COMMUNICATIONS
2023 Perfect in Walton County Awards:
The nomination period has ended and the top five nominees in each category will now move on to the voting round, which begins Sept. 26 and ends Oct. 21 on www.perfectinwaltoncounty.com.
Residents and visitors alike can vote for their favorite Walton County businesses, events, and activities during this time, but only one online form per email address is accepted. (No duplicates will be counted.) Finalists may encourage their guests, customers, followers, the general public, friends, and family to vote for their businesses on their social media channels. Please review the contest rules HERE.
Remember: every vote counts! The top three businesses with the highest number of votes in each category will be recognized as Diamond, Platinum or Gold winners at the Perfect in Walton County Awards in Jan. 2023.
To view a complete list of the 2022 winners, go to visitsouthwalton.com/2022-perfect-south-walton-awards or view the online version of the Perfect guide. For more information about the Perfect in Walton County Awards program, please contact Industry Relations Specialist Lisa Foster at (850) 333-2728 or Lisa@visitsouthwalton.com.
2023 Walton County Artist of the Year:
The Walton County Tourism Department will accept applications for the 2023 Artist of the Year Award until 4 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 16, 2022. Currently, in its 21st year, this award will recognize a local artist who lives and works in Walton County and whose signature style embodies the creativity and beauty for which the area is known.
Artists who meet the qualifications can find instructions and apply online at waltoncountyaoy.com. If you’d prefer to send in/drop off a hard copy, please download the rules and application.
The Walton County Artist of the Year Award is a community program that showcases local artists, promoting the selected artist’s work throughout the year through a variety of publicity opportunities and events. The winner will also receive an award of $4,000 in exchange for a commissioned piece of artwork that will be on display in Walton County.
The deadline for submissions for the Artist of the Year program will be Friday, Sept. 16 at 4 p.m. The winner will be announced during the Perfect in Walton County Awards presentation in January 2023.
Joseph Messer Unveils Commissioned Artwork:
Joseph Messer, the 2022 Walton County Artist of the Year, recently presented the Walton County Tourism Department with his commissioned piece, which will be displayed alongside previous Artist of the Year winners. Messer’s style focuses on breaking away from perfectionism to create truly unique art.
The process begins with photographing South Walton sunsets. After he finishes photographing the sunsets, he tears the photos apart and tapes them to another printed photo from a previous session that he has also digitally manipulated. Messer doesn’t leave a single scrap of paper or tape behind.
“Even a year ago, I would never have imagined becoming an artist or how many people would help me get there. The people at Visit South Walton and in this community, it seems to me, are the kind of people that bring other people’s dreams closer, and I’m grateful for their support in helping me follow mine,” Messer said.
As far as his future, Messer is currently teaching art to boarding school students in northern Massachusetts. He’s also seeking to earn his master’s degree in fine arts (MFA) and has already been accepted into the University of Southern California’s MFA program. He’s looking forward to picking which school to attend later next fall.
Walton County in the News:
Walton County was featured in a variety of high-profile publications recently, including Southern Living, Travel + Leisure, and DailyBeast. Examples of these press mentions can be found below, and a complete list is available HERE.
- Southern Living: 19 Retro Hotels in the South that Feel Like A Step Back in Time
- Travel + Leisure: The Best Golf Courses in Florida
- DailyBeast: This Very Un-Florida Spot Has Some of Florida's Best Beaches
Press Release Roundup:
We've recently shared information about the upcoming International Coastal Cleanup Day, as well as information about 2022 Walton County Artist of the Year Joseph Messer, who unveiled his commissioned piece of artwork.
These press releases, and others, can be viewed HERE.
What's New in Walton County:
Does your business have a new menu, a new location/offering, an event, or have you recently renovated? We'd love to know "What's New" at your business. Please email Garrison Davis, content & public relations specialist, at Garrison@visitsouthwalton.com or call (850) 267-1216 for more information.
To view our latest "What's New" press release, CLICK HERE.
Create/Update Your Business Listing:
We are making a big push to include all visitor-facing businesses throughout Walton County in our database. The team has been meeting with various industry partners to discuss how being a Walton County Tourism partner would be beneficial for their business(es), especially as we are highlighting the northern part of our county and its attractions, in addition to South Walton, in our print guides and on our website.
Are you taking advantage of the free business listings on our website? CLICK HERE to register your business or access our partner portal, where you can review and update your company information. If you are a visitor-facing business in Walton County and do not currently have a listing on our website, we'd be happy to help you create one. Our accommodations partners are listed on the Book>Direct search engine, while non-lodging businesses are listed under different categories of our Things to Do section.
Please contact Amelia Hester, database specialist, at Amelia@visitsouthwalton.com or (850) 267-1216 for assistance.
Free Hospitality Job Listings:
The Walton County Tourism Department supports our partners who are looking to add members to their teams. A jobs listings page was created on our website to share openings and opportunities. If you're currently hiring staff in the hospitality industry, we hope this is a great resource for you.
To list available positions on this page, please contact Industry Relations Specialist Lisa Foster at Lisa@visitsouthwalton.com or call (850) 333-2728. Businesses must do business, have offices located within Walton County, and be in the tourism/hospitality industry to be included.
Events Calendar:
Check out our Events calendar to find out what’s happening in Walton County! If you would like to share your upcoming event on our calendar, CLICK HERE to submit your event details. For more information, contact Industry Relations Specialist Lisa Foster at Lisa@visitsouthwalton.com or (850) 333-2728.
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