation.”

Dr. DelCorvo and Buell are exemplary models of influential local residents who have recommended Rochester for a meeting, convention or event. Decades of data show that destination recommendations made by members for meetings, conventions, conferences, and sporting competitions are often more influential than just promotional materials from city tourism bureaus.

“It is our hope that attendees of the Recommend Rochester event will see just how much influence their recommendation of Rochester as a host destination for a future meeting or event can hold,” said Visit Rochester President & CEO Don Jeffries. “We invite all local residents to take pride in our community and reach out to Visit Rochester with the names of the different professional and social organizations and associations they may belong to that could host a future event in Monroe County.”

The Recommend Rochester program is designed to help local Rochester residents recommend Rochester for future events. Local residents who are involved in professional, social and athletic associations or organizations are invited to contact Visit Rochester to learn more and get involved in the Recommend Rochester program.

Meetings, conventions and events play a significant role in the overall economic impact of tourism in Monroe County, which was more than $1.2 billion in 2022 (source: Tourism Economics).

To learn more about Recommend Rochester and to sign up to be a local influencer, go to RecommendRochester.com.

 

Visit Rochester
Visit Rochester is the official tourism promotion agency for Greater Rochester and Monroe County. Visit Rochester is a membership organization with over 400 members representing, lodging, retail, restaurants, services, and community organizations. Working together with our members and partners, we strive to provide the best experience to all visitors to our community, including both business and leisure travelers.

 

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