October 2013 California supplement takes top honors in annual state marketing organization contest

SAN FRANCISCO – May 16, 2014 – Meetings Focus writer Maria Lenhart won Visit California’s Grand Prize in its Eureka! Travel Writing Awards for her work on the “Land of Plenty” Meetings Focus California supplement, published in October 2013.

The awards are given annually to California-based writers for articles “showcasing the state’s natural beauty and enviable lifestyle,” according to Visit California. The piece was submitted in the “Magazine Feature” category and achieved the overall highest score of any submission.

“Many travel writers, bloggers and broadcast producers have traveled the globe, but choose to call the Golden State home,” said Visit California President & CEO Caroline Beteta. “The pride these media have for California’s diversity and culture truly shines through in these homegrown stories, which inspire visitors to come and dream big in California.”

For “Land of Plenty,” the fifth annual Meetings Focus California supplement, Lenhart, a California native and frequent Meetings Focus contributor, tapped into some of the most intriguing ways meeting groups can experience the Golden State through cuisine, culture, nature and adventure, while examining some of the hottest trends afoot in addition to up-and-coming destinations. The piece also profiled the state’s growing meetings and conventions market and expanding selection of hotels, group venues and attractions.

Lori Tenny, managing and destinations content director for Meetings Focus, was the lead editor on the piece, and Gwen Dyrland, brand designer for Meetings Focus, spearheaded the design.

The supplement appeared in three platforms: print issue, MeetingsFocus.com and digital edition, which can be viewed here: http://digitalglobal.meetingsfocus.com/2013/Supplements/California.