Gujarat Gov. bags global recognition for pioneering "Vibrant Gujarat' campaign

The Honorable Chief Minister of Gujarat, Narendra Modi, marked two recent international awards to the Government of Gujarat for the Vibrant Gujarat campaign by senior APCO Worldwide executives. APCO Worldwide has been the official Relationship Partner for Vibrant Gujarat 2011.

The SABRE awards are organised by The Holmes Report which is the impartial body which assesses quality in the communications industry globally and these awards are viewed as the most prestigious in the industry.

The Government of Gujarat was awarded the Global Award for "Best Communications Campaign in the Indian Sub-Continent' for Vibrant Gujarat at the International Communications Consultancies' Organisation conference in Lisbon, Portugal. Subsequently, the Government with APCO Worldwide won the award for "Best Government/Public Sector Communications Campaign in Asia-Pacific' in Singapore.

Accepting the awards, the Hon'ble Chief Minister said, "I am delighted that the Vibrant Gujarat Summit's communications campaign has been recognized globally with these very prestigious SABRE awards. They are proof that our aim of communicating Gujarat's strong fundamentals as a world-class investment destination is succeeding. These awards are a tribute to the enterprising spirit of Gujarat and our state's determination to play a leading role in India's inclusive growth."

Thanking the Hon'ble Chief Minister of Gujarat and commenting on receiving the award, Margery Kraus, Founder and CEO, APCO Worldwide said, "We sincerely believe these awards are a testament to the leadership of the Honourable Chief Minister, Narendra Modi, and the industry friendly policies and environment he has successfully built in the state along with his first-class team of senior officials. I had the pleasure of attending the Vibrant Gujarat Summit and it was inspiring to see for myself the rapid progress being made in Gujarat. It is now the role model for the rest of India."

The first award presented in Lisbon, Portugal, on 30th September 2011 was a Global Award in the Special Events Category where we won against entries from the United States, Spain, Hong Kong and Portugal. The judges for this category came from across the world and over twenty different communications campaigns were in the running for this award.

The second award presented in Singapore on 3rd November 2011 was for "Best Government Communications Campaign in Asia-Pacific'. This is the first time the awards have been instituted across the region. There were five finalists from a strong list of contending entries and the Vibrant Gujarat campaign beat amongst other the entry put forward by the US Embassy in Jakarta campaign around President Obama's visit to Indonesia where he grew up as well a campaign by the South African government to position South Africa to the world as a nation open for business. The judges noted that Gujarat is now seen in Asia and globally as a great place to live and do business.

The summit attracted the participation of more than 200 trade associations and trade delegations from 101 different countries. The summit was hailed as an enormous success by key business leaders and in top-tier media nationally and internationally.