MARYLAND Insights September 24, 2014 | view this email online
SEPTEMBER 24, 2014
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Newsletter left navigation Click the image to view a photo slideshow from the Star-Spangled Spectacular celebration

Record Fireworks by Grucci during the Star-Spangled Spectacular: A celebration 200 years in the making. Click image for the full Star-Spangled Gallery.

NEWS IN BRIEF

Star-Spangled Spectacular is in the books
It’s hard to believe, but the Star-Spangled Spectacular is in the books and, as high as expectations were, the city and state exceeded them. Even President Barack Obama came to honor the flag joining the massive crowds of jubilant revelers who flocked to what is being called the biggest tourism event in Baltimore’s history. Tens of millions more watched from home as the Spectacular was showcased on CBS’s Thursday Night Football, ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball, and PBS’s Great Performances, which carried Saturday night’s concert live from Pier Six and Fort McHenry. And while hard data on the economic impact won’t be available until later this Fall, 2012’s Sailibration created $166 million in tourist spending and Anirban Basu, an economist with the Brookings Institute, told the Baltimore Business Journal the Spectacular could reach a quarter of a billion dollars.

Events ranged from the touching gathering of more than  6,000 Maryland school kids to form a human flag  at Fort McHenry and a rousing concert with a host of American music icons to two days of thrilling shows by the U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels and the region’s biggest ever fireworks display. And it all came off so smoothly even notoriously fickle hipsters had to rave. It took years of planning and a lot of hard work, but now that we’ve caught our breath and taken stock, it’s clear the hard work was worth it. Baltimore shone before a global audience and, for visitors and locals alike, it was a time for making memories to last a lifetime. For a full recap of reviews, check out September’s Key Notes.

We here at Maryland, Tourism, Film and the Arts couldn’t be prouder of our state and the city of Baltimore and would like to give a big thank you to Baltimore and its tourism agency Visit Baltimore, Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts, Baltimore County Tourism and Promotion, Sail Baltimore, Martin State Airport, Maryland Port Administration, Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine, the U.S. Navy  and all of our friends and partners who made this possible. Everyone gave their best and many staffers even gave up their weekends to volunteer at events around the city. Thanks everyone for a spectacular Spectacular!
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Maryland Wine Festival announces Governor’s Cup winner
The two-day Maryland Wine Festival brought thousands of wine lovers to the idyllic Carroll County Farm Museum to enjoy the best of Maryland’s vineyards. Now in its 30th year, the festival has grown from a curiosity with just a handful of local wineries to the centerpiece of Maryland’s vibrant vino scene showcasing 63 wineries from across the state. More than 120 wines were judged and a record 28 won gold medals, but a few newer vintners were particular standouts. Founded in 2011, Washington County’s Big Cork Vineyard and St. Mary’s Port of Leonardtown Winery each earned five gold medals with Big Cork taking best in class for dessert wines and Leonardtown winning top honors in the rosé and fruit categories.

The Governor’s Cup went to Somerset County’s Bordeleau Vineyards & Winery for their stunning 2008 Amarone. The daring vintage, which had previously won a silver medal at the 2014 World Wine Championship, is a testament to just how far Maryland wine has come. Made from grapes which have been allowed to rasin, concentrating the flavors and allowing for bold notes of cherry, plum and chocolate, Amarone is the mark of a winery — and an industry — that is both bold and confident, and with good reason. Maryland wineries quadrupled their sales from $6.1 million in in 2001 to $24.4 million in 2011. Maryland wineries sold more than 1.8 million bottles in that year alone, but those numbers continue to rise. So raise a glass to the Maryland Wine Festival and the 2014 Governor’s Cup winners.
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Lt. Governor Anthony G. Brown Takes the Stage at Chesapeake Shakespeare Theater Ribbon Cutting
Lt. Governor Anthony G. Brown took to the stage for the grand opening of Baltimore’s new Chesapeake Shakespeare Company Theater and cut the ribbon with a Medieval broadsword. The $6.7 million state-of-the-art facility is modeled after Shakespeare’s own Globe Theater and will be the new, permanent home, of the Chesapeake Shakespeare Company (CSC). CSC followed its Monday September 15 ribbon ceremony with a grand opening black tie gala on Saturday, a family festival on Sunday and production of A Mid-Summer Night’s Dream that will run through October 12.

Located in downtown Baltimore’s historic Mercantile Trust & Deposit Co, the theater is part of the ongoing revitalization of the Calvert St. Corridor and looks to be a perfect home for The Bard in Baltimore.
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Exuberant Crowds Cheer U.S. Gold as McHenry, MD Hosts Canoe Slalom World Championships
McHenry, MD hosted the world, and, with the home crowd roaring louder than the rapids, Fabien Lefevre took the gold for Team USA. Enthusiastic fans enjoyed five days of music, food and even a circus, but there’s no doubt what brought people to Garret County’s Adventure Sports International complex. All eyes were on the water for three solid days of racing, and the wave of home team support helped push Lefevre to gold. “The atmosphere during the final was just magical," Lefevre said. "It seemed that everybody around the course was on the same wavelength at the same time.” With that kind of support, Lefevre knew he had to win, "I couldn't have dreamt for more to thank the people who have welcomed me and my family here.”

Fans agreed with Lefevre’s enthusiastic review. "It's a once-in-a-lifetime thing, being here and watching it," explained Cathy Witt who, with her kids, made the 45 mile trip from Cumberland for the games. "It has an Olympic-feel.” Witt may be closer to the truth than she knows. Russ Ramsey, chairman of the committee to bring the 2024 Summer Olympics to Maryland and D.C. was on hand for Thursday’s festivities. If the smooth execution and jubilant crowds were any indication, things look good for 2024!
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Sportsman’s Marketing Initiative Survey Live Through September 30
With unparalleled fishing opportunities, tremendous hunting and great access to shooting sports, Maryland is a sportsman’s paradise and the Maryland Department of Business & Economic Development has partnered with the Maryland Sportsman’s Foundation to get the word out. Maryland’s 450,000 sportsmen and women are well aware of The Old Line State’s great outdoors, and spent $815 million in 2011 alone hunting and fishing in Maryland. That’s a big chunk of the national pie, but the Sports Marketing Initiative (SMI) hopes to grow Maryland’s share of the $90 billion spent annually on fishing, hunting and shooting sports.

To best grow opportunities for sportsmen and women in Maryland, we need your help. SMI has created a survey to gauge what activities Maryland hunters and anglers already enjoy. With that knowledge, SMI can expand sporting opportunities in Maryland. The survey only takes a few minutes and is available here through September 30.
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Tourism Tax Revenues Outperformed Overall Sales Tax Growth in FY2014
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 revenue from tourism tax codes grew 2.4 percent in FY 2014; the addition of table games and the opening of Rocky Gap led to an increase in gaming revenue  of 37 percent; and the number of hotel rooms sold in Maryland in June 2014 increased 5 percent, while room revenue increased 7 percent.


IN THE NEWS

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.

House of Cards Adds Prestigious Harford Award to its Trophy Collection
The wildly popular House of Cards has taken the media world by storm earning four Emmys (and counting!) and changing the way people consume serial television. But the series’ local impact goes far beyond binge watching. In its three seasons, House of Cards has supported more than  500 Harford County businesses, bringing millions in new revenue to the county. In recognition of its important economic impact, the Harford County Chamber of Commerce awarded the production with its prestigious Harford Award for Economic Enhancement.

“House of Cards has been a great addition to the Harford County and Maryland economy,” said James C. Richardson, Director of the Harford County Office of Economic Development. “They have been an outstanding corporate partner in the County and have shown us locally why this series is an Emmy Award winner and a national and international success.”

Travel & Leisure Names Oakland, MD Number One for Fall Foliage
If you’ve ever been to Oakland’s dazzling Autumn Glory Festival, you’re already well aware of just how beautiful fall in Garret County can be, but the folks at Travel and Leisure Magazine have finally caught on. Noting the singular beauty of nearby Swallow Falls State Park and, at more than 360 years of age, the nation’s oldest eastern hemlock and white pine groves, the magazine named Oakland, America’s Best Town for Fall Colors. If you haven’t been yet, what are you waiting for?

From late September through the end of October, the forests of Western Maryland produce a mind boggling array of color. With deep reds, vibrant golds and blazing sprays of orange dazzling against the shimmering waters of the Youghiogheny or reflected upon the mirror surface of Deep Creek Lake, the forests of Garret County provide a truly transcendent travel experience. A mild, wet summer with no big wind events means Maryland’s trees are blessed with an abundance of leaves and experts are predicting a particularly glorious fall. This year, Mother Nature will be putting on a fireworks display to give the Spectacular a run for its money.

A single visit may not be enough to capture the season’s splendor, but if you can only make one trip, Oakland’s 47th annual Autumn Glory Festival is a can’t miss. The five day  festival runs Wednesday October 8 through Sunday October 12 offering foliage tours, parades, music, dance competitions, art exhibits, local crafts and even a car show. All the details and other great area attractions are available at visitdeepcreek.com.

Recap of Star-Spangled Spectacular Coverage


UPCOMING EVENTS

Now accepting ad reservations for Destination Maryland - Official 2015 Visitors Guide
Now accepting ad reservations for Destination Maryland - Official 2015 Visitors GuideThe all-new official Destination Maryland Guide presents our tourism partners with a unique, powerful platform. There is no comparable opportunity available that is 100% focused on visitation to Maryland—and there is no better time to speak to its large audience than when they are actively planning their visit to the state. The Destination Maryland Visitors Guide is sent by request directly to highly qualified travelers who are actively planning a Maryland vacation—most often a long one. In addition to 250,000 printed copies distributed, the Visitors Guide will also be available in both an interactive E-book and I-pad versions which click through to advertiser landing pages.

Contact Carly Stedman for rates and details: carly.stedman@milespartnership.com / 202-681-8169. Deadline to reserve space is September 30, 2014

34th Annual Maryland Tourism and Travel Summit

Date: Nov. 12-14, 2014
Venue: Roland E. Powell Convention Center in partnership with Hilton Ocean City Oceanfront Suites
Address: 4001 Coastal Highway, Ocean City, MD 21842


VIEW SUMMIT SCHEDULE and REGISTER
401 East Pratt St. 14th floor Baltimore, MD 21202