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:

  • In April, we headed to Richmond for two days of sales calls with the planners at 15 Virginia state associations.  Dulce Damron with the Hilton Fairfax accompanied us on our sales blitz.
  • Dean Miller - VSAE - Stakeholder NewsletterMay saw us in Roanoke, VA for the Virginia Society of Association Executives (VSAE) Annual Conference, where we chatted with more than two dozen Virginia state association executives and planners.  (see photo)
  • Dean Miller and Eric Kulczycky attended the Fairfax Loudoun Event Executives (FLEX) breakfast meeting for May, held at the Marriott Falls Church / Fairview Park.  Visit Fairfax assisted the group in securing the site for this program.
  • We were in Burlington, VT for the Small & Boutique Meetings trade show event in early June, meeting one-on-one with sixteen association and corporate event planners.  (see photo)
  • And we’ll close out June by attending the Educational Summit of The Military Reunion Network (TMRN) in Lubbock, TX.  While there, we’ll meet one-on-one with the planners for 25 military reunion groups.  Visit Fairfax had hosted this program in 2018 and again in 2024.
  • In August, Dean Miller and Eric Kulczycky will travel to Miami, FL, for the Connect Marketplace trade show event.  Dean will meet one-on-one with 30 association planners, and Eric will meet with an equal number of sports tournament organizers.
  • August will see Dean and Eric exhibiting at the FLEX Summer Camp event in Leesburg, VA, where they’ll talk with more than 100 locally-based association and corporate meeting planners.
  • And in September, we’ll return to Richmond for the VSAE Fall Conference & Expo, where we’ll be exhibiting for the 20th consecutive year.  We still have some room in our booth for this show; if your hotel is interested in being in front of an audience of state association planners, please give Dean Miller a call and he can provide you with all of the details about exhibiting.


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 & Happenings:

  • Lori Scott - FAM - Tours - Winery at Bull RunVisit Fairfax welcomed not one but two international FAMs into Fairfax County this quarter! The first, through partnership with Visit Baltimore and Visit Frederick, Maryland, we welcomed 7 Tour Planners and Agencies from London in May. And at the end of June, stemming from our time in India, and following IPW, we welcomed for three days Thomas Cook-India, one of the largest tour planners in India as they were introduced to experiences and services for groups, FIT and Incentive Travel spaces for future programming this fall and into 2026! Thank you to our incredible partners for welcoming and introducing Fairfax County during these FAM tours!Lori Scott - FAM - Thomas Cook India - Sales Tour
    • Hyatt Regency Tysons Corner Center
    • The Winery at Bull Run
    • Bombay Tandoor
    • Tysons Corner Center/Macerich
    • Crowne Plaza
    • George Washington’s Mount Vernon
    • Bombay Velvet
    • Barrel & Bushel
    • Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center
    • Great Falls Park
    • Meadowlark Gardens
    • Tatte Bakery
    • USA Guided Tours
  • In May, we were back in Germany, our #2 international market to the region, sharing updates and information with tour planners, and during that time launched a marketing campaign with CANUSA.
  • The quarter was rounded out at IPW, where Visit Fairfax partnered with Virginia Tourism Corporation and held one-on-one appointments with buyers and resellers from around the globe.

In the News:

  • Visit Fairfax thanks its stakeholders for their insight and feedback as it relates to accessing reports, data, and industry updates that affect all in the region. Many of the data reports, webinars, and insights will now begin to be posted in the Extranet and under the Reports Tab. Please be on the lookout as these reports are being made available shortly and will be updated regularly. If you need access to the information being provided, please contact us to activate your account and receive your log-in information.

What's Next:

  • For the summer months of July and part of August, Lori will be catching up with stakeholders and conducting site visits and meetings to provide insight and updates on trends in the market.
  • In early August, Lori will be preparing for SYTA’s (Student Youth Travel Association) annual conference, being held in Savannah, Georgia.

Opportunities for You:

  1. Are you looking to welcome more student groups? Our top market for this region is students, and the demand for experiences, food, and hotels is ever-increasing. We can share insight and ways for you to capture this market.
  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 groups 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?
  3. Do you have a luxury experience? Can you welcome groups of 2,000 or more? Call Lori as we venture into the international incentive 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:
 

Upcoming Events/Activities:

  • Fairfax County Athletic Council Meeting (Fairfax, VA; July 16, 2025). 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.   
  • August 25-27, 2025: CONNECT Sports Marketplace (Miami Beach, FL).  CONNECT Sports is an annual education conference and tradeshow bringing together sports event planners and suppliers for three days of general sessions, workshops, and pre-set appointments.  In conjunction with Sports Virginia and other DMOs in the Commonwealth pursuing the sports market, Visit Fairfax will co-host tournament planners at a special client function during the show.
  • New Sports Venues Expand Year-Round Event-Hosting Opportunities.  Fairfax County is proud to welcome two exciting new sports venues: the renovated Mount Vernon Rec Center (MVRC) in Alexandria and the soon-to-open Down the Line Sports Center in Annandale.  MVRC now features two state-of-the-art ice sheets, making it an ideal location for hockey, figure skating, and other events. The Down the Line Sports Center is set to open on July 7, 2025, offering 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.

 

Past Events/Activities:

  • 2025 USA Hockey National Championships – U16 Girls (April 2-6, 2025).  Visit Fairfax and Visit Loudoun successfully hosted the Under-16 Girls USA Hockey National Championships at The St. James (Springfield) and the Ashburn Ice House (Ashburn). The 28-team tournament attracted approximately 1,500 players, coaches, managers, and family members to Northern Virginia over the five days of competition.  Many thanks to all the participating hotels, as well as Starr Hill Brewpub for hosting the coaches and managers' reception, and to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority and the Washington Capitals for their generous support.