Maryland Tourism and Travel Summit 

Celebrating 30 Years – The Past, the Present and the Future of Tourism in Maryland

Wednesday, November 3th

Noon   
Registration & Silent Auction Open

2:45 p.m.   
How to Succeed at the Summit

3:00 – 4:15 p.m.   
Kickoff – Coming out from Under: Understanding Today’s Economy and Tomorrow’s New Future
Lowell Catlett, Ph.D., will explain how as the economy emerges from the current recession that we will not only rebalance what we deem important, but we will also reset our expectations.  Get ready for phenomenal growth in healthcare, energy and lifestyle markets as technology, demographics and new consumer expectations drive new business starts and the reformulation of current businesses. Dr. Catlett, a well-known economist and futurist, has been a highly-rated speaker at numerous state tourism conferences.

6:00 – 7:00 p.m.   
Welcome Reception – Watermark Cruises welcomes Maryland Tourism aboard the Catherine Marie
Cruise on down to the Annapolis City Dock where hors d’oeuvres, provided by Annapolis restaurants, and refreshments, provided by Watermark Cruises, will await Summit attendees. (Please remember to wear your badge.)
                
Open Evening   
Historic Hospitality Annapolis style
Explore Annapolis’ renowned and varied dining scene. Join with friends, new and old. Show your name badge for special offers at participating restaurants listed online and in your registration packet.
           
Thursday, November 4th

9:00 – 10:00 a.m.   
Networking Breakfast – an Eggscellent Start to the Day

9:45 a.m.   
More Tips for Summit Success

10:00– 11:00 a.m.   
Keynote – Jonathan Tisch, Chairman & CEO of Loews Hotels
Innovative, Synergistic, and Passionate. Truly a corporate visionary and hospitality industry leader; he is also a TV host & bestselling author.

11:00 – 12:15 p.m.   
Maryland: land of 29 million visitors… Office of Tourism Development’s 2010 Update.
Maryland State Tourism Director Margot Amelia & other members of the tourism team will recap OTD’s new campaign, highlight plans for the upcoming Civil War, Harriet Tubman and War of 1812 commemorations and detail its new co-operative advertising & marketing opportunities for DMOs and private sector partners.

12:30 – 1:45 p.m.   
Maryland Office of Tourism Awards & Luncheon
Christian Johansson, Secretary of the Department of Business and Economic Development and Greg Shockley, Chairman of the Maryland Tourism Development Board will present OTD Awards followed by presentation of AAA Four Diamond Awards.

2:00 – 3:15 p.m.   
Maryland Election Dissection and Putting the Roots in your Grassroots
With the 2010 Elections just one day before the Summit, Patrick Gonzales’ analysis of the election results will give us an idea of what to expect during the upcoming General Assembly Session. Patrick is President of Gonzales Research and Marketing Strategies, Inc., a well-known, Annapolis-based political and opinion research company.
Then, Amy Showalter, President of the Showalter Group, Inc., will explain how and why the best grassroots lobbying organizations became successful advocates for their business or cause.  Amy has helped such organizations as the American Heart Association, Southwest Airlines and the U.S. Green Building Council build their grassroots advocacy teams.

3:30 – 4:30 p.m.   
Concurrent Sessions – PowerHour in the PowerHouse

Target Cultural Heritage Travelers
Demo the new VisitMaryland Interactive Map and learn more from state and county tourism experts about how to link and leverage Scenic Byways, Heritage Areas, Main Streets, Arts & Entertainment Districts, Civil War Trails, State/National Parks and Agritourism products.  Find out how you can partner with other tourism stakeholders to target this affluent market including upcoming commemoration efforts for the Civil War, Harriet Tubman and War of 1812.

Target International Travelers
Come learn how you can tap into this lucrative market for a fraction of what it would cost you on your own. Capital Region USA’s continental Europe sales representative, Gerda DeRoy-Arnaults,  and U.K. public relations representative, Lisa Cooper, will discuss the immense power of the growing international market – and the effectiveness of this regional marketing coalition.  In 2009, overseas arrivals to the U.S. were down 6 percent but visitors to the Capital Region grew 6 percent to 1.85 million visitors, and visitor spending grew 5 percent to more than $1.3 billion.

6:30 - 7:30 p.m.   
Awards Banquet Reception

7:30 - 9:30 p.m.   
Maryland Tourism Council and Maryland Destination Marketing Organizations Awards Banquet hosted by Dan Rodricks
            
9:45 p.m. - Midnight   
Power Party with Meredith -  Celebrating Maryland's Milestones & Memories
Toast the tourism conference’s 30th year, Baltimore Washington International Airport’s 60th year, Turf Valley Resort's 50th year, National Aquarium's 30th year,  Loews Annapolis Hotel’s 20th year, and Annapolis & Anne Arundel County Conference and Visitors Bureau’s 20th year.
Sponsored by Meredith Travel Marketing

Friday, November 5th

8:30- 10:00 a.m.   
Networking Breakfast – Bountiful Beginnings and Bidding
This is your last chance to bid on Silent Auction items! Final Bids must be submitted by 9:30 a.m.
Plus register to win special prizes to be awarded during MTC Meeting!

10:00 – 11:15 a.m.    
Tourism Town Hall and Maryland Tourism Council Annual Meeting
Something new this year will be the Maryland Tourism Industry Town Hall Meeting. In addition to the annual business meeting of the Maryland Tourism Council, we will:
•  Be briefed by the Maryland Tourism Industry sectors about their latest news and expected
    legislative issues
•  Learn the status of new tourism projects throughout the State
•  Discuss 2011 Legislative Day in Annapolis
Moderator: Tom Riford, President & CEO, Hagerstown/Washington County CVB
Don’t miss this opportunity to hear about your industry in this very important give and take session.

Prize drawing to occur during presentation…must be present to WIN! Plus, Friday attendees will receive a free copy of Jonathan Tisch’s latest book, “Citizen You: Doing Your Part to Change the World.”

11:15 a.m.   
Summit Synopsis  and “Pete’s Pictures”

11:30 a.m.   
Retrieve silent auction items