The sales team at Visit Fairfax is hard at work promoting and selling Fairfax County as a prime meeting destination. From virtual tradeshows and virtual FAM tours to in-person conferences, events, and meetings, our sales managers are planning many exciting strategies to represent the great assets and businesses of Fairfax County.
Here is a snapshot of some upcoming events, activities, and appointments our sales team is working on. The team is always happy to share updates and notes from these events, so feel free to reach out at any time.
On the Associations/Reunions Side:
Dean Miller, our National Sales Manager in the Associations/Reunions markets, has been on the road at tradeshows and seeking new leads for Fairfax County. Here are some recent updates:
- We traveled to New York City in February to attend the Connect NYC trade show event, where we met one-on-one with more than 35 corporate and association planners over three days.
- The following week saw us in Spartanburg, SC, for the Rendezvous South trade show event. Along with our DMO colleagues from Richmond Region Tourism and Tour Stafford, we met with twenty group meeting planners over the three days of the event. (see photo)
- March saw us attending the FLEX (Fairfax Loudoun Event Executives) breakfast meeting, held at the Hyatt Regency Dulles.
- Also in March, Visit Fairfax was the exclusive sponsor for a virtual family reunion workshop hosted by the National Family Reunion Institute. (www.nationalfamilyreunioninstitute.net) More than 90 family reunion planners from around the country tuned into the two-hour program.
In May, we'll travel to Norfolk, VA, for the VSAE Annual Conference, where we'll meet with dozens of Virginia association executives and meeting planners.- May will also see us in DuPage, IL for the Small Market Summit trade show event; we'll meet with 15 association planners during this day-and-a-half event.
- And we'll wrap up June by playing host to The Military Reunion Network's annual Educational Summit, which will be held at the Crowne Plaza Dulles Airport. Along with our stakeholders at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center and the National Museum of the United States Army, we'll showcase Fairfax County as an ideal military reunion destination to more than 40 reunion planners throughout the three-day program.
- And, in a unique advertising initiative, we unveiled a series of nine sequential billboard panels featuring our exceptional Fairfax County attractions at Washington Dulles International Airport. Airport passengers will see the panels in the walkway between Concourse C and Concourse D. (see photo)
On the Tour & Travel Side:
Lori Scott, our National and International Sales Manager, continues our efforts in the tour & travel market both domestically and internationally:
Stakeholder Spotlight! - Congratulations to Paradise Springs Winery for their outstanding achievement in the 2024 Virginia Governors Cup Competition! This prestigious event saw them clinch an impressive 4 Gold Medals, solidifying their reputation for excellence in winemaking. What's more, for the second consecutive year, Paradise Springs has been honored as one of the Top 12 Case Winners for their 2022 Petit Manseng, a testament to their consistency and dedication to crafting exceptional wines! But their influence doesn't stop there! Alongside 5 other esteemed Virginia wineries, Paradise Springs proudly represented our state on a global stage at VinExpo in France, showcasing Virginia's remarkable wines to the world. (see photo)
Tour Market Updates:
- Our European tour and travel partners plan is well underway. This plan, as seen through our published 2024 Marketing Plan, consists of a multi-step approach that began in August of 2024 and continues. For this period, we have achieved:
- Advertising through Purely America UK reached more than 70,000 homes across London and was distributed in January, February, and March.
- Visit Fairfax in March traveled with CRUSA (Capital Region USA) and met with planners in London, Glasgow, and Edinburgh, providing education to Travel Agents, held in-office meetings with Tour Planners, and attended UNITE in London holding one-on-one appointments. (see photo)
- Visit Fairfax has conducted one-on-one training meetings with Fairfax County hotels in March with their Sales and Revenue Teams, providing information on how properties can work with the European markets and boost both complimentary marketing while Visit Fairfax is in-market, and also boost sales at the property. Appointments for April are full but opportunities for May are still available. Contact Lori Scott, lscott@fxva.com, if you are interested in this complimentary, direct on-site training/meeting.
- Visit Fairfax attended IITA in February, meeting with Receptive Inbound Operators to provide updates and to gather information on trends in the international markets and create relationships with buyers to bring more visitors and overnights to Fairfax County.
In late January, Visit Fairfax attended the American Bus Association’s Annual Marketplace promoting Fairfax County and all it has to offer. This past Marketplace, for Virginia, the emphasis was on America’s 250th, and, following the conference in February, Visit Fairfax promoted the first created itinerary supporting Virginia’s 250th by mailing out over 250 postcards to Tour Planners who attended the conference. The postcards feature the Virginia History Road Trip itinerary, highlighting iconic attractions and historical venues throughout Virginia including our stakeholders at George Washington’s Mount Vernon and George Mason’s Gunston Hall. Continued marketing efforts to promote this itinerary will be an emphasis for the periods leading up to 2026.
News and Opportunities in the Tour Market:
- Did you know? The Top 4 markets to the Capital Region are the UK, Germany, France and India as reported by MWAA! If you are looking to attract international visitors to
your hotels, we need to hear from you! Visit Fairfax will continue meeting with international buyers here in the US and in markets across Europe through the spring. During meetings and appointments, we provide those buyers with a list of properties that work through outlets these buyers are purchasing from. If you have not already been added to these lists and wish to gain exposure, contact Lori Scott at lscott@fxva.com. - Calling all restaurants! Did you know that the number #2 need for all leisure groups and visitors is food? In fact, as reported by Tourism Economics and Virginia Tourism Corporation, Total Visitor Spending in 2022 came in at $8.5B making up 29% of the overall spend, only being surpassed by transportation. In Fairfax County, there is a great demand for group-friendly options and more locations are desperately needed near roadways and attractions that groups are visiting. If your restaurant is interested in working with the group motorcoach industry and building upon sales, let us know and contact Lori Scott for further information and insight on this market.
On the Sports & Corporate/Government Side:
Eric Kulczycky, our National Sales Manager in charge of the sports, government and corporate markets, has been working hard on furthering Visit Fairfax's foray into sports event tourism and also in the government and corporate landscape:
Recent & Upcoming Activities:
2024 Sports Events & Tourism Association Symposium (April 22-25, 2024; Portland, OR). One of the sports travel industry’s largest tradeshows, the Sports Events and Tourism Association (Sports ETA) Symposium generates lead opportunities through appointments with tournament organizers and decision-makers responsible for selecting destinations for state, regional, national, and international events. At the Symposium, Visit Fairfax is co-sponsoring two client events: one through its partnership with the state’s sports tourism arm, Sports Virginia, and another through its SportsNOVA regional sports tourism alliance with Loudoun, Prince William, and Stafford counties.- Fairfax County Athletic Council Meeting (April 17, 2024). The FCAC serves in an advisory capacity to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, School Board, and county agencies on matters relating to the use of public sports facilities and the programming of youth/adult sports programs in the county. Meetings take place on the third Wednesday of every month (Pennino Building at 12011 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax, VA 22035; 7:30 p.m. on the 2nd floor in room 206). Please contact Eric Kulczycky at ekulczycky@fxva.com for more information.
- Society of Government Meeting Professionals – Spring Education Day (April 11, 2024) and Meeting Professionals International – Potomac Chapter Meeting (May 6, 2024). Visit Fairfax will attend SGMP and MPI meetings in April and May to further enhance opportunities in the government and corporate group markets. Please contact Eric Kulczycky (ekulczycky@fxva.com) if you have any interest in attending either of these events.
- 2024 American Baseball Coaches Association Convention (January 4-7, 2024). This past January in Dallas, Visit Fairfax attended the ABCA Convention, attracting more than 8,000 coaches and featuring a tradeshow, meetings, clinics, and award presentations. At the show, Eric Kulczycky “brought” Patriot Park North – Fairfax’s six-diamond turf/lighted complex – to attendees through a virtual tour product recently developed by Visit Fairfax. The DMO also co-hosted a client event to promote Patriot Park North and other baseball facilities in the county. Our marketing activities have resulted in strengthened relationships with existing baseball clients as well as new tournament organizers who have booked tournaments in Fairfax throughout the Spring, Summer, and Fall seasons. (see photo)