When we first learned that we were selected as semi-finalists in the Ultimate Thailand Explorers Competition we published several posts in a short amount of time. Here is our official press release. It is available for download at our media site. There are only 21 days left to share our story with your friends and family. That’s 3 weeks! Thank you for your continued support and loyalty here at adventureswithben.com
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ORLANDO RESIDENTS SEMI-FINALISTS IN WORLDWIDE TRAVEL COMPETITION TO THAILAND
Orlando, Florida – 19 October 2009 – The Tourism Authority of Thailand has selected Orlando Residents Ben Reed and Brian Sommer as semi-finalists in the Ultimate Thailand Explorers Competition to Pattaya, Thailand. The competition challenges applicants from around the world to use social media websites such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter to promote the Country of Thailand as a vacation destination.
Both Reed and Sommer are one of 25 couples selected from a worldwide pool of applicants from over a dozen countries who submitted YouTube videos answering the questions, “Why do you want to go to Thailand?” and “How would you promote the destination through social media?”
On achieving this milestone Reed commented, “We entered this competition with the dream of bringing the world of Thailand closer to our friends, family and neighbors here in Florida. It is both humbling and exciting to think that two ordinary people like us are just a few votes away from having this dream come true and embarking on something extraordinary.”
From now until November 12th, individuals from around the globe may vote on their favorite couple they would like to send to Thailand at the official contest site, www.ultimatethailandexplorers.com.
If they achieve the most votes, Reed and Sommer will embark on a 6-day excursion to the City of Pattaya, on the Eastern Coast of Thailand. They will compete against four additional teams in the Cities of: Bangkok, Phuket, Chang Mai and Koh Sumai for the Grand Prize of $10,000 and the title of Ultimate Thailand Explorer. Prizes are also awarded to individuals who participate in voting in the Ultimate Thailand Explorers Competition.
Reed and Sommer may be followed today on twitter at www.twitter.com/benandbrianthai as well as on Facebook at www.facebook.com/benandbrianthailand. “Managing our social media sites is a full-time job,” Reed said. In addition to Twitter and Facebook, the pair is also connected on YouTube, Flickr and WAYN.
Since applying in early September, the pair has been posting videos and photos to their social media sites about Thailand-related activities here in Central Florida.
“We’ve tasted the new Thai booth at the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, dined at a local Thai restaurant near our neighborhood and searched for travel books to Thailand at our local bookstore,” said Sommer. “We love to travel and hope this opportunity will inspire others to pack their bags too,” he added.
The Ultimate Thailand Explorers Competition follows similar efforts by tourism bureaus from around the globe. Locally in Orlando, the Orange County Convention and Visitors Bureaus selected 1 couple to capture their experiences at Orlando’s world-renowned attractions. And in Australia, Tourism Queensland selected 1 individual for the “Best Job in the World”.
Inspired by family vacations as a child, Ben is a travel blogger at adventureswithben.com. Through engaging, humorous and candid experiences from his travels to Africa, Europe, South America, North America and Asia, Reed shares his passion for travel. His full-time job is with a training and development organization in Orlando.
A physical therapist in Kissimmee, Brian’s most memorable travel experiences include shark cage diving with Great White Sharks in Cape Town, South Africa and backpacking through Europe. Together they share a home in Orlando.
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