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:
- Visit Fairfax team members were on hand to assist and greet guests at the Virginia Tourism pavilion at the Solheim Cup at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Manassas, VA, throughout the four-day tournament. The Solheim Cup featured the leading women golfers from the United States against the leading women golfers from Europe. (The US team won!) The tournament was held September 12-15, and was televised nationally.
- Three of our great Fairfax County hotels and the National Museum of the United States Army joined us in our booth in Richmond on September 26 for the VSAE Fall Conference & Expo. We met with dozens of Virginia association executives and meeting planners at the show. This is the 18th time we have exhibited at this event in the past 19 years. (see photo below)
- October will see us traveling to Niagara Falls, NY for the Destination East trade show event, where we’ll meet with 25 association meeting planners over the three-day event.
- Also in October, we’ll travel to Richmond, VA for a day of sales calls with selected Virginia associations.
- We’ll have a full schedule in November, when we’ll be in Greenville, SC for the Connect Southeast trade show event, Orlando, FL for the Meetings Today Live! trade show event, and downtown Washington, DC for the Connect DC trade show event. We’ll meet with 30+ association planners at each gathering.
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! - Let us raise a glass and toast the exciting news! Fairfax County’s elite collective of adult group tour experiences is expanding and welcoming its newest member, The Winery at Bull Run! As the group tour industry increasingly seeks local and unique experiences, the winery is embarking on an exciting new initiative that perfectly aligns with this trend. Tour groups can now bask in the stunning scenery of The Winery at Bull Run while savoring a delightful glass of wine and learning about the rich Civil War history our region offers on a tour of their museum. We look forward to supporting and promoting The Winery at Bull Run as they enhance our vibrant group tourism offerings!
Tour Market Updates:
On The Road
- Visit Fairfax attended the tri-state North Carolina/South Carolina/Virginia Motorcoach Associations Regional Conference in Williamsburg, Virginia where we provided updates to group travel planners on activities available for the adult and senior markets.
- In September, the focus was on the International FIT and Group markets at Capital Region USA’s (CRUSA) annual Global Travel Exchange where Visit Fairfax met with Group and FIT Receptive and Tour Operators from our region’s top inbound markets including the UK, Ireland, Germany, Switzerland, France, Belgium, and The Netherlands. During the conference, new international visitation data and projections were presented. This data, crucial for any marketing plan, is available for your viewing by logging into the Visit Fairfax Extranet. Additionally, new direct partnerships for our hoteliers and experiences were requested. We are thrilled that many of our hotels will be creating new sales funnels and opportunities with these buyers.
- Visit Fairfax's Lori Scott and President & CEO Barry Biggar attended Brand USA’s Travel Week in London where they conducted one-on-one appointments with both Media and Travel Planners from throughout Europe to build awareness and visitation to Fairfax County and were updated on the international markets, trends, and the overall future of the market.
- Looking ahead through the remainder of this year into early next, Lori Scott will be attending both National and International conferences and sales missions including the National Travel Association’s TREX, Travel South International Showcase, the American Bus Associations’ Marketplace, and returning to Europe with Capital Region USA.
Welcoming Visitors
It’s been a busy three months! We’re thrilled to promote the fantastic experiences available in our market, having hosted four familiarization tours for Brand USA and ten top Italian tour planners, as well as Platinum Travel from Ireland, Corporate Travel Services, Inc., and the Guild of Professional Tour Guides. A heartfelt thank you to our incredible stakeholders for partnering with us to showcase Fairfax County’s offerings and help build future global visitation! (see photo below)
- Lori had the distinct honor of welcoming and escorting Mexican Ambassador, Esteban Moctezuma Barragán, his wife, distinguished members of the Embassy of Mexico, and the Mexican Cultural Institute D.C. on a tour of Fairfax County in September to experience some of the rich history and culture you can find nowhere else in the world. (see photo)
- In November, we look forward to welcoming Lufthansa Travel Group and Airlines for an upcoming familiarization tour.
- NOTE: If you would like to showcase your restaurant, hotel, attraction, or experience to future attendees on our familiarization tours and amplify your marketing and reach of the leisure tour market, contact Lori Scott (LScott@fxva.com).
News and Opportunities for the Tour Market:
- 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 $8.5 billion, 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 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 (LScott@fxva.com) for further information and insight on this market.
- Don't miss the new international visitation data that has been released by Capital Region USA. Log in to the Visit Fairfax Extranet to see the report.
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:
- November 20, 2024: Fairfax County Athletic Council Meeting (Fairfax, VA). 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.
- January 2-5, 2025: 2025 American Baseball Coaches Association Convention (Fort Washington, MD). The ABCA hosts the world's largest baseball convention (attended by more than 8,000 coaches), which features a tradeshow, meetings, clinics, and award presentations. Visit Fairfax will co-host a special client event at the show to promote Patriot Park North, Capital One Park, GMU’s Spuhler Field, and other baseball facilities throughout the county.
- Visit Fairfax has developed a virtual tour tool to promote Patriot Park North, the county’s six-diamond, turf/lighted complex located in Fairfax next to Willow Springs Elementary School (5425 Willow Springs School Rd). This online tool features a welcome video, drone video, fact sheet, and virtual “hotspots” that when clicked provide 360 degree views of select areas of the facility. Click here to take a spin.
Past Events/Activities:
September 23-26, 2024: TEAMS Conference & Expo (Anaheim, CA). In partnership with other CVBs and sports commissions as part of the Sports Virginia coalition, Visit Fairfax helped to generate leads through appointments with more than 80+ state, regional, national, and international events rights-holders at one of the sports travel industry’s largest tradeshows. At this show, Visit Fairfax also hosted a special client event partnership with Visit Loudoun, Visit Prince William, and Tour Stafford as part of its regional sports tourism alliance, SportsNOVA.