Sales and Marketing

 

The Sales and Marketing team of the Maryland Office of Tourism is divided into two sections – North American Sales and International Sales.

 

Rich Gilbert , Manager of Sales, coordinate the North American Sales section efforts to promote the awareness and usage of Maryland tourism products to all North American-based clients. This market includes: tour operators, student travel providers, international and domestic receptive tour operators, retail travel agents, group leaders, travel wholesalers, meeting planners, incentive travel planners, consumers, Student travel planners, reunion planners, e-travel packagers and other buyers of travel products.

 

This is accomplished through direct participation in sales missions, trade shows and special promotions, and through the coordination of Maryland marketing partners who collectively expand the awareness of Maryland as a destination by selling cooperatively.

 

Opportunities managed by the US/Canadian sales team have included:

 

• Direct sales to operators and group leaders at marketplaces and trade shows, which result in sales lead distribution. Some of these shows have included, National Tour Association Marketplace, American Bus Association Marketplace, Pennsylvania Bus Association, Group Leaders of America (GLAMER) and other marketing events.
• Sales mission coordination including Maryland on the Road Enterprise (MORE) and other sales missions, targeting tour operators within a specific market area and include group sales appointments with potential clients. Several sales missions include promotional events to support the marketing message.
• AAA Sales missions including cooperative sales calls on potential clients and promotional events.
• Sales to Meeting and Convention planners and sporting event right holders through trade show cooperative marketing. Direct sales at these trade shows result in distribution of sales leads to Maryland marketing partners.
• Participation at consumer travel shows including brochure distribution co-op program, where private sector marketing partners can display product information.

Please refer to the Marketing Plan and Opportunities section for more detailed information.

 

International Marketing

 

Maryland ’s international market presence is promoted through the Capital Region USA (CRUSA), a not-for-profit corporation combining the resources of the Virginia Tourism Corporation, Washington Convention and Tourism Corporation and the Maryland Office of Tourism. The 14 year old marketing group promotes the touristic assets of each member as part of regional packages through advertising, public relation, special promotions, sales missions and other marketing ventures to tour operators, receptive operators and consumers in selected primary markets of the United Kingdom and Germany, and secondary markets of the Nordic Countries ( Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland), Benelux, France and selected countries in Latin America.

 

Pete Chambliss manages Maryland’s participation in CRUSA, and oversees the organizations marketing efforts in the Nordic markets

 

Cooperative opportunities led under the Capital Region USA include:

• Advertising in the CRUSA Holiday Guide, 150,000 copies distributed in the United Kingdom and the Nordic countries, with 25,000 produced in German for the German market.
• Trade Show participation at World Travel Market ( London) International Tourism Exchange ( Berlin Germany) and the Mid Atlantic Seminar ( Reykjavik Iceland) and others.
• Sales missions to a variety of markets ( United Kingdom, Scandinavia, Florida Latin American receptive operators).

 

Cooperative International Marketing Opportunities 2007-2008. Click here to review.

 

Please refer to the Marketing Plan and Opportunities section for more detailed information or the Capital Region USA website www.capitalregionusa.org