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 Tourism Photos and Videos NeededVirginia Tourism is always looking for new photos and videos to help with marketing on our website, press releases and travel guide. If you have new high resolution photos/videos of your area or attraction and have proper usage rights to those photos/videos, please send a DVD of them to VTC, attn: Frances Elliott, 901 East Byrd Street, Richmond, VA 23219.  The American Civil War Sesquicentennial Marketing Program applications are now open!Application Deadline is July 26, 2012. The Virginia Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War Commission and the Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC) have created a special American Civil War Sesquicentennial Tourism Marketing Program. This program will help Virginia community organizations, working in partnership with the local tourism industry, in promoting the commemoration of the sesquicentennial of the American Civil War. For more information, please visit http://www.vatc.org/PAM/STMprog.asp.  Immediate Needs for Virginia.orgEnd of summer discounts for families; October Virginia Wine Month, Oktoberfests, Corn Mazes, Halloween and any other fall festival events and/or packages. Submit these through the Virginia.org Administration Tool. Questions? Contact Casey Higgins. Add and Update your 2013 Events for the 2013 Travel GuideWant a chance to have your event included in the 2013 Virginia Travel Guide? Log in to the Virginia.org Administration Tool to create or update your 2013 events by July 30. The Virginia Travel Guide pulls from Virginia.org to create its yearly events list.  ENewsletter Advertising OpportunitiesAdvertise in the Virginia is for Lovers monthly eNewsletters where you can reach over 300,000 travelers who have opted-in to receive information from Virginia. Don’t wait! The best placements are going quick! Details, calendar and how to reserve your placements at http://www.vatc.org/emarketing/enewsadvertising.asp  Advertising OpportunitiesReach the fall foodies in the upcoming October issues of Garden & Gun and Saveur Magazine - space closes July 30! Room is still available in the August Co-Op e-newsletter of Sherman's Travel Magazine. Reserve your space by July 16! For more details on these opportunities and rep contact information, please visit the 18 month media plan.  VTC Orientation A VTC Orientation session will be July 31, 2012. Sign up now to learn how to create stronger partnerships with VTC! This session will be limited to the first 15 registrants. Contact Angela Wiggins at 804-545-5553 or awiggins@virginia.org to register.  Celebrate Virginia Farmer’s Market Week, August 5-12, 2012. Encourage your partners to schedule a demo at a VA Welcome Center in August! Set up a “manned” table where you can distribute your literature, giveaways and samples like Virginia Grown products or even discount coupons. This is a free service that we offer to our industry partners and should be scheduled with the center’s Manager. Go to http://www.vatc.org/csir/directory.asp to find information for the center closest to you. Host the 2013 Visitors Center Seminar Promote your locality or region by hosting the 2013 Visitors Center Seminar. Help get the word out to more tourists about the uniqueness of your area by bringing professional Visitors Center and Welcome Center staffs from around the state to see what is special about your region. The long range benefits to your locality are many, as other regions who have hosted this seminar will tell you. If you are interested in being the 2013 host contact Marie Henderson at mhenderson@virginia.org for more details.  Meeting Leads Available Government Meeting Leads generated at Society of Government Meeting Professionals National Education Conference, May 16-18, 2012, New Orleans, LA are now ready for your sales action by contacting Joni Johnson at jjohnson@virginia.org. Meetings Tradeshow Marketing Opportunity Virginia Tourism is seeking booth partners at MEET National in Washington, DC, September 5-6, 2012. It is a great opportunity to reach key meeting professionals in the association, government, event and corporate markets. If you are exhibiting on your own request to be located in the Virginia Aisle booths 3000-3015. Please email Joni for details at jjohnson@virginia.org.  Order the 2012 Virginia Golf GuideSupport your local golf courses by stocking the Virginia Golf Guide in your hotels, visitor center and other attractions. Golfers spend money on meals, overnight accommodations as well as the golf course when playing on a golf vacation. The guide features listings, maps, photos and editorial on Virginia’s rich and varied golf resorts and destinations. Click here to order bulk quantities.  Customer Service Workshop in DublinNew River Community College will host "Customer Service Recovery: What To Do When Things Go Wrong," on Wednesday, July 18, 2012 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon at New River Community College, Dublin campus, Edwards Hall, Room 117, Dublin, VA. Bobbie Walker, director of education and workforce readiness with Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC), will present the workshop. Register at: https://www.nr.edu/wd_service/  Sterling Heart AwardNominations are now open for the 2012 Sterling Heart Award. This annual award, in honor of Sean McCarthy, will be presented to one person who has made a significant contribution to the Virginia tourism and hospitality industry. Judging will be based on creative and innovative use of research, economic contribution of a program or campaign, and leadership in building advocacy for a program or campaign. All applications must be received by 5 p.m. on October 2. Presentation of the award will be at this year’s VA-1 Conference. Download the criteria and nomination form here  Pow Wow 2013Conducting business in three days of highly-qualified pre-scheduled appointments, Pow Wow is the largest international trade show that VTC participates in annually. With 1,200 international and domestic buyers from more than 70 countries, Pow Wow is the largest generator of travel to the US. Join the VTC delegation in our booth from June 8-13, 2013 in Las Vegas. Partner cost is $2,800 plus all travel expenses. Please email Jane Govoruhk for more information jgovoruhk@virginia.org.  Capital Region USA Goes GLOBAL 2013 International SummitRegister to attend the “Capital Region USA Goes GLOBAL 2013 International Summit” July 24 at the Renaissance Arlington Capital View Hotel. Hear the latest update on the Brand USA campaign and be the first to learn about the Capital Region USA’s 2013 international marketing strategy. Please contact Kimberly Petersen for more information at kpetersen@capitalregionusa.org.  2012 - 2013 Tourism & the Arts Program Applications Are Now Open!Application Deadline is August 8, 2012. The Virginia Commission for the Arts and the Virginia Tourism Corporation have created a special grant program to help Virginia Commission for the Arts General Operating Support arts organizations, working in partnership with the local tourism industry and other organizations, with direct expenses for tourism promotion efforts. For more information, please visit http://www.arts.virginia.gov/forms/tourism/index.html.  OpSail 2012 Virginia™ Advances Virginia Green in Hampton RoadsOpSail 2012 Virginia™ was a registered Virginia Green Event, and all 13 festivals in 7 host ports were registered individually as Virginia Green Events. Host ports and event organizers have now committed to making all of their future festivals green! http://www.virginia.org/OpSail/ 
Matching grants for electronic marketing initiatives availableVECTEC is offering matching grant programs in select localities for the development of websites and electronic commerce projects. Click here for more information http://www.vectec.org/matching-grant-programs.  Entrepreneur Express and Social Media WorkshopsEntrepreneur Express and Social Media events are scheduled around the state in the coming weeks. For a complete schedule of dates and locations, click here: http://www.vastartup.org/  Virginia's Business One Stop systemThe Business One Stop system will help you determine business formation requirements based on your specific type of business and business activities. Visit http://bos.virginia.gov/  Virginia Sesquicentennial of the Civil War CommissionKeep up to date on Virginia's commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War and Emancipation (2011-2015) by visiting the web site of the Virginia Sesquicentennial of the Civil War Commission: www.virginiacivilwar.org. You'll find listings of upcoming events, a Civil War timeline in Virginia, programs, resources and news. Don't forget to post your upcoming Civil War events to www.Virginia.org as well.  Shenandoah National Park License Plates Now Available for MotorcyclesMotorcycle enthusiasts in Virginia now have the opportunity to show their love of Shenandoah National Park whenever they ride. Similar to the motor vehicle plate, every purchase of a Shenandoah motorcycle plate sends $15 to Shenandoah National Park Trust, the official non-profit "friends" group of the national park. Order your Shenandoah plates at any Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles office or online at www.snptrust.org/donate/license-plate.  Follow us on Twitter Join the Conversation! 
Join the Virginia Tourism LinkedIn GroupJoin the Virginia Tourism LinkedIn Group at www.LinkedIn.com and keep up with tourism related discussions and the latest news and opportunities in our industry.     |
Website Visitation  Virginia in the NewsVirginia State Parks report record visits over Memorial Day holiday The Washington Post Virginia State Parks were a popular destination over the Memorial Day weekend. ... Gov. Bob McDonnell touts Virginia in Europe The Washington Post Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell said Friday that he hopes to announce deals stemming from his trade mission to Europe soon ... Virginia is for Lovers and Oysters? WVEC.com Virginia tourism officials are trying to brand the state and specifically Hampton Roads as the place to go for oysters. The move comes as the harvest is bountiful. ... Richmond in the finals for 'top river town' Richmond Times Dispatch Richmond is among 10 U.S. cities listed as finalists in an outdoor magazine's online contest to crown America's best "river town." The finalists for the Best Town Ever award ... The Food Lovers' Drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway Travel + Leisure Two lanes, 469 miles, and countless reasons to stop and eat: T+L travels the iconic Blue Ridge Parkway to uncover a vibrant Southern food movement. ... McDonnell announces state's first tourism development financing project Luray/Page Free Press Gov. Bob McDonnell announced on Wednesday the approval of the first Virginia Tourism Development Financing project ... New and Updated Virginia.org Features New and updated features added to Virginia.org in the last few weeks are: Admin Tool Tip Advanced Options Tab When creating or editing a Virginia.org listing, see the “Advanced Options” tab. There, select which existing listings you’d like to promote with the listing being edited. See an example of how Busch Gardens promotes events and Water Country USA from their main listing. See the Help Manual. Log in to the Administration Tool. Virginia is for Lovers Product of the Month!
 The Virginia is for Lovers Beach Mat includes an inflatable pillow. It is water and sand-resistant. Measures 36" wide x 72" long when open. Go to the Virginia is for Lovers Wholesale Store to order!   Not on the
email list?Sign up for the Dashboard. If you have comments or suggestions for future issues of The Dashboard please contact Mary Bishop at mbishop@virginia.org or 804-545-5556. Sign up for the Virginia Monthly eNewsletter. See how your destination, event or attraction is marketed to over 400,000 consumers. Who are these faces? Meet the staff here. |
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The summer travel season is upon us and with it comes good news: AAA has forecasted record-level visitation for Virginia for the July 4th holiday and that tells us Virginia continues to be a top-of-mind destination with the summer traveler. That’s no surprise, as Virginia adds more and more opportunities for travelers who like to get out with their families in the warm weather to have some fun and relax.
