Have you got a can’t-miss marketing platform to increase overnight stays in Maryland? Submit your idea now and see if you’ve got what it takes to win over the judges at the Maryland Tourism & Travel Summit’s (MTTS) second annual “Crab Tank” pitch competition. If selected, you will make your pitch live at MTTS and the “Big Crabs” will pick the pitch with the claws to get it done. Winning submissions should go beyond traditional travel silos and combine Maryland’s winning travel possibilities including group travel, multicultural/diversity travel, human-powered recreation, and family fun. The winning pitch will receive $50,000 in marketing support provided by OTD, including a full-page ad in Destination Maryland, web banner ads, coverage on VisitMaryland.org and in OTD’s newsletters, and more. All submissions must be received by October 14. Click here for more information about how to submit your pitch.

On June 13, First Lady Yumi Hogan addressed a crowd of more than 100 guests at a Suffrage Tea at the Naval Academy Officer's Club to kick off the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the passage by Congress of the 19th Amendment. The tea was part of a number of events planned by the Governor's Commission on the anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote.

Pictured: Tara Singh; Liz Fitzsimmons, Managing Director, Tourism, Film and the Arts; Adrienne Jones, Speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates; Yumi Hogan, First Lady of Maryland; Major General Linda L. Singh, Maryland 19th Amendment Commission Chair; Deborah Phelps, Education Foundation of Baltimore County Public Schools; Marylou Yam, President, Notre Dame of Maryland; Rebecca Kleefisch, Executive Director, Women's Suffrage Centennial Commission. Photo by Anthony DePanise, Executive Office of the Governor.

“Hope’s Legacy,” a feature film about a couple navigating their relationship through the world of competitive horse eventing, is the first film to qualify for the new Maryland Small Films Tax Credit program. The film, which is being produced by DBM Communications, Inc. of Towson, began filming in Baltimore County this month using local crew, actors, and support services. The Maryland Small Films Tax Credit program is a subset of the Maryland Film Production Activity Tax Credit, which the Maryland Film Office administers. The tax credit was amended in 2018 and among the changes was that 10 percent of the funding would be targeted specifically for small, independent Maryland productions. FY2019 small film tax credits are still available.

$1.1 million in FY2020 tax credits for Maryland Small Films become available on July 1. The Maryland Film Office will begin accepting applications for qualification for those credits, on a first come, first serve basis, at 9 a.m. on Monday, July 1.

“The new Small Films Tax Credit program was created to nurture and support Maryland’s growing independent film industry, and it’s great news that “Hope’s Legacy” is the first to take advantage of it,” said Governor Larry Hogan. “Independent films like “Hope’s Legacy” create jobs and boost our economy by hiring local cast and crew, but also help showcase the state’s beauty and great quality of life.” For more information on the tax credit program, visit marylandfilm.org.

Maryland’s Summer of Music is in its second year, featuring more than 20 multi-day music festivals across the state, and in an effort to encourage overnight hotel stays, we are asking our partners to create their own packages to celebrate Maryland’s Summer of Music and to brand a local music event as part of Maryland’s Summer of Music lodging package. There is no cost to have your package listed, however we reserve the right to edit your listing for clarity and consistency. The Summer of Music runs from Delfest on Memorial Day Weekend through Sunfest in Ocean City, September 21-22.

Discounted rates are great, but also think about including festival tickets or tying the package into a dining experience or a visit to a local attraction. Packages should be associated with one of the Summer of Music festivals, and you may submit multiple promotions. If you have a package you would like us to include in our promotions, complete this linked Google doc.

For the latest on events and everything going all around Maryland, view the latest edition of Visit Maryland Now! here.

Each week, the Maryland Minute provides highlights and insights on this weekend’s events around the state. Maryland Minute is featured on iHeart radio stations in Maryland and Washington, D.C. and on Baltimore’s WBAL-AM 1090.