Meet Colleen Onuffer

Senior Consultant, Director of Public Relations

The backstory

Imagine being a Kindergartener and winning a writing award from a national PBS Kids show. Or by fifth grade, regularly writing for the Buffalo News' Kids Page -- and having the chance to interview Buffalo Sabres hockey players. And yet, that's exactly what Colleen Onuffer did. It's like she came fully hatched as a writer. Like most writers, Colleen was influenced by great teachers and professors. And as an adult, she brought that excitement for writing and communication into her career.

Professional path

Her gift for writing articles and short stories translated into Colleen's ability at Break the Ice to find the essential story in each client's industry, and develop targeted messages. Because clients are often so close to their technical side or information, they can have a hard time sorting it all out. Clients may feel it's hard to explain or put into words. With great listening skills, Colleen helps each client save time by doing that required distilling. She's able to get that information to the consumer, or the media, that works best for a particular audience. Her innate ease with and understanding of social media allows her to see opportunities for effective advertising.

Inside the office she loves:

The open BTI environment. Sharing ideas and suggestions. Bouncing ideas off her fellow staff members. Finding the perfect hook for a client's story.

Outside the office she loves:

Experiencing the beauty in traveling. Ticking off visits to all of the 11 Finger Lakes. Being outside with her dog at different parks. Reading. Eating at new local restaurants. Finding new breweries.

Colleen Onuffer

"As a client, you work one on one with a staff member, but you benefit from all of us through our collaboration."

Posts from Colleen

Creating Experiences to Create Memories

Creating Experiences to Create Memories

By Colleen | November 30, 2022

At the 2017 NYSTIA Empire State Tourism Conference in Lake Placid, I was inspired by the overall theme of how…

Read More
How to Pen the Perfect Pitch

How to Pen the Perfect Pitch

By Colleen | November 9, 2022

Being able to successfully pitch a story to the media is one of the most important tools to have in…

Read More
How to Combat Overtourism Through Marketing & PR

How to Combat Overtourism Through Marketing & PR

By Colleen | August 3, 2022

Before March 2020, an influx of people had been traveling to impressive destinations. While on one hand this is exciting,…

Read More
Public Relations Takes Time

Public Relations Takes Time: Setting Realistic Expectations for Your PR Efforts

By Colleen | June 14, 2022

Public relations is a marathon, not a sprint. It sounds like a cliché, but it’s true. Public relations and media…

Read More

Identifying Local Influencers

By Colleen | May 10, 2022

In the age of influencers, it can be hard for destinations and attractions to figure out how to capitalize on…

Read More
tapping into niche market tourism

Tapping into Niche Market Tourism

By Colleen | March 8, 2022

What is Niche Tourism? Niche market tourism uses programs to attract visitors focusing on a very specific market segment built…

Read More