Put-in-Bay Chamber Extends RUBY Awards Streak with Two Citations of Excellence

The Put-in-Bay Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Bureau earned two Citations of Excellence at the 2026 RUBY Awards, extending its run of statewide tourism recognition to five consecutive years.

Presented October 8 during the Ohio Travel Association’s Fall Conference at Roberts Centre in Wilmington, the honors recognized the Chamber’s inaugural Put-in-Bay Dog Bowl and overall digital marketing campaign.

Dog Bowl Earns Recognition in Its First Year

The Chamber received a Citation of Excellence in Best New Experience for the Put-in-Bay Dog Bowl, launched in 2026 in partnership with Shores & Islands Ohio, the regional tourism organization serving the Lake Erie Shores & Islands area, including Put-in-Bay.

The category recognizes the quality of a new event, exhibit, attraction or activity, separate from its marketing.

Held May 29–30 at McCann’s Field, the inaugural Dog Bowl combined DockDogs competition with an island-wide celebration of dog-friendly travel.

According to the Chamber’s award submission, 163 dogs were officially registered and counted during the two-day event. Participating dogs received complimentary Put-in-Bay bandanas and Dog Bowl stickers, bringing visiting dog owners into the celebration whether or not their dogs competed.

Canine athletes and handlers traveled from across Ohio and from other states, including Wisconsin and Tennessee. Experienced competitors and first-time participants took part in Big Air, Extreme Vertical and Speed Retrieve, with official results documenting jumps exceeding 22 feet.

Four vendors and 13 sponsors and community partners supported the event, helping keep it free for spectators. The Chamber also promoted more than 20 dog-friendly lodging, dining and transportation options, connecting the competition with businesses throughout the island.

Regional partner Shores & Islands Ohio also earned Citations of Excellence in Best New Experience and Event Campaign.

Digital Campaign Receives Statewide Honor

The Chamber’s second Citation of Excellence recognized its 2026 Put-in-Bay Digital Destination Campaign, which connected travel inspiration with practical trip-planning resources.

The campaign combined Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, paid social advertising and visitor newsletters with VisitPutinBay.com, the digital island guide and interactive island map. Together, those channels helped potential visitors discover the island, explore experiences and find information about lodging, dining and transportation.

According to the Chamber’s award submission, Facebook content generated approximately 3.3 million views and 12,400 link clicks from July 30, 2025, through July 30, 2026, including organic content and paid campaign activity. Instagram recorded approximately 1 million views, while TikTok generated approximately 247,400 post views during the reporting periods included in the submission.

The submission also reported 93,587 visitors and 219,400 page views on VisitPutinBay.com, showing the scale of activity across the Chamber’s online visitor resources.

Five Consecutive Years of Recognition

The 2026 citations build on a record of RUBY Awards recognition documented in last year’s coverage:

• 2025: RUBY Awards for Newsletter and Broadcast Advertisement.
• 2024: RUBY Awards for Newsletter and Marketing Campaign; a Citation of Excellence for Radio Campaign.
• 2023: Citations of Excellence for Marketing Campaign, Newsletter and Social Media Campaign.
• 2022: A RUBY Award for Marketing Campaign; Citations of Excellence for Innovation in Travel Marketing and Newsletter.

This year’s recognition expands that record beyond promoting the island to include the creation of a new visitor experience, with the Dog Bowl earning statewide recognition in its inaugural year.