The Visit Fairfax team has been hard at work selling and promoting Fairfax County to potential clients, groups, and media.  The team is always happy to share updates from tradeshows, appointments, and events.  Read on for an updated list of recent activities and what will be happening over the next few months. You may find that this information can benefit your business. 

Associations & Reunions:

  • Visit Fairfax traveled to Richmond in early October to exhibit at the VSAE Fall Conference trade show for the 14th consecutive year. Representatives from 11 of our Fairfax County meeting hotels joined us as we played our special Fairfax County version of the classic detective game Clue. (Q: “Where should we hold our next meeting?”  A: “We’ll give you a Clue!”) [see photo] VSAE 2019 - CLUE with Visit Fairfax
  • In October, Visit Fairfax returned to Richmond to meet with the marketing team at Virginia Tourism Corporation with representatives from the Turning Point Suffragist Memorial, which will be constructed at Occoquan Regional Park here in Fairfax County. The memorial will be dedicated in August of 2020, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote. The memorial planners gave a briefing to the marketing team at VTC, to assist them in promoting this wonderful new addition to Fairfax County’s roster of world-class attractions.
  • Visit Fairfax will return to Richmond in December for the VSAE Holiday Luncheon meeting, putting us face-to-face once again with dozens of meeting planners for Virginia associations of all sizes.
  • This month, Visit Fairfax will attend the Connect DC trade show in Washington, DC, where we’ll meet one-on-one with 15 association and corporate meeting planners.
  • January will see us in St. Pete Beach, FL, at the Independent Planner Education Conference (IPEC), where we’ll meet with 30 independent meeting planners representing a variety of groups who utilize hotels for their meetings.
  • Join Visit Fairfax on Saturday, February 15, 2020 for the 12th annual Family Reunion Workshop, at the Falls Church Marriott Fairview Park. We expect close to 100 family reunion planners to attend what is always an eagerly-anticipated event. We have opportunities for 10 of our Fairfax County hotels to exhibit at the workshop and meet one-on-one with the planners; please contact Dean Miller if your hotel, attraction, or business would like to take part: dmiller@fxva.com or 703-752-9509.
  • In February, Visit Fairfax will be in Chesapeake, VA for the Your Military Reunion Connection (YMRC) trade show, where we’ll meet one-on-one with representatives from 20 military reunion groups.
  • In March, we’ll be in Winston-Salem, NC at the Rendezvous South trade show, meeting individually with planners from 25 corporations and associations.


Government:

  • This month, Visit Fairfax attended the ​2019 SGMP NATCAP Holiday Party and Silent Auction on December 3, 2019 at the Marriott Marquis in Washington, DC. Proceeds from this event will benefit the Society of Government Meeting Professionals National Capital Chapter scholarships to attend SGMP’s National Education Conference & Expo in St. Louis, MO on May 19-21, 2020. Fairfax County hoteliers interested in attending the 2020 NEC can contact Eric Kulczycky at ekulczycky@fxva.com. 
  • FBO.gov Has Moved! – Important information for all stakeholders pursuing opportunities in the government market: SAM.gov is now home to federal contract prospects. Read the Quick Start Guide and get familiar with beta.SAM.gov's features.


Sports:

  • Visit Fairfax recently attended the following events supporting the area's sports market:
    • 2019 TEAMS Conference & Expo (Anaheim, CA).  In partnership with other CVBs and sports commissions as part of the Sports Virginia coalition, Visit Fairfax combined forces to host a client event and generate leads through appointments with more than 60+ state, regional, national, and international events rights-holders at one of the sports travel industry’s largest tradeshows. [see photo: Members of Sports Virginia (including Eric Kulczycky of Visit Fairfax; fifth from left in photo) attended the 2020 TEAMS Conference & Expo in Anaheim, CA to promote and sell the Commonwealth as a desirable destination to host sports events and meetings.]TEAMS Expo - Sports Virginia - 2020
    • 2019 Sports Events & Tourism Association’s 4S Summit (Providence, RI).  Visit Fairfax attended the Sports ETA’s 4S Summit, which featured educational presentations by sport travel experts and networking opportunities with industry stakeholders.
  • Visit Fairfax will be attending the following upcoming meetings and events to support the area's sports market:
    • Fairfax County Athletic Council Meeting (December 18, 2019; 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 monthly from 7:30-9 p.m. at the Pennino Building across from the Fairfax County Government Center.
    • 2020 Sports ETA Symposium (April 20-23, 2019; Kansas City, MO).  One of the sports travel industry’s largest tradeshows, the Sports Events and Tourism Association (Sports ETA) Symposium generates lead opportunities through appointments with sports event planners and decision-makers responsible for selecting destinations for state, regional, national, and international events.
  • Visit Fairfax and other stakeholders in Fairfax County continue to work with Conventions, Leisure, and Sports (CSL), a consulting firm selected by the Sports Tourism Task Force to evaluate the county’s sports tourism infrastructure and make recommendations for the new development, expansion, and improvement of tournament-capable, athletic facilities in the county.


Tour & Travel:

  • India Sales Mission - 2019 - Red Carpet ToursIn September, Visit Fairfax joined Brand USA for its eighth annual India Sales Mission. This year’s mission went to Chennai, Mumbai and New Delhi, where we met with qualified tour operators, travel agents, and local journalists through one-on-one appointments and networking events. Thanks to generous donations from county partners, Visit Fairfax raffled a “Fairfax County Stay & Play” package that included complimentary tickets to Mount Vernon, shopping and dining discounts and goodies from Tysons Corner Center, and a two-night stay at the DoubleTree by Hilton Tysons McLean. In addition, we conducted a sales presentation at the offices of Red Carpet Tours, a receptive tour operator based in Mumbai and San Francisco. With approximately 173,000 arrivals in 2017, India is the third-largest international inbound market to the Capital Region. [see photo]
  • In October, Visit Fairfax attended the World Youth and Student Travel Conference (WYSTC) in Lisbon, Portugal for the first time. WYSTC is the leading international trade event for the global youth, student and educational travel industry. Attending this event enabled Visit Fairfax to further expand promotional and sales efforts in the lucrative international student and youth travel segment through trade and network opportunities with these travel professionals.
  • Visit Fairfax participated in the third annual Spotlight on the Mid-Atlantic in Rockville, Maryland from October 31 - November 3, 2019. Hosted by Mid-Atlantic Receptive Services, this conference combines educational seminars, networking functions and a trade show over three days of interaction. Workhouse Arts Center Murder Mystery LunchVisit Fairfax met with various domestic tour operators ranging from small operators to large receptive companies who are developing product for the Mid-Atlantic region. Attending tour operators also participated in a post-show FAM tour featuring the National Museum of the United States Army and the Workhouse Arts Center, where participants enjoyed a murder mystery luncheon catered by Glory Days Grill. [see photo]
  • This month, Visit Fairfax will participate in the National Tour Association (NTA) Travel Exchange in Fort Worth, Texas. This annual tradeshow is hosted by the NTA, North America’s leading business association for the travel industry. Over four days, Visit Fairfax will have pre-set appointments with quality tour operators from the USA and Canada, as well as attend professional development seminars and networking events.
  • In January, Visit Fairfax will attend American Bus Association's (ABA) Annual Marketplace in Omaha, Nebraska. The marketplace is the premier conference for motorcoach group travel and tourism in the US and Canada. In addition to pre-scheduled appointments with new companies as well as current clients, the show also offers educational workshops over three days.
  • In February, Visit Fairfax’s Linda Horowitz will attend the International Inbound Travel Association (IITA) Summit in St Pete Clearwater, FL. The summit will provide a one-on-one appointment marketplace for inbound tour operators and US Suppliers to plan travel for international visitors.Fall 2019 Ambassador Tour - Jammin Java


Visitor Services:

  • Hoteliers and other Visit Fairfax Ambassadors “escaped” their daily routines to visit several stops on the FREE semi-annual Visit Fairfax Ambassador Tour on November 15th. Attendees will have plenty of new experiences to share with their clients from their tours of Room Escape Fairfax, Historic Blenheim with its iconic Civil War graffiti, and lunch with shared stories of Jammin’ Java’s past and upcoming concerts and events. [see photo]


Marketing & Communications:

  • Visit Fairfax recently hosted editor and publisher Adam Waxman of Toronto's DINE Magazine for a visit to The Winery at Bull Run, where he participated in a historical tour of the property and tasting of their award-winning wines. He also dined on a picnic lunch from winery partner Amphora Catering. 
  • Visit Fairfax joined forces with Capital Region USA and Virginia Tourism Corporation to host a group of journalists from Germany who are covering women making an impact in the Capital Region. During their time in Fairfax County, the group visited with women-owned businesses like Ono Brewing Company, River-Sea Chocolates, and Cheesetique and also learned the impact that women have made on huge attractions like George Washington's Mount Vernon, the Workhouse Arts Center, and the Turning Point Suffragist Memorial. Thanks also to the Embassy Suites by Hilton Springfield for their assistance with hosting the group. German Media FAM - 2019[see photo]
  • Visit Fairfax also worked with Virginia Tourism Corporation on a group of media coming from India in late November, who were able to explore some of the beautiful outdoor spaces and museums Fairfax County offers, as well as the great dining and shopping at Tysons Corner. 
  • Visit Fairfax will be launching a new campaign this year celebrating women’s history, surrounding the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment ratification. We want to feature the strong women associated with YOUR venue. Here’s how to join us: Please take a moment to answer these 5 short questions.
  • Visit Fairfax and several of its key attractions received favorable coverage in the October issues of both Meetings Today and Reunions magazines, as well as the November/December issue of Boomer Magazine.
  • Don't forget to upload your photos to Visit Fairfax's new image portal so that we can use them to help promote your venue. Add photo or video assets throughout the year at this link: https://upload.crowdriff.com/visit-fairfax-0047170f.
  • Visit Fairfax has a brand new blog! If you are interested in writing guest blog content or using some of this content on your own website, please contact Ali Morris (amorris@fxva.com). 
  • Visit Fairfax is pleased to share some new clips that have recently been published as a result of previous familiarization tours of the county or direct efforts of our team. Please contact Ali Morris for more details at amorris@fxva.com.
  • Visit Fairfax continues to see incredible growth on our social media accounts. Please help us continue to grow by tagging us (@VisitFairfax) on your own accounts and by using our hashtag, #FXVA.