Ocala/Marion County Wins Two Prestigious VISIT FLORIDA Flagler Awards

Celebrating a successful year of strategic marketing, the Ocala/Marion County Visitors and Convention Bureau (VCB) secured two of Florida's most prestigious destination marketing honors!

During the Chairman's Dinner at the Florida Governor's Conference on Tourism, an event that featured a speech from Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, VISIT FLORIDA announced the Ocala/Marion County VCB as a winner of a Silver Award and a Bronze Award of the 2025 Flagler Awards. The recognition highlights the VCB's excellence in both promotional materials and out-of-home advertising.

The Ocala/Marion County VCB's innovative tradeshow booth earned the Silver Award in the Resource/Promotional Material - Trade category for its impressive design. For the past two years, this powerful booth has been a key asset for the Sales Team at major conventions and meetings, including Florida Huddle and Florida Encounter 2024 and 2025. Featuring two illuminated display units and a light-up counter showcasing stunning Ocala/Marion County imagery, the booth was a strategic investment designed to boost brand visibility. This strategic tool proved its value by exposing thousands of professionals to the destination’s brand.

Angel Roussel, Assistant County Administrator for Marion County; Loretta Shaffer, Tourism Development Director for Marion County; Sky Wheeler, Tourism Development Manager for Marion County; Jessica Heller, Marketing and Communications Supervisor for Marion County Tourist Development; and Carl Zalak III, County Commissioner for Marion County, proudly showcase the two Flagler Awards won.

Additionally, the Ocala/Marion County VCB team received the Bronze Award in the Out of Home category for the Orlando Moving Billboard Campaign. This campaign aimed to increase awareness of Ocala/Marion County by deploying visually compelling wrapped vehicle advertisements at various events around Orlando, FL. By targeting events popular with the destination's audience, the campaign achieved 4.15 million impressions over two months and showcased Ocala/Marion County as Florida's Natural Wonder®, highlighting the destination's unique natural beauty and rich equestrian culture.

The VISIT FLORIDA Flagler Awards recognize excellence in tourism marketing and are the most prestigious of their kind in the state. This recent recognition further highlights the Ocala/Marion County VCB team’s commitment to marketing the destination's unique blend of equestrian heritage and natural wonder. The Ocala/Marion County VCB has now won a total of 40 awards since 2013.

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About: Internationally renowned among equestrians, cyclists, geologists, and even the world of classic cinematography, Ocala/Marion County still feels like a hidden gem to those who aren’t already insiders. And yet, when you’re here, you’re never an outsider. The relaxed, genuine friendliness of the county’s communities makes you feel welcome wherever you go. From its otherworldly natural springs to the compounds of World Equestrian Center and Florida Aquatics Swimming and Training to its vibrant restaurants, quaint shops, dynamic arts and culture, and historic sites, the destination takes you by surprise in the best of ways. For more information about Ocala/Marion County, visit OcalaMarion.com or call toll-free 1.888.FL.OCALA.