The Sales and Marketing team of the Maryland Office of Tourism Development is divided into two sections – North American Sales and International Sales.
The North American Sales section is directed by Rich Gilbert. Rich currently serves on several committees of both national and state associations.
Rich promotes Maryland’s tourism assets and leads teams of Maryland suppliers as they promote their products to a variety of buyers. These market segments include:
- Motorcoach Travel Planners, Tour Operators and Student Travel Planners
Through marketplaces sponsored by the National Tour Association, American Bus Association, Maryland Bus Association, Virginia Bus Association, Pennsylvania Bus Association, and the Ontario Motorcoach Association. Maryland Tourism promotes our many attractions, accommodations and travel services as well as coordinating marketing efforts such as sales missions, familiarization tour planning and support, itinerary planning and specialized itinerary-oriented publications.
To help sell to the motorcoach and student market, OTD produces two publications.
Maryland Made Easy - a collection of suggested tours and itineraries that are sent to tour operators to facilitate booking tours directly from Maryland travel industry suppliers. The publication is also available by download; operator may cut/paste tours customized to the needs of their clients. Also, digital photographs of Maryland attractions may be downloaded at (link to Press Room’s image library - comming soon!) There is no cost for these services.
The Maryland Field Trip Guide - designed to promote Maryland’s attractions to the student market. Like Maryland Made Easy, the Maryland Field Trip Guide has packaged tours that are easy to buy from receptive operators and other suppliers. The tours are presented and listed to facilitate a teacher’s need to meet certain curriculum requirements along with performance venues for school bands and other performing groups. Also a listing of Maryland-based motorcoach companies is included to assist distant school groups in securing transportation. Click here to access the link for the Field Trip Guide.
- Meetings and Conventions
Maryland Tourism is a member of the American Society of Association Executives(ASAE) and Meeting Professionals International (MPI) as well as Hotel Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI). OTD coordinates booth purchasing and sales team organization for Maryland’s travel industry members, including Destination Marketing Organizations, hotels and attractions at these shows:
| 2008 |
Meeting |
Location |
| April 9-10 |
HSMAI’s Affordable Meetings Mid-America |
Chicago, IL
|
| Aug. 9-12 |
Meeting Professional International/World Education Congress (MPI/WEC) |
Las Vegas, NV |
| Aug. 16-19 |
American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) |
San Diego, CA |
| Sept. 10-11 |
HSMAI’s Affordable Meetings National |
Washington, DC |
| Nov. TBD |
Meetings and Conventions Meeting and Event Style Show (BIZBASH) |
New York City |
| Nov. 20 |
HSMAI’s Meetings Quest |
Washington, DC |
- Group Leaders
Maryland Tourism coordinates booth space and the Maryland Sales team to promote Maryland’s many destinations, attractions and accommodations at shows such as Group Leaders of America, Bank Travel Network and others.
- Sports Event Planners
OTD coordinates the Maryland sales presence at TEAMS, inviting DMOs and other venue-oriented sales staff to promote our Maryland sporting venues to event planners. We are currently working on a web-based directory of sports facilities in Maryland.
- Family Reunions
OTD coordinates the Maryland sales presence at The Reunion Planner Conference and Marketplace inviting DMOs to promote Maryland as a great location for family reunions.
Contact: Rich Gilbert
410-767-6288
rgilbert@visitmaryland.org Sandy Stilling
410-767-6270
sstilling@visitmaryland.org
- International Marketing
Maryland’s international marketing presence is directed through the Capital Region USA, (CRUSA) a not-for-profit corporation combining the resources of the Virginia Tourism Corporation, The Washington Convention and Tourism Corporation and the Maryland Office of Tourism Development. The 16-year-old marketing group promotes the tourism assets of the region though advertising, public relations, sales missions, special promotions and other marketing ventures targeting tour operators, receptive operators, airlines and consumers in a variety of markets. This initiative is directed by Pete Chambliss, who has been promoting Maryland internationally of 17 years. The primary markets for the Capital Region USA are the United Kingdom and Germany. Secondary markets include The Nordic Countries (Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland), France, Belgium, The Netherlands, China, Mexico, Argentina and Brazil.
We offer publications such as the 48-page Capital Region USA Holiday Guide in English and German and a 16-page version in French, Spanish, Portuguese and Chinese.
Also, we work with tour operators and receptives in developing itinerary of the region by offering financial support to operators in select markets. Additionally, we supply tour operators and receptives as well as consumers with videos on DVDs, highway maps, photo/itinerary CDs and other promotional materials.
The Capital Region USA maintains trade and/or public relations representation services in the United Kingdom and Germany and trade relation representation in Belgium for Continental Europe, and the Nordic countries (Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland). Please contact Matt Gaffney for more information.
More information on the CRUSA marketing plan and international tourism research may be found on the CRUSA web site www.capitalregionusa.org.
Contact Pete Chambliss
410-767-6294
pchambliss@visitmaryland.org
Matt Gaffney, Executive Director
CAPITAL REGION USA (CRUSA)
302-226-0422
Fax 302-226-1986
mgaffney@capitalregionusa.org