Harness: Allison Conte wins Breakthrough Award from USHWA

Allison Conte, riding on the leading curve of the “new wave” social media communications designed to bring the excitement and fun of harness racing to an ever-expanding audience, has “broken through” the communications clutter with such success in her job as Social Media Manager for the U.S. Trotting Association that the U.S. Harness Writers Association (USHWA), the sport’s leading industry for communicators, has voted her the winner of the Breakthrough Award, which honors those in the sport 35 years or younger for outstanding early-career non-training/driving contributions to harness racing.

Conte is overseer of the many platforms established within the USTA’s Communications department: the acclaimed Harness Racing FanZone website; the Facebook page of both the FanZone and the USTA’s own central organizational page; and the various means to cover three of harness racing’s flagship events: the Hambletonian, the Little Brown Jug, and the Breeders Crown. In addition, she functions as host for the USTA’s weekly online show Morning Line; edits for the USTA’s website, the most widely-viewed website in the industry; and conducts advisory sessions in how to utilize social media effectively and how to bring more owners into the sport. Her vision into the sport and new ways to tell its story has led to many successful programs involving the new media, and certainly will lead to many more.

Allison does not oversee her “media empire” by viewing a bank of consoles at the USTA’s Ohio office – she is one of the Association’s most visible employees, having spent 73 days on the road this past year. She is helpful and patient with horseman, horse, manager, and fan alike – a person who honestly has the good of the sport in the forefront of her mind at all times.

Allison Conte will be honored at the “Night Of Champions,” the Dan Patch Awards Banquet Presented by Hoosier Park, which will take place on Sunday, February 26 at the Planet Hollywood hotel/casino in Las Vegas. Information about the banquet and the entire weekend, which will also contain the annual meetings of USHWA, can be found on the communicators’ website, www.ushwa.org – including links for making hotel reservations at special rates at Planet Hollywood; banquet tickets; and congratulatory or acknowledgment ads in the keepsake Souvenir Banquet Journal.

-edited release (USHWA)