NEWS IN BRIEF

Maryland Tourism & Travel Summit Begins November 12
The Maryland Tourism Council will host its 34th annual Maryland Tourism and Travel Summit, November 12-14 in Ocean City, Maryland. The Council has partnered with the Roland E. Powell Convention Center and the Hilton Suites Ocean City in bringing the summit to Ocean City for the ninth time. The convention brings together hundreds of tourism industry leaders from across the state for networking opportunities as well as seminars and classes focusing on marketing, sales, social media and the economics of travel.

Tourism is a nearly $15 billion industry in Maryland and one of the largest and most important job generators in the state. The three-day summit features nationally renowned travel and marketing experts including Nan Marchand-Beauvois, Senior Director of National Councils at U.S. Travel Association, author and award-winning motivational speaker John Kennedy, Chuck Underwood, author of The Generational Imperative and Gini Dietrich of Spinsucks.com.

Baltimore to Host 2017 NAACP National Convention
The NAACP has announced the location for their 2017 National Convention choosing Baltimore over a host of other cities. “We are indeed coming home to Baltimore in 2017. We intend to make the 108th Convention a showcase for the progress initiated by the NAACP,” said Roslyn M. Brock, chair, NAACP National Board of Directors. ”We will bring delegates, thought leaders and policy makers together in Charm City to insure that we continue to insure the civil and human rights of all people.”

The convention is considered the most prestigious diversity event in the country and draws more than 5,000 delegates and another 4,000 attendees with an estimated economic impact of more than $10.5 million, but the importance of the convention to Baltimore and Maryland goes even further.

Lt. Governor Anthony Brown said in a statement, “I’m excited that the NAACP has chosen Baltimore as the host for their 2017 National Convention, which will bring in thousands of visitors and generate millions of dollars in economic impact for our city and for our state. I was proud to be part of the many voices who encouraged the NAACP to bring the convention home to Baltimore, and I believe that their choice is proof that Baltimore is open for business and is a great place to visit, work, live, or raise a family. Congratulations to Mayor Rawlings-Blake and the team at Visit Baltimore on this achievement.”

Brazilian Journalists Tour Maryland Shopping Destinations
Brazilian journalists with a monthly readership of more than 2.5 million people toured shopping and cultural districts throughout Maryland. The tour was organized by the Maryland Office of Tourism as part of its continuing partnership with the travel marketing organization, Capital Region USA (CRUSA). CRUSA brings international travel journalists from around the world to the Capital Region with the goal of expanding awareness of the regions varied and vibrant tourism destinations. In the past, CRUSA has focused on media markets in Germany, France and the United Kingdom and, according to Maryland Office of Tourism Communications Specialist Leslie Cox, it has proved a valuable partnership.

“With our international partners, we’ve been able to not only increase recognition of Maryland as a top travel destination, we’ve expanded our reach beyond the traditional destinations,” said Cox, “When we get these writers out into the state, they get excited, and their readers follow.” Now, the Office of Tourism and CRUSA are pushing into the rapidly expanding tourism markets of Brazil and China. “This tour focused on shopping destinations, which is a big driver for Brazilian tourism,” said Cox, and the recent trip was a big success. The journalists spent three days visiting outlets, malls and boutiques across the state and, according to Cox, “They were absolutely amazed. It really opened their eyes to what Maryland has to offer. They just fell in love.”

Parkway Theater Receives $5 Million Stavros Niarchos Foundation Grant
Baltimore’s Parkway Theater, part of the city’s ongoing campaign to expand the Station North Arts and Entertainment District, received a $5 million grant from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation. The renovation not only preserves the nearly century old theater, it will act as an anchor for the district. The grant provides much needed funding and is an impressive vote of confidence for the project and its organizers. The Stavros Niarchos Foundation is an international philanthropic organization with offices in Athens, Greece, Monte Carlo and New York, and focuses on “organizations and projects that are expected to achieve a broad, lasting and positive impact for society at large, and exhibit strong leadership and sound management.”

The Parkway, which will be renamed the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Film Center, will house three movie screens, performing arts spaces and classrooms and office space for film students from the Maryland Institute College of Art and Johns Hopkins University. “This is a once-in-a-generation moment for Johns Hopkins and our partners at MICA and the Maryland Film Festival to reclaim a part of Baltimore’s storied cultural history and transform it into the heart of our community’s vibrant, dynamic future,” Johns Hopkins President Ronald J. Daniels said.  “With the visionary support of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, we are seeding artistic and economic opportunities for our students, our neighbors and our city.”

Maryland Institute College of Art Holds Installation Ceremony For New President Samuel Hoi
On Friday, October 31, the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) held an installation ceremony for new president Samuel Hoi. Hoi, who took over as president on July 1, is considered one of the most dynamic and innovative leaders in the field of art and design education and the creative economy. Prior to assuming the role of president of MICA, Hoi had helmed the Corcoran College of Art and Design in Washington, D.C., the Parsons School of Design's Paris campus and, for the last 14 years, the Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles where he launched the influential Otis Report on the Creative Economy.

Hoi succeeds Fred Lazarus IV whose 36 years as president of MICA saw the school grow dramatically, more than doubling its enrollment, launching an expansion of the campus unprecedented in the institution's 189-year history and increasing the college’s endowment over 25 times. Lazarus leaves a tradition of growth and community involvement that Hoi is eager to advance. “My whole life has been about this ecosystem of art and design and education and community engagement,” Hoi told the Baltimore Sun. “MICA has been an extremely inspiring model for me. A city institution like MICA needs to be deeply connected into the community — and that means that leaders like myself need to be meaningfully involved with and embedded in community organizations.”

Tourism Tax Revenues Off to a Strong Start in FY2015
The latest issue of the Maryland Tourism Monitor -- the Office of Tourism's monthly report on metrics for marketing, tourism-related sales taxes, lodging and transportation trends and leisure and hospitality jobs -- is now available online. Among its findings: sales tax revenues from tourism tax codes grew 6.5 percent the first two months of FY 2015; leisure and hospitality employment increased more than 3 percent, and hotel room revenue increased more than 9 percent.

• Maryland Minute
  On CBS radio stations in Baltimore and Washington, D.C. plus WBAL-AM, Margot Amelia is featured in the weekly Maryland Minute. This week’s version highlights events for this upcoming weekend.

• Star-Spangled Spectacular and Fireworks By Grucci Set Guinness World Record: The Star-Spangled Spectacular’s massive pyrotechnic American Flag earned Grucci Fireworks’ a Guinness World Record for the “Largest Pyrotechnics Image” in history. The flag was 600 feet high and 900 feet wide and was visible from miles away.

• Charm City Cultural Heritage Tourism Symposium: Hosted by the African American Tourism Council of MD, the CCCHTS objective is to identify and connect Maryland heritage sites, events, dates, festivals, communities, cultural institutions and attractions to the nation’s travel and tourism industry.

• Conde Nast Traveler Names Baltimore to Top Ten Travel List: Conde Nast Traveler released its list of the 10 Most Underrated American Cities, and Baltimore was number two. The list focused on cities microbrew scene, dining, cultural attractions and charm, and there’s a reason we call Baltimore Charm City. The magazine noted Baltimore’s thriving neighborhoods, arts, festivals, nightlife, dining and unique events like The Miracle on 34th Street and Honfest.

1814 The Summation-A History Symposium: Baltimore’s Creative Alliance hosts a day of events with writers, historians and leading authorities on the War of 1812, November 15.

Spectacular Baltimore Art Show: A collection of artworks produced during the Star-Spangled Spectacular on display at Baltimore’s Crystal Moll Gallery, now through November 29.

Civil War Trains Exhibit: A 3-D model train exhibit focusing on the role of rails in the Civil War at Hagerstown’s Discovery Station November 12-December 30

41st Annual Mistletoe Mart: Family games and events, plus 50 juried artisans display their crafts in Westminster, November 6.

Belgian Beer Fest in Downtown Cambridge: Live music and tastings of Belgian-style beers, November 8.

MICA Art Market: Just in time for the holidays, MICA Art Market features illustrations, paintings, prints, posters, sculptures, mosaics, stationary, T-shirts, ceramics, jewelry, textiles, book arts, toys and wrapping paper created by MICA students, alumni, faculty and staff. Dec. 10-Friday, Dec. 12, 11 a.m.-7 p.m., and Saturday, Dec. 13, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

City of Lost Souls Premiere: This local, indie production has its premier at the Silver Spring AFI Theater, Monday, November 10.

Waterfowl Festival: A wildlife art and sports expo in Easton, November 14-16.