The Planning Commission of the City of Baton Rouge and Parish of East Baton Rouge have named the Baton Rouge Area Convention and Visitors Bureau the 2005 recipient of the Annual Lead Agency Horizon Plan Award.

The Horizon Plan is a twenty-year land use and development plan for the city and parish. Local and state government and non-profit organizations function as “Lead Agencies” to implement the Horizon Plan.

“We are thrilled and excited to be recognized by the Planning Commission for our achievements in 2005,” said Paul Arrigo, BRACVB President/CEO. “With the success of the American Bowling Congress Championship Tournaments and the Miss Teen USA Pageant, we have really been able to draw national attention to Baton Rouge. We look forward to the challenges that the future years bring as we continue to work with the planning commission and the other lead agencies to make Baton Rouge a better place to live, work and visit.”

The annual award recognizes agencies for exceeding the standards to accomplish assigned strategies, or “Action Items,” necessary to implement the Horizon Plan. The BRACVB is the fifth recipient of the Annual Lead Agency Horizon Plan Award, which was created in 2001. The Bureau was first recognized at the December 8th Horizon Plan Meeting and again at the Metro Council Meeting December 14th.

The BRACVB shares this distinction with previous recipients the Downtown Development District (2001), the Greater Baton Rouge Airport District (2002), the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge (2003) and the Greater Baton Rouge Port Commission (2004).

The Lead Agencies are assigned action items in relation to the plan’s eleven elements, which include land use, transportation, recreation and others. The BRACVB is responsible for two of the 275 action items distributed among the 28 Lead Agencies, which include the Baton Rouge Recreation and Parks Commission (BREC), the Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, the Greater Baton Rouge Port Commission, the Capital Area Transit System (CATS), the Capital Area United Way and others.

Since the plan’s adoption in 1992, there has been an increased level of coordination and cooperation among the many City-Parish Lead Agencies. This has helped streamline many projects and allowed the City-Parish to benefit from the combined knowledge and experience of the many agencies.

The mission of the Baton Rouge Area Convention and Visitors Bureau is to increase visitation to and awareness of the Baton Rouge Area, therefore enhancing economic impact.