LAS VEGAS, Nevada – The Cincinnati Cyclones, proud affiliate of the NHL’s Florida Panthers and Nashville Predators, today were named the 2011 ECHL Marketing Department of the Year at the ECHL League Meetings in Las Vegas.

Nominees for this award were received and reviewed by the ECHL Board of Governors based on the following criteria:

- Sponsorship Sales

- Advertising Implementation

- Marketing Campaign Design

- Promotions

- Overall Team Attendance

These accolades are recognition of success for both the Cyclones marketing and corporate sales departments – represented by Sean Lynn, Maggie Geisler, Ian Bolender, Nick Brunker, Chris Parsons, and Kevin Olthaus.

Under the direction of these individuals, the Cyclones have continued to build a tradition of diverse and entertaining promotions for fans to enjoy throughout the year. From Kids Eat Free nights, to $1 beer and food items, and Meijer Concrete Clones, Cincinnati has developed a successful plan of unique promotions and events while creatively integrating sponsors to connect with its fans both in-season and during the offseason. The synergy of the marketing and corporate sales departments creates a win-win situation for fans and sponsors alike.

“It’s always nice to be recognized for a job well done,” said Cyclones General Manager Kristin Ropp. “However, it is even more meaningful knowing that we were chosen for this award by our peers in the ECHL. I’m extremely proud of our staff for their tireless work throughout the year.”

In October of 2010, the team launched its redesigned website, CyclonesHockey.com, which saw a 40% increase in total visits, 43% increase in unique visitors, and a 125% increase in visits to the full season schedule from the previous year. In addition, Cincinnati implemented a very strong social networking campaign throughout the season that has seen tremendous success. The number of visits to the Cyclones Official Facebook Page has increased by nearly 300% from the previous year. To date, the Cyclones have 22,830 Facebook “likes.” In turn, corporate sales numbers jumped by 10 percent in 2010-11.

Cincinnati has now been a recipient of an ECHL award in each of the past four years.

“We expect our marketing departments to get our information out in terms of the entertainment value of our league, the quality of the on-ice product and the entertainment experience that our fans look at,” said ECHL Commissioner Brian McKenna.

“Cincinnati has seen continual growth and has shown steady, consistent growth over the past five years. We’re very happy with what we’ve seen in Cincinnati - it’s a broad, community based effort. Hats off to the entire staff in Cincinnati for the job they do.”

The countdown to the 2011-12 season is officially underway! Secure your seats for Saturday, November 5 when the Cyclones welcome the Chicago Express to U.S. Bank Arena for the first time at 7:30pm. Contact a ticket representative today at 513.421.PUCK or log on to CyclonesHockey.com for more information. Fans can also get the latest team updates during the offseason on Facebook and Twitter.