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Prestigious Travel Writers’ Group Selects Rapid City

RAPID CITY, SD (12/15/09) - The Midwest Travel Writers Association (MTWA) has announced they will conduct their 2010 Fall Conference in Rapid City October 13 – 17. This conference has the potential of bringing 50 productive travel writers and photographers from the Midwest Region to Rapid City and the Black Hills for several days.

“The Midwest Travel Writers Association is the oldest organization of professional travel writers in the United States,” said Michelle Lintz, executive director of the Rapid City Convention & Visitors Bureau (RCCVB). “The opportunity to host them and allow them to explore Rapid City and the Black Hills will bring influential media exposure to the area.”

Writers and photographers will gather in Rapid City for the five-day conference coordinated and hosted by the RCCVB and cooperating partners. Themed familiarization tours and pre- and post-conference tours will allow MTWA members to explore a wide variety of leisure activities in the Black Hills, ranging from parks, monuments and memorials to powwows, buffalo herds and backcountry trails.

In addition, the Mount Rushmore Society and Xanterra Parks & Resorts will host a gala event at the Memorial during the conference and a reception at Prairie Edge Trading Co. & Galleries in Rapid City.

“This conference provides Rapid City and the Black Hills a special opportunity to showcase all that we have to offer,” Lintz said. “MTWA members concentrate on supporting and promoting Midwestern travel. This hosting will show them Rapid City and the Black Hills is a leading Midwestern destination.”

Gary Knowles, Meeting Sites Coordinator for MTWA noted, "The Midwest Travel Writers choose meeting places that offer a broad variety of story possibilities. Our writers report for dozens of different print and electronic media. They cover all the angles - everything from historic and cultural themes to arts, museums, scenic drives, shopping, parks, natural wonders, and off-beat topics. The invitation from Rapid City was on-target and loaded with a fantastic range of possibilities. It's "story rich" and writer friendly - exactly what we prefer. This has all the makings of an outstanding and very productive meeting."

Established in 1951, the Midwest Travel Writers Association is an organization of travel professionals whose purpose is to protect and upgrade travel writing as a profession by exchanging ideas, encouraging high professional standards, fostering communication between travel writers and readers and championing the cause of Midwestern travel. Though the members reside in a 13-state region deemed “Midwest,” their writing, editing, photography and PR skills reach far beyond these designated geographical borders.

The Rapid City Convention & Visitors Bureau is a division of the Rapid City Area Chamber of Commerce. The RCCVB’s mission is to market the Rapid City area as a convention and leisure destination and to promote economic growth that will enhance the area for visitors and residents. For more information about the RCCVB or the MTWA conference, visit www.VisitRapidCity.com/MTWA or call the RCCVB at 605-718-8485.

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