On June 6th, the U.S. Department of Commerce presented the Madison Avenue Business Improvement District (BID) with a Certificate of Appreciation for outstanding dedication to and achievement in promoting international travel and tourism to the luxury shopping district of New York City. Dr. Anastasia Xenias, Senior International Trade Specialist of the U.S. Department of Commerce, bestowed the Certificate to E. William Judson, Chairman of the Board, and Matthew Bauer, President of the Madison Avenue BID, at its Annual Meeting of the Membership.

Since 2010, in collaboration with the U.S. Commercial Service (USCS), Madison Avenue BID has engaged in activities in New York and in target markets around the world. Madison Avenue BID created an international traveler marketing program 'Key to Madison Avenue' in partnership with American Express and with the assistance of the U.S. Commercial Service from 2011-2017 for which Madison Avenue was recognized with the Shop America Alliance's SASI Award. The program, which was completely free of cost to participating businesses, provided select, high-end travelers special offers and V.I.P. privileges in New York City's most prestigious shopping destination – Madison Avenue.  The program was accessed electronically via a dedicated website and collateral material that was translated into Portuguese, Chinese, Spanish, and Japanese.

To educate Madison Avenue retailers, hotels, restaurants and services on international travel and tourism markets and international visitors, Madison Avenue BID organized seminars in collaboration with the USCS New York that typically attracted 80 to 120 retail and hotel executives, including on "How to do business with the Chinese Visitor Market" and "How to do business with the Brazilian Visitor Market" and B2B matchmaking programs such as the “Chinese Tour Operator Networking Mixer” with the National Tour Association in 2015 and with The Frick Collection in 2018.

To increase media exposure and tour operator exposure, Madison Avenue BID hosted Familiarization Tours facilitated by the U.S. Commercial Service from Brazil, Thailand, Singapore and China; and prepared articles with photographs that were published in international media providing the organization with valuable advertising equivalency promotion, in countries such as the Philippines (in Archikonst design and architecture magazine), Thailand (Away travel magazine), Canada (Interlog magazine), China, (The Sun, Sing Tao Daily, Travel QnA magazine, U magazine, Oriental Daily), and India (Travel Biz Monitor, Travel Techie, News 24 online, Durgadas Publications eTrav Talk newsletter, The Times of India).

“Thanks to the groundwork performed by the US Commercial Service, over 80 Madison Avenue businesses are for the first time participating in a tourism program promoted to travel agents throughout the globe through our 2018 membership in Virtuoso travel network,” said Matthew Bauer from the Madison Avenue BID. “We look forward to continuing to work with the USCS to ensure that visitors experience all that Madison Avenue, and the US, has to offer.”

“The U.S. Commercial Service is the export promotion agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce, works to promote exports of U.S. goods and services to global markets.  In this regard, we work with U.S. tourism suppliers and American tourism organizations to promote international visitation to the United States.  I am delighted to present the Madison Avenue Business Improvement District with this Certificate of Appreciation for 'Outstanding Dedication to and Achievement in Promoting International Travel and Tourism to New York City's Luxury Shopping District', said Anastasia Xenias Senior International Trade Specialist and Global Team Leader, U.S. Commercial Service, U.S. Department of Commerce International |Trade Administration. “For over a decade the Madison Avenue BID has engaged in innovative and unique programs to promote Madison Avenue shopping to global markets from Paris to Tokyo to Sao Paolo to New Delhi and especially to China.  During the past decade, the Madison Avenue BID has worked with the U.S. Commercial Service to maximize these tourism promotion efforts, and we are pleased to have been a part of this process and achievement and look forward to continuing collaboration to attract more international visitors to New York and Madison Avenue.”

About Madison Avenue Business Improvement District (BID)

In 1996, the Madison Avenue Business Improvement District (BID) was formed through a partnership of property owners, merchants, residents and elected officials, who joined together with the fundamental goal of enhancing the quality of life for the community and its visitors. The Madison Avenue BID extends from East 57th to East 86th Street. Renowned as the longest street of luxury in North America, Madison Avenue offers the prestige and convenience of being home to over 400 establishments to delight the most discerning clientele. A landmarked, historic district measuring 1.5 miles in the heart of Manhattan's tony Upper East Side, Madison Avenue proudly features the flagship stores of world-class brands and boutiques of the most coveted fashion, accessory, watch and jewelry designers; celebrated restaurants; spas and salons for exclusive pampering; five internationally renowned hotels; The Met Breuer museum and over one hundred acclaimed art galleries. Madison Avenue exhibits timeless elegance with a contemporary flavor that is distinctively New York.