Wyoming's Office of Tourism has put Columbus, Ohio-based Fahlgren Mortine in the PR saddle.

wyomingFahlgren won a competitive pitch process to serve as the state's first AOR for tourism PR on a $300K contract. The independent firm beat two other finalists in a September pitch, culled from among eight total proposals submitted to the tourism entity.

Previously, PR duties were mostly tackled in-house or under Wyoming's tourism ad agency, Barnhart Communications of Denver.

Fahlgren bolstered its tourism PR savvy with its January acquisition of Turner PR, Denver, a travel specialist versed in the outdoor recreation activities offered in Wyoming, which include skiing and rafting, as well as Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and Devils Tower and Fossil Butte National Monuments.

Wyoming uses MMGY for interactive marketing and Cheyenne-based Rocky Mountain International on a six-figure contract for global tourism marketing alongside Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota.

Chris Mickey, media and public relations manager for the state's Dept. of Tourism, said: "Our state has so much to offer visitors, and many people just don't know about those offerings."