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:

  • Dean Miller - AENC Meeting Blitz - 2023 - SalesNational Sales Manager Dean Miller joined with colleagues from seven other DMOs from around Virginia for a three-day sales blitz on state association and corporate accounts in the Raleigh, NC metropolitan area, including sponsoring a booth at the Association Executives of North Carolina (AENC) Fall Meeting. (see photo)
  • We kicked off November with two days of sales calls on Virginia state association executives and meeting planners in metropolitan Richmond, VA.
  • We’ll wrap up November in Washington, DC, with three days of appointments at the Connect DC trade show event in downtown Washington, DC, where we’ll meet one-on-one with more than 25 association and corporate meeting planners.
  • December will see us in Richmond, VA once again, for the Virginia Society of Association Executives (VSAE) annual holiday luncheon.
  • In January of 2024, we’ll start off the new year at the Independent Planner Education Conference (IPEC) trade show event in Greenville, SC.  Once again, we’ll meet individually with more than 25 corporate and association planners, briefing them on the advantages of bringing their programs to Fairfax County.
  • We’ll be in New York City in February for the Connect NYC trade show event, meeting with corporate and association planners from throughout the Northeastern United States.
  • And we’ll wrap up February at the Rendezvous South trade show event in Spartanburg, SC, where we’ll partner with our colleagues from Richmond and Stafford, VA, extolling the virtues of meeting in Virginia to more than 50 planners from throughout the Southeastern US.
  • The November issue of Virginia Business magazine featured a special section on meetings in Virginia; National Sales Manager Dean Miller was quoted extensively on the rising trends driving meeting and convention business upward here in Fairfax County.



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:

Where We Are

  1. Brand USA Travel Week - Lori Scott - Staff - SalesThe marketing to our European tour and travel partners is well underway. The first two steps to this multi-step approach described in our last newsletter have been completed and this period of October and November we were able to continue the execution.
    • ​Visit Fairfax returned to the UK in mid-October to attend Brand USA’s Travel Week U.K. and Europe 2023, meeting top buyers from the UK and Europe to build future awareness and future visitation to the United States and destinations throughout​. (see photo)
    • Swiss FAM - Lori Scott - Tour and Travel - Sales - Udvar HazyWe also welcomed tour planners and agents from Switzerland, in partnership with CRUSA and United Airlines in late October. Our guests experienced first-hand the many wonderful experiences, rich culture and scenic beauty of Fairfax County. We would like to thank our stakeholders who assisted through their support and sponsorship including Nautiste, George Washington’s Mount Vernon, USA Guided Tours, National Museum of the United States Army, Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center and Paradise Springs Winery. (see photo)
       
  2. Visit Fairfax attended Active American China, in its first conference held since Covid, conducting appointments with over 25 buyers seeking updates and information on products and services Fairfax County can provide to the FIT, MICE and Group markets.

 

Lori Scott - Swiss Air - IAD - SalesLeisure Market News

  1. Washington Dulles Airport (IAD) was just announced as the fastest growing US Gateway. And, just announced, beginning spring of 2024, Swiss Air will begin daily non-stop flights to and from Zurich out of IAD! Swiss Air is the latest addition to the growing number of international flights to call IAD home and bring more international visitors into our region. Did you know: the Top 4 markets to the Capital Region are the UK, Germany, France and India as reported by MWAA. If you want to learn more about these markets, the airlines and their frequencies coming in through IAD, or details about these key markets, contact Lori Scott at LScott@fxva.com. 


Stakeholder Highlights

  1. Visit Fairfax is thrilled to announce and promote the latest product catering to individuals and small leisure groups. This innovative experience, designed to meet the needs of visitors and align with sustainability goals, exemplifies successful collaboration. Through a partnership involving Unlimited Biking, USA Guided Tours, and George Washington’s Mount Vernon, a compelling new package is now available for purchase via USA Guided Tours. This offering provides visitors with a comprehensive exploration of Fairfax County and its partners in Alexandria, offering a diverse perspective at every stage of the journey.

    Guests embarking on this adventure will traverse the scenic George Washington Memorial Parkway on e-bikes, traveling from Old Town Alexandria to George Washington’s Mount Vernon. Along the route, visitors can pause at various parks to savor picturesque views before reaching George Washington’s Mount Vernon. Upon arrival at the designated will-call area, participants can collect their timed Mansion tickets. Subsequently, they can indulge in a self-guided tour of Mount Vernon after securely depositing their e-bikes. Following this exploration, guests can relax and absorb more insights during a guided tour aboard a USA Guided Tours passenger vehicle. This informative tour sheds light on the life of our first President and provides glimpses into Old Town, concluding with a return to the original starting point.

    If your business is interested in building leisure group sales, contact us and we will be happy to provide you and your team with knowledge about this lucrative market and one on one assistance on how to get started and how to attract them.



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:

  • coming soon!