The weeklong kickoff to last November's seventh annual Latin GRAMMY Awards, a series of citywide events choreographed by NYC Big Events, designed to get all New Yorkers involved in the celebration, has won one of the marketing industry's top awards.


The program "NYC Celebrates in Latin Style" captured the 2007 Reggie Award for Multi-cultural/Ethnic Promotion in a ceremony held March 22 during the Promotion Marketing Association (PMA) Annual Conference. Lauren Berger, Vice President of Marketing, was on hand to accept the award. The conference took place at the Hyatt Regency in Chicago, Illinois.


"Winning gold at the Reggie Awards is truly a wonderful honor," said Maureen Reidy, President & CEO, NYC Big Events. "The Big Events team worked so hard to deliver an event that would be representative of the Latin GRAMMYs and the City of New York. Taking home this award is a wonderful validation of those efforts, and once again proves there is no better place than New York City to host world-class events."


The Reggie Awards are given out each year by PMA, recognized as the voice of the promotion industry and the primary resource of promotion education, information and interaction for marketers. The Awards recognize organizations that have demonstrated outstanding promotional thinking, creativity, execution and results across the full spectrum of promotional/integrated marketing. Professionals from the industry and related fields serve as judges.


"NYC Celebrates in Latin Style," which ran from October 27 through November 2, 2006 was a dual campaign that celebrated Latin music and culture, and generated excitement for the awards themselves. The Latin GRAMMYs were held November 2, 2006, at Madison Square Garden-the first time New York City has hosted the event.


NYC Big Events, in fact, was responsible for bringing the Latin GRAMMYs to New York City as well as for planning the themed week. The organization has recently merged with NYC Marketing and NYC & Company to form the new NYC & Company, the single tourism, marketing and events organization serving the City of New York.


The week saw events take place throughout the boroughs, including such highlights as the Metropolitan Transit Authority's Music Under New York, a series of performances in the Times Square, Grand Central, Port Authority and Grand Central subway stations by a number of the city's own Latin artists. Latin pop vocalist Obie Bermudez sang the national anthem during a match-up between the New York Giants and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Also in conjunction with the event, the City's public schools served up a Latin-themed meal to students. And the day of the Latin GRAMMYs began with an honorary bell ringing at the New York Stock Exchange with Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Gabriel Abaroa, president of the Latin Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, among others.


The result: the Latin GRAMMY Awards logged the highest ratings in the event's history, drawing 11.3 million viewers. Ratings among 12- to-17-year- olds were up 57 percent. The New York City Economic Development Corporation also estimates that the event brought in $30 million in economic impact to the city.