Secretary Kelly Schulz attended the annual Great Frederick Fair and competed in the Celebrity Harness Race on Wednesday, September 18. Other competitors included Delaplaine Foundation President Marlene Young and Hood College President Dr. Andrea Chapdelaine. After two laps on the fast race track, Secretary Schulz won by several links. The annual celebrity event brings positive attention for the Great Frederick Fair, and helps showcase this valuable visitor attraction.

Martha Teichner of CBS Sunday Morning joined OTD and our partners on the Eastern Shore for an upcoming feature on the life of Harriet Tubman and the tourism assets that celebrate her memory. The story, which is slated to run in October, coincides with the upcoming release of “Harriet,” the first major motion picture to honor the life of this American hero. OTD would like to thank all its partners, including Harriet Tubman biographer Kate Larson, who was interviewed extensively for the CBS piece. Larson was also one of the consultants on the development of the Harriet Tubman UGRR Byway.

Pictured (from left): Robbyn McFadden, Associate Producer, CBS News Sunday Morning; Marci Ross, Assistant Director of Toursim Development, OTD; Liz Fitzsimmons, Managing Director, Tourism & Film; Martha Teichner, Correspondent, CBS Sunday Morning; Kate Larson, author & historian; Rick Albright; Ron Dean; and Matthew Scales, Public Relations Specialist, OTD.

The western section of the C&O Canal, and the Roots & Tides Scenic Byways are the latest subjects in OTD’s ongoing project to showcase Maryland’s extensive Scenic Byway system. The western section (Hancock to Cumberland) of Maryland’s C&O Canal Scenic Byway was filmed during a three-day video shoot in late August. The shoot featured a group of five millennials enjoying the beauty and rugged outdoors of Western Maryland. The capital (DC to Brunswick) and central (Brunswick to Hancock) sections are scheduled to be filmed in 2020. The Roots & Tides Scenic Byway was filmed during a three-day video shoot in early September. The shoot featured a couple taking an eco-friendly trip, combined with some volunteerism, along the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay. “We could not have filmed either of these videos without the support of our DMOs and a myriad of our tourism partners. The locations used for the filming of the videos could not have been more accommodating. A big thank-you to all of them,” said Catherine Batavick, Project Manager, OTD. Look for the new videos in the spring of 2020, and to see the current roster of Scenic Byway videos, follow this link to VisitMaryland.org.

Pictued: C&O Canal Scenic Byway cast poses for Arnaud Mueller, videographer, at Green Ridge State Forest scenic overlook.

Capital Region USA (CRUSA), the official regional destination marketing organization promoting Washington D.C., Maryland and Virginia to international travelers, is hosting its annual Global Summit on international marketing October 24 in Alexandria, VA. The event features the latest news and research on overseas visitation, tips and trends for international marketers, updates on CRUSA's target and emerging markets, and more. This one-day event will allow attendees to meet with CRUSA's overseas representatives and learn best practices for bringing more overseas visitors to your destination or attraction.

The Global Summit will feature the latest economic impact figures on overseas arrivals to, and spending in the Capital Region for 2018, the latest trends and insights for CRUSA’s markets, a chance to meet CRUSA’s overseas representatives, networking opportunities with industry peers from across the region, lunch and prizes. Cost is $100. For more information and to register, follow this link.

Visit Baltimore will be hosting the American Bus Association Marketplace, the premier business event for the group travel industry, January 29-February 2, 2021. The week-long convention brings travel professionals from across the industry and across the nation together to bring motorcoach tours to their attractions. As a benefit of sponsorship, OTD will have the opportunity to showcase other parts of the state with pre- and post-familiarization tours. Maryland plans to offer six tours, preferably four pre-FAMs and two post-FAMs, and will be accepting FAM submissions until October 21, 2019 with ABA member attractions, hotels and restaurants encouraged to work in conjunction with their local DMOs. For more information on ABA, the FAM opportunities, and to submit your proposal, email Rich Gilbert, Travel Trade Sales Manager, OTD, at rgilbert@visitmaryland.org.

The 2019 Maryland Travel & Tourism Summit (MTTS) will be held November 6-8 at the Rocky Gap Casino in Cumberland. MTTS is Maryland’s annual tourism industry conference, which brings together all sectors of the hospitality industry. MTTS offers one-of-a-kind networking and is the ideal opportunity to learn and develop new strategies to advance your business and Maryland Tourism as a whole. The summit attracts more than 250 attendees, acclaimed speakers presenting on industry trends, and interactive learning sessions including an off-site learning lab. For more information and to register, follow this link.

Have you got a can’t-miss marketing platform to increase overnight stays in Maryland? Submit 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. Make your submissions now, and, 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 will 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 15. Click here for more information about how to submit your pitch.

How can OTD help spread the word about your attraction or event? "Maryland Mondays" is the perfect way to help us help you. Each Monday, OTD launches a new “Maryland Mondays” ticket give-away program across all of our social media channels, consumer newsletter, and weekly “Maryland Minute” radio spots. Combined, these channels reach thousands of potential customers each week. To find out how to get involved by providing tickets to your attraction for an upcoming "Maryland Mondays," email OTD’s Matthew Scales.

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 Entercom radio stations in Baltimore and Washington, D.C., WERQ and on Baltimore’s WBAL-AM 1090.