"Yala wins big at e-Swabhimani

Maverick marcom agency The 7th Frontier won at eSwabhimani, the national best e-content awards, emerging as the only ad agency to be recognised among Sri Lanka's trailblazers in digital content development. The 7th Frontier's win in the e-government & institutions division for www.yalasrilanka.lk, the official website for Yala National Park highlights government's belief in private sector-government partnerships. Recognized for its mandate in advocacy, conservation, facilitation and cutting-edge digital innovation in initiating a one-stop portal for visitors to Sri Lanka's most famous wildlife park, the project was born of a partnership between the Department of Wildlife Conservation and The 7th Frontier.

Twenty six grand winners were picked from a field of over 250 nominees at the National e-awards organised by ICTA, the Information Communication technology Agency of Sri Lanka. The nine categories under which the digital content was judged were on the same lines as the Un-based World Summit Awards with the winners receiving automatic entry to the global awards.

"In a world going digital, the way people live and do business is changing at a frantic rate and the race to produce innovative digital content is on, surprisingly even in Sri Lanka. In this light, The 7th Frontier is now on the space reserved for trailblazers of econtent", says Dinesh Watawana, the brand strategist and creative director who lead the marcom agency acclaimed for its maverick exploits.

The national e-award is a clear tribute to what government-private partnerships built on transparency and innovation can do. The fact that a government institution like the Department of Wildlife Conservation had the courage and foresight to endorse such radical and pragmatic thinking is an example of how the country can go forward, Dinesh Watawana. The web portal for Yala is the foundation on which a better wildlife park could be created for the people and the animals, through governmentprivate partnerships, with conservation and infrastructure receiving prime attention, he says.

The 7th Frontier is also credited with putting Sri Lanka on the world map of tourism with a groundbreaking concept in tourism and conservation showcased through its one-of-akind eco resort KumbukRiver which won the travel Oscar as the world's leading eco-lodge and is also among the world's top 10 most unusual hotels.