Aug 4, 2026
2026 NYS Tourism Excellence Awards Honoree: Creative for Tourism Marketing & Printed Materials
Turning an Overlooked Treasure into a Tourism Superstar
Join us on Thursday morning in Corning at the 2026 NYS Tourism Excellence Summit as Nigar Hale, Executive Director of Watkins Glen Area Chamber of Commerce, and Paula Tarallo, Founder and President of East Shore Marketing, share how targeted marketing, storytelling, and visitor engagement initiatives positioned an overlooked extension of Watkins Glen State Park. Their messaging highlighted a 12-mile walking and running trail's rich cultural and historical significance, including its connection to Queen Catharine, a Seneca leader, and the broader Indigenous history of the region. Programming and technology enhancements were created to enrich the visitor experience and stewardship—we'll show you how!
Digital innovation extended the trail experience beyond the physical through a mobile app featuring multilingual audio tours with scripts produced in six languages: English, French, Hindi, German, Mandarin, and Spanish. Original content and multimedia storytelling significantly broadened accessibility for diverse audiences, while a website and omnichannel marketing campaign expanded awareness, driving four-season visitation and demonstrating excellence in cultural interpretation and visitor experience innovation.
Why You Should Attend This Session:
- How and why to identify an overlooked asset in your community
- How to involve the community in the process—stewardship groups, local legislature, general community feedback
- Build an inclusive multi-channel visitor experience
- Design physical infrastructure as a visitor journey, not just signage.
Key Takeaways:
- Learn the process for identifying the single strategic idea that can organize every piece of creative you produce
- How to build one cohesive visual identity and message to make a small destination feel as polished as a big one
- How to turn visitors into participants
About Nigar:
Nigar Hale is a strategic marketing, communications, and economic development leader with executive experience in chamber management, tourism promotion, and nonprofit leadership. As Executive Director of the Watkins Glen Area Chamber of Commerce and Schuyler County Tourism Promotion Agency, she champions business growth, destination marketing, and regional collaboration. Her career spans chamber leadership, publishing, and entrepreneurship, with expertise in strategic planning, brand development, member engagement, and partnership building that strengthens local economies and communities.
About Paula:
Paula Tarallo is the founder of East Shore Marketing, a firm she built to help businesses keep pace with a marketing landscape that is constantly changing. A successful career in advertising and marketing, includes her time as Director of Advertising at Time Warner, where she led a multimillion-dollar division, and earned national awards from ESPN, CNN, and the Cable Advertising Bureau. She has also taught media planning and buying at Ithaca College's Park School of Communications and achieved certification in digital media planning and buying from the Interactive Advertising Bureau.
About Watkins Glen Area Chamber of Commerce:
The Watkins Glen Area Chamber of Commerce serves as the official Tourism Promotion Agency for Schuyler County, leading efforts to market the Watkins Glen area as a premier Finger Lakes destination. Working in partnership with local businesses, attractions, and community organizations, the Chamber promotes the region's world-renowned natural beauty, award-winning wineries, outdoor recreation, motorsports, and vibrant small-town experiences. Through destination marketing, visitor services, and regional collaboration, the Chamber helps drive tourism, strengthen the local economy, and enhance the visitor experience.
About East Shore Marketing:
East Shore Marketing is a results-focused marketing communications agency helping businesses grow with transparent & data-driven media planning and buying services, paid social ads, content marketing, Google grant management, email marketing and creative services.