Mississippi Tourism Association honors Bobby Geno with Community Volunteer of the Year

JACKSON, Miss. (PRESS RELEASE) – The Mississippi Tourism Association (MTA) recognized the impact and accomplishments of the state’s tourism industry at the annual tourism awards program held during the Governor’s Conference on Tourism at Caesar’s Entertainment Horseshoe Casino & Hotel Tunica in Tunica, Mississippi, October 19-21, 2022.

From left to right: MDA Deputy Director Laura Hipp, MTA President and President and CEO of Visit Ridgeland Chris Chapman, Award Recipient Bobby Geno, Visit Mississippi Director Craig Ray

This annual educational and professional development event brought together around 200 tourism industry professionals from across the state as well as tourism partners from the surrounding region.

These awards give MTA the opportunity to recognize members who excel in various sectors of the industry.

Awards were presented in 17 categories, each focusing on a different aspect of the hospitality industry or individual
achievement. Bobby Geno of Tupelo was awarded the 2022 Community Volunteer of the Year. This is awarded to a person who gives freely of their personal time to help attract visitors to their community. They are willing to work on either an individual project or multiple projects with the desire of helping their city grow through tourism.

“It is such a pleasure to have the opportunity to celebrate these talented leaders who work tirelessly for their communities and organizations. These awards are very competitive and that is a testament to the caliber of work being produced by our partners and the overall strength of Mississippi tourism. It is our honor to work together with these outstanding professionals to continue to grow and prosper our industry,” said MTA Executive Director, Danielle Morgan.

Geno understands how conferences and events create economic impact for the city and does everything he can to attract and grow those opportunities. He serves on many boards and helps plan a local event to coincide with the Miss Mississippi Volunteer Pageant.

Many Elvis Tribute Artists hold Geno in high regard, and over the years of his service to the Elvis Presley Festival, many have come to know and love him, personally. He is also involved with the Tupelo Community Theatre and is comfortable being both the star of the show and working quietly behind the scenes. He is the type of volunteer that you can call on to take up tickets or serve as the event’s emcee. Each year, Geno attends Elvis Week in Memphis and works with other volunteers to promote Tupelo and Elvis-related tourism opportunities to attendees.

He was named Board Member of the Year two times by the Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association.

Bobby Geno is a loyal and tireless board member and volunteer of the Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association. He generously shares his knowledge, creativity, and passion to assist in facilitating every main street project—all with his trademark humor and cheerful attitude. He has been instrumental in the production of the Tupelo Elvis Festival among dozens of other successful projects and quality-of-life events for the city of Tupelo.

“The tourism industry in Mississippi is filled with accomplished professionals who have a genuine passion for making their individual communities and state better places to visit, live and work. We honor their tremendous contributions to Mississippi’s fourth-largest industry, and we are grateful for their strong support of the Mississippi Tourism Association’s mission to unite all sectors of the tourism industry through advocacy, education, and promotion. We wholeheartedly congratulate all of our award winners for their outstanding accomplishments and wish them continued success,” said Chris Chapman, 2022-2023 president of MTA.

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