Uintah County Office of Tourism, in Collaboration with Sorenson Advertising, is awarded a SAMY Award from Utah Business Magazine
Vernal, Utah (January 20, 2017)—Utah Business Magazine awarded the Uintah County Office of Tourism the Utah Sales and Marketing of the Year (SAMY) Award for their content marketing campaign, The Origin of Adventure on January 19, 2017.
The SAMY awards recognizes Utah’s top sales and marketing talent. The Origin of Adventure campaign will be featured in January’s edition of Utah Business Magazine.
The wide-ranging campaign features a unique content marketing effort in the form of a children’s storybook. It features two dinosaur cartoon characters named Vern, a Pterodactyl, and Al, an Allosaurus. The children’s book tells of an adventure that Vern and Al go on while exploring in Dinosaurland. Their lively story promotes Dinosaurland as a fun, family destination.
“The storybook has been a fun and engaging way for children and families to discover all the exciting adventures they can have exploring in Dinosaurland.” said Lesha Coltharp, Uintah County Travel and Tourism Director. “Our tourism numbers have greatly increased this summer and we expect the number to continue growing as new stories are published. In 2017, we are excited to introduce a new dinosaur character in addition to Vern and Al.”
The creative department at Sorenson Advertising, brainstormed the idea of using the cartoon characters to appeal directly to kids and present Dinosaurland as an engaging, family destination. The team spent days researching dinosaurs and photos of Uintah County to get the characters and the scenery just right.
From there, Art Director James Gibson pulled out his sketchbook and designed the entire storybook from scratch. Gibson utilized computer animation and pivot-point timing to animate the sketches into video form. The video has gained over 86,500 views so far. The dinosaurs’ voices are straight from Gibson as well. He recorded his voice for both characters, lowering the pitch for Al and raising the pitch for Vern.
“Vern, Al and I have spent many hours together in the past year,” Gibson said. “I have enjoyed starting from nothing, to creating their identity, to bringing them to life and telling their story. The Origin of Adventure is definitely a grassroots project and I’m thrilled to continue developing it even further.”
Since May of 2016, over 4,500 Origin of Adventure books have been given out, free of charge, to kids visiting the area. It is also available on dinoland.com. The Origin of Adventure campaign has made a significant impact on visitation numbers to the area and continues to do so. In May alone, visitation increased by 11.4 percent from 2015.
About Dinosaurland:
Located just three hours east of Salt Lake City in Vernal, Utah's Dinosaurland is a hidden gem of adventure and discovery. The area is home to one of the most productive Jurassic Period dinosaur quarries in the world at Dinosaur National Monument. Bucket-list destinations include the Wall of Bones, with its 1,500 exposed dinosaur bones, and the Dinosaur Garden. From dinosaur bones and ancient petroglyphs, to trophy fishing and epic road trips, Dinosaurland provides something for everyone. To easily plan your trip, visit: www.dinoland.com.
# # #
---------------------------------------------
MEDIA ALERT
HSU attends sentencing hearing for Spencer J. Pedersen animal torture case
WHAT: Gene Baierschmidt, Humane Society of Utah executive director, will attend the sentencing of Spencer Pedersen. On Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2016, Pedersen pleaded guilty to one count of animal torture and one count of possession of heroin with intent to distribute. Pedersen faces up to five years in prison on each of the charges when Judge Robert C. Lunnen sentences him Jan. 23.
WHEN: Monday, Jan. 23, 8:30 a.m.
WHO: The Honorable Judge Robert C. Lunnen is presiding over the sentencing of Spencer J. Pedersen.
WHERE: Utah 4th District Court
75 E 80 N #202
American Fork, UT 84003
Courtroom 2, third floor
WHY: The Humane Society of Utah’s mission is to eliminate pain, fear and suffering in all animals, and advocates for improved animal welfare legislation in Utah. HSU was instrumental in passing the present felony torture provision of Section 76-9-301 U.C.A. The Humane Society of Utah respectfully requests that
Pedersen
receives the maximum possible sentence on the count o
f
animal torture.
“We’re concerned that if Mr. Pedersen receives a light sentence or has his charge reduced, it will send a message to the community that this sort of behavior is not taken seriously,” said Gene Baierschmidt, HSU executive director. “We hoped that the passing of Henry’s Law would be a deterrent for animal abuse and bring justice to those who commit such egregious acts.”
Media
Contact: Deann Shepherd: cell 801-747-9136, deann@utahhumane.org
About the Humane Society of Utah
The Humane Society of Utah is dedicated to the elimination of pain, fear and suffering in all animals. Since 1960, the HSU has been sheltering abandoned animals, fighting cruelty and neglect, and creating an environment of respect, responsibility, and compassion for all animals across our state. HSU is an open-admissions shelter, meaning that our doors are always open for any animal that we can legally accept. We work hard to ensure that every healthy and treatable pet that enters our facility will be placed into a loving home. The Humane Society of Utah is a 501(c)(3) private nonprofit organization. We receive no tax dollars or government funding. HSU is funded by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses and foundations. Read more about the HSU online at utahhumane.org.
==============================
THIS WEEK: 166 Events in Utah to Raise Awareness About School Choice
The Beehive State plays key role in National School Choice Week, Gov. Herbert issues official proclamation.
SALT LAKE CITY–– National School Choice Week begins today in Utah and across the country. There are 166 events planned in the Beehive State to raise awareness about K-12 school choice, and 21,392 events nationwide.
The events in Utah, which are independently planned and independently funded, include everything from information sessions and open houses at schools to rallies, policy discussions, and movie screenings organized by community groups. Highlighted events include a large school choice celebration January 26 at 11 a.m. at the Utah State Capitol.
The cities of Enterprise, Helper City, Naples, and Pleasant Grove and Governor Herbert have issued official proclamations recognizing January 22-28, 2017 as “School Choice Week.”
National School Choice Week provides families in Utah with the opportunity to research and evaluate the K-12 school choices available for their children in advance of the 2017-2018 school year. The Week also raises awareness of the importance of providing every child with effective education options.
"Students, parents, teachers, and community leaders in Utah have a lot to celebrate during National School Choice Week," said Andrew Campanella, president of National School Choice Week. "Utah has long been a pioneer in providing a diversity of K-12 education options for children and families."
With a goal of raising public awareness of effective education options for children, National School Choice Week will be the largest celebration of education options in US history.
SCHOOL CHOICE OPTIONS AVAILABLE FOR UTAH FAMILIES
According to National School Choice Week’s organizers, families in Utah can use the Week to look for K-12 schools for the 2017-2018 school year. Parents in the Beehive State can choose from the following education options for their children: traditional public schools, public charter schools, magnet schools, online academies, private schools, and homeschooling. The state also allows parents to select the best traditional public school, regardless of where the school is located. The state also has a program allowing qualifying children, in some cases, to receive scholarships to attend private schools.
ABOUT NATIONAL SCHOOL CHOICE WEEK
National School Choice Week is an independent public awareness effort spotlighting effective education options for children, including traditional public schools, public charter schools, magnet schools, private schools, online learning, and homeschooling. The Week runs from January 22-28, 2017. For more information, visit www.schoolchoiceweek.com.
===============================
Dinosaur Lovers Unite at the First-Ever Natural History Museum of Utah
DinoFest Weekend
Past Worlds Gallery, Photo by Stuart Ruckman
Celebrate the wonderful world of dinosaurs at the Natural History Museum of Utah’s first-ever DinoFest. Dino enthusiasts of all ages are invited to dig into hands-on activities, hear from experts about dinosaur discoveries, see fossils and specimens not usually on display and get a rare look inside the Museum’s Paleo Prep Lab. Join the fun for two action-packed days, Saturday & Sunday January 28-29, 2017, 10am to 5pm.
“It’s always fun to share our work and discoveries with dinosaur lovers and other interested parties,” says Dr. Randall Irmis, curator of paleontology at the Natural History Museum of Utah, “especially the exciting things happening here at home in Utah.”
Museum guests will get a chance to meet and hear from Dr. Irmis as well as other paleontologists working in Utah and across the U.S. In fact, more than a dozen scientists will attend DinoFest to speak with guests and present Dinobites, (short talks) about some of the fascinating research and discoveries across Utah. Special presentations will take place at noon each day by one of two keynote speakers, Dr. Lindsay Zanno, curator and head of paleontology at North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and Dr. Luis Chiappe, curator and vice president of research and collections at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.
Additional DinoFest highlights include:
· Dino-themed face painting
· Past Worlds Gallery interpreters sharing information about dinosaurs unique to Utah
· Demonstrations of Research Quest, a fun new online game that uses Museum fossils to teach students to think and act like real scientists.
DinoFest is free to the public with the purchase of regular Museum admission and free for Museum members.
For more information, including the full list and schedule of confirmed speakers, visit https://nhmu.utah.edu/events/dinofest
###
About the Natural History Museum of Utah
The Natural History Museum of Utah is one of the leading scientific research and cultural institutions in the country. Established in 1963, the Museum’s collections contain over 1.5 million objects and offer innovative exhibitions and educational programs to thousands of residents and visitors each year, including traveling and permanent exhibits, special events and other programs. With more than 250,000 visitors a year, the Museum also offers a variety of outreach programs to communities and schools throughout Utah, reaching every school district in the state annually. The Museum has an active scientific research program with more than 30 scientists and 10 field expeditions each year.
