|
|
|
Hospitality & Tourism Breakfast Meet and Greet is May 15. Save the Date!
May is Tourism Month, and we’re gathering all local industry members (restaurants, hotels, shops, event producers, sites and attractions, etc.) for a networking breakfast. Advance your business through the power of partnership. Sponsored by St. Mary’s County Tourism (SMCT) and the St. Mary’s County Chamber of Commerce and its Tourism Advisory Council. Registration opens April 17. Look for your e-vite soon.
|
Steppin' Out in Leonardtown Campaign Begins
A five-weekend spring campaign combining events, in-store activities, merchant deals and a $1,000 spending spree kicks into gear April 19-21 with Earth Day Weekend. The marketing effort targets the DC metro area, Southern Maryland and St. Mary’s County via print, digital and radio advertising and a social media push. Over 25 Leonardtown shops, restaurants and businesses are participating in the campaign which is produced by the St. Mary’s County Division of Tourism (SMCT), the Town of Leonardtown, the Leonardtown Business Association and the Port of Leonardtown Winery. Following Earth Day Weekend are Fabulous Fifties Car Show Weekend (April 26-28), Fiesta Weekend (May 3-5), Mothers’ Day Weekend (May 10-12), and Heroes Welcome Weekend (May 17-19). Click here to view the full campaign
|
Facebook Promotion Boosts Likes
St. Mary’s County Tourism’s Facebook fan-base is growing! By using geographiclly targeted Facebook advertising and promotions, SMCT’s fan-base has grown to include over 3,500 people. Since starting the promotion in February, the monthly average of new likes is over 1,000. The promotion has more than doubled the fan-base in less than two months and is exponentially increasing the reach of SMCT’s social media messaging. Log-on to http://www.facebook.com/SMCTourism and like St. Mary’s County Tourism today!
|
Spring-Summer Efforts Emphasize Affordability and Close-by Fun
With the uncertain economy, SMCT’s spring/summer messaging will highlight two of the county’s major assets: its affordable attractions and lodging options and its proximity to major metropolitan areas. SMCT is employing pay per click, ad words and social media advertising to drive folks to a special landing page on the tourism site that drives home the message: leisure travelers can travel less miles and find more smiles in St. Mary’s. View the landing page.
|
Team Sells Region to Groups
The Southern Maryland Tourism Team of Rebecca Lira, St. Mary’s County; Katie Baker, Calvert County; and Rachel Reynolds, Charles County, sold the region at the Pennsylvania Bus Association and then at the Maryland Motorcoach Association group tour marketplaces. Both marketplaces took place in Pennsylvania in March. Combined shows’ attendance of group leader and group operators is estimated as 1,370. The SOMD Team provided regional travel info, as well as travel info on each of their counties.
|
Locater Map Installed in Downtown Leonardtown
The Leonardtown Business Association (LBA) has installed a freestanding map adjacent to the town square to help direct visitors to shopping, dining and sight-seeing venues throughout the downtown, as well as along the Rt. 5 and north sections of town. A second map is planned for the north section of town. The project is overseen by the LBA marketing committee of which SMCT is a member.
|
Leonardtown Pushes for Arts & Entertainment District
 The town commissioners have submitted an application for designation of Leonardtown as a state Arts & Entertainment District. If accepted into the state program, Leonardtown will become the first A&E District in Southern Maryland, joining 20+ districts across the state. The designation provides tax incentives to artists and developers as well as marketing leverage. The town has several new arts enterprises and businesses including The Leonardtown Arts Center and Yellow Door Studios, both of which offer participatory programs.
|
Three Chicks are Breaking Some Eggs
The Leonardtown-based planning and marketing agency 3 Chicks Promotions, LLC, is the force behind two major events taking place in St. Mary’s County this spring. On Saturday, April 27, 3 Chicks Promotions will produce the SOMD Women’s Show, at the Southern Maryland Higher Education Center. The show highlights Southern Maryland’s women-friendly businesses. On Saturday, May 11, at the Best Western Plus Park Avenue Hotel in Leonardtown, the agency is bringing together over 65 vendors showcasing vintage, brand name, and designer clothing, handbags, jewelry and accessories for the SOMD Fashion Flea Market. The women-owned agency is powered by Carol Picon and Kimberly Hoctor. To find out more about 3 Chicks Promotions visit their website.
|
Point Lookout Welcomes Spring with Pet Beach and More
 Ranger Christie Bright announces that the state park, which lies at the tip of the St. Mary’s Peninsula, has a new pet beach with lots of running room for four-legged friends. The Civil War Museum is finishing up its mini-renovation, and three new rangers and a maintenance tech will be on hand to serve this season’s visitors at the county’s most visited state park. |
Friends of the Leonardtown Theater Forms 
A dedicated group of film and theater buffs known as “The Friends of the Leonardtown Theater, Inc.” (FOTLT) have set the wheels in motion to renovate and reopen historic Leonardtown’s 300 seat 1940s Rex movie theater. FOTLT is a nonprofit entity seeking to advance the arts by bringing film, live performance, and educational programming to the downtown Leonardtown area through restoration of the old theater building. Special film screenings are currently held in the Dorsey Building, as the group seeks to attract funding for its project. To learn more visit FOTLT’s facebook page.
|
St. Mary's is Top of the Heap with Free State's Finest Awards
 As in past years, St. Mary’s County businesses have garnered a healthy share of Maryland Life Magazine’s readers' poll awards with 19 wins! Congratulations go to Café des Artistes: Best Overall Restaurant, Best Fine Dining Restaurant, Best Dessert; The Tides: Best Happy Hour; Brewing Ground: Best Coffee House; Clark’s Landing: Best Crab House; Bruster’s Real Ice Cream of Hollywood: Best Ice Cream; Newtowne Players and Three Notch Theater: Best Theater; Leonardtown: Best Historic District, Best Downtown, Editor's Pick Finest Shopping Area; Breton Bay Golf Course: Best Golfing; St. Mary’s Oyster Festival: Best Festival; St. Mary’s County Fair: Best Fair; Historic St. Mary’s City: Best place for Family Fun, Best Historic Attraction, Best Place to get Married; Christina Allen of Corn Crib Studios: Best Artist; Slack Winery: Best Winery; Shop at Farthings Ordinary: Best Gift Shop; Dennis Point Marina: Best Marina.
|
New Faces, New Trees and Trails at Sotterley
 Sotterley welcomes new marketing manager Piper Carlson, event manager Mellanie Teed, and development director Kim Mozingo to its team. Continuing recovery from Hurricane Irene, over two dozen trees have gone into the ground under the site’s Adopt-a-Tree program and wooded trails throughout the site have been expanded. An ADA pathway and an upgraded parking lot have also been completed.
|
The Comfort Inn & Suites Patuxent River Naval Air Station adds Director of Sales
Pamela Lowe recently joined the team at St. Mary’s newest hotel. Pam’s mission is to increase awareness of this great new lodging option. She brings seventeen years of hospitality experience and hotel sales to St. Mary’s County, building on prior positions in Washington D.C., Northern Virginia, and the BWI area. |
Marketing Staff added at Maryland Antiques Center
Laurie Stone is now on board to assist Maryland Antiques Center’s owner, Dot Sparling, with strategic planning and marketing initiatives both for MAC and the small businesses located in the antique center’s complex. Located adjacent to the Port of Leonardtown Winery, the Port of Leonardtown Park, and McIntosh Run, the area provides a lively mix of shops and activities.
|
New Co-op Member and Staff added to Port of Leonardtown Winery
The Southern Maryland Winegrowers’ Collective has just added its 18th member: Joe Denton of Calvert County who grows Cayuga, Chambourcin and Chardonnay grapes. The Port of Leoanrdtown Winery, home to the collective, welcomes new manager Abby, and staff Lyrel, Mary, Bethany and Julie.
|
Signa Tours Group to Visit Again
Signa Tours of Richmond loves St. Mary’s. Last year’s tours of St. Celment’s Island and Piney Point Lighthouse museums with lunch in Leonardtown sold out with such a long wait list the group is coming back this September. Thank You Karolyn Hall of Signa Tours and to our County Museum staff and Café des Artistes.
|
Cornflakes and Kind Hearts at TownePlace Suites in Lexington Park
TownePlace Suites Lexington Park participates every year in Marriott's Kellogg's National Breakfast Week, a nationwide effort to end childhood hunger by donating a breakfast for kids in need. For one week every spring, Towneplace guests simply eat Kellogg's cereal for breakfast to do their part in the fundraising program and then they sign the hotel’s poster. With every bowl of cereal consumed during the promotion week, a breakfast is donated to kids in need.
|
Olde Towne Stitchery Pieces it Together to Benefit Others
In Leonardtown, the folks at Olde Towne Stitchery felt they needed to do something to respond to the December tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut. The shop put the call out to the local quilters to collect 26 Quilts of Kindness, one in honor and memory of each individual that perished that day. To date customers, staff and friends have made and donated 23 quilts. Once they reach 26, the quilts will be donated to St. Mary's Hospice House, Charlotte Hall Veteran's Home and Project Linus.
|
St. Mary’s Signature Seafood Festivals to be Jointly Promoted
Karen Stone, Administrator for the St. Mary’s County Oyster Festival which is produced by the Lexington Park Rotary Club, has now taken on marketing and PR duties for the Leonardtown Lions Club Crab Festival, so combining the promotional effort for both is a no-brainer, and SMCT is fully on board. Look for a combined campaign promoting St. Mary’s Signature Seafood Festivals this summer.
|
|
|
|
|
|
