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 trade shows and seeking new leads for Fairfax County. Here are some recent updates:

  • We kicked off 2026 by co-hosting the Fairfax Loudoun Event Executives (FLEX) for their "Valentine ‘n Wine" evening event, held at Morton’s The Steakhouse at Reston Town Center on February 11.  Dean Miller and Eric Kulczycky mingled with more than 50 locally based corporate, association, and government meeting planners in attendance.
  • March will see us at the Rendezvous South trade show event in Myrtle Beach, SC, sponsored by Convention South magazine.  We’ll meet one-on-one with more than 25 corporate and association planners over three days at the event.
  • On Saturday afternoon, March 28, we’ll be the exclusive sponsor of a two-hour virtual family reunion seminar hosted by the National Family Reunion Institute (NFRI).  During the seminar, we’ll showcase Fairfax County as an ideal family reunion destination to more than 100 reunion planners around the country.
  • April will see us in Richmond, VA, for two days of sales calls on Virginia state association planners.  We have room for two Fairfax County hoteliers to join us on this trip; please contact Dean Miller if you’re interested in attending.
  • In May, we’ll travel to Williamsburg, VA, for the Virginia Society of Association Executives (VSAE) Annual Conference.  We’ll meet with more than fifty state association executives and planners over the course of the conference.
  • Also in May, we’ll attend the Small Market Meetings Conference in Owensboro, KY, where we’ll meet one-on-one with 30 association and corporate planners.  We are able to have two Fairfax County hoteliers attend this event; please contact Dean Miller if you’d like to participate.
  • And in June, we’ll be in Toledo, OH for the annual Educational Summit of The Military Reunion Network (TMRN).  We’ll meet one-on-one with thirty military reunion planners over the course of three days.

AND, in case you missed it, we will be bidding farewell to our colleague Dean Miller as he sets off into retirement after 35 amazing years in the Fairfax County hospitality industry. Congratulations, Dean! We will miss you!


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:


Events and Happenings:

  • Lori attended the American Bus Association's annual Marketplace, meeting with 35 tour planners as they prepare itineraries for 2027 and 2028.


What's Next:

  • Lori will be participating with Virginia State Tourism on a UK Sales Mission in late February, followed by UNITE UK, with regional partners in Maryland in March.  


Opportunities for You:

  1. We need more experiences! We receive countless requests for group experiences for seniors, outdoor soft-adventure experiences, guided tours, culinary classes and demos, etc. If you are interested in attracting more groups and more visitors, please contact Lori Scott.
  2. After the past several conferences, Visit Fairfax continues to receive requests from International Inbound Tour Operators and Receptive Operators for new hotel product. This is expanding with notice on Europe, India, and Latin America. If your hotel is interested in gaining new international group and FIT visitors let us know. We soon will be running campaigns with hotel third-party sellers so why not get ahead of the market and the promotions by securing a better rate with direct contracting.

 

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:
 

Upcoming Events/Activities:

  • New Sports Venues Expand Year-Round Event-Hosting Opportunities. There are two new exciting sports venues in Fairfax County: the renovated Mount Vernon Rec Center (MVRC) in Alexandria and the Down the Line Sports Center in Annandale.  After a comprehensive renovation, MVRC now features two state-of-the-art, NHL-regulation ice sheets, making it an ideal location for hockey, figure skating, and other events. The Down the Line Sports Center offers 12 championship pickleball courts, golf simulators, a pro shop, and a full-service restaurant and bar.  Together, these venues enhance the county’s ability to host year-round travel sports competitions while also serving as valuable community assets that promote active, healthy lifestyles for residents of all ages.