Metrowest Boston Visitors Bureau Announces Annual Tourism Summit March 27

Framingham, MA (March 10): The MetroWest Boston Visitors Bureau (MBVB) will be holding their Annual Meeting, Tourism Summit and Legislative Breakfast, entitled “The Power of Travel” on March 27 from 8:00 – 11:30 a.m. at the Warren Conference Center and Inn in Ashland. The event is open to everyone, and will include a travel and hospitality industry update, both at the regional level delivered by MBVB Executive Director Stacey David, as well as at the state level, given by Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism Executive Director Kate Fox. Additional speakers include Sheila Green, who will update on the MA250 initiative that is marketing events surrounding the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, and Representative Priscila Sousa, who will talk about building a strong community in uncertain times. The second half of the program will be educational sessions designed to provide inspiration, insight, and tangible takeaways to help attendees in promoting their own businesses. These sessions will include a panel discussion with the Travel Editor from Yankee Magazine and the team at ShoredUp Digital on the ways you can use storytelling to gain free press coverage and greater social media engagement, another panel discussion on experiential tourism and how to create experiences visitors want (even if your business isn’t normally experientially based!), a presentation on the Visitors Bureau’s new walking and driving tours app and how to get your organization into one of their itineraries, and an interactive session designed to help you think creatively about the impact of tourism and how you can leverage those impacts in your own organization. All businesses in MetroWest and the surrounding communities are invited to attend, including hotels, restaurants, attractions, non-profit arts & culture, retailers, town administrators and more. Registration is required. To view the full agenda and register, please visit www.metrowestvisitors.org/annual_meeting.

AGENDA:

Stacey David
MetroWest Boston Visitors Bureau Executive Director
Stacey will share visitor data on the State of the Region regarding tourism and hospitality, along with a recap of last year’s MBVB marketing results and this year’s plans for promoting MetroWest to various market segments…and how you can benefit.

Representative Priscila Sousa
6th Middlesex
Rep. Sousa will share her thoughts and insight on creating community in uncertain times.

Kate Fox
Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism Executive Director
An update on the domestic and international destination marketing strategies underway at the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism.

Sheila Green
MA 250th Anniversary Coordinator
Learn about the Commonwealth’s plans to commemorate and market the anniversary of the American Revolution, and how your organization can leverage those efforts to bring in visitors to your attraction or event…even if you’re not a history museum!

AI-Powered MetroWest Tours: The Wave of the Future
The Visitors Bureau is thrilled to announce the launch of custom AI-powered driving and walking tours of MetroWest. Learn about this initiative, see a demo of the first tours on the app, and hear how your organization could get involved.

Panel: Experiential Tourism: Travel’s Shiny New Toy
The hottest trend in travel right now is experiential tourism. See examples from around the world, hear how our amazing panelists have hopped on this bandwagon to create activities and experiences that draw visitors in, and learn how you can do the same in your own business (even those that you think don’t lend themselves to classes or workshops!). Panelists: Hunter Chaney (American Heritage Museum), Evan Reseska (Boston Honey Company), and Carol Collord (Medway Community Farm).

The Impact of Tourism
While we all know (and love!) the economic impact of tourism, there are other impacts as well. This session will explore some of the other ways that visitors are influenced by the trips they take, and how you can leverage those impacts for your own organization.

Panel: The Power of Storytelling in Travel Marketing
Join us for a riveting panel discussion with the amazing Travel Editor of Yankee magazine, Kim Knox Beckius, and powerhouse duo Angela Prout and Marnely Murray from ShoredUp Digital who will share their insights, tips and tricks for garnering earned media and great influencer engagement through the power of storytelling. Learn to craft destination-driven content that converts!