Planning an "Award Winning" Family Reunion in Maryland

The Prince George’s County Conference and Visitors Bureau’s (CVB) campaign to promote the County as a premier family reunion destination won the Marketing Award for Cooperative Promotion at the 2007 Maryland Governor’s Tourism Industry Conference.

“Reunion Capital USA” is an integrated and cooperative branding, promotional, and marketing campaign for Prince George’s County, Maryland. The campaign has been built upon the Where Families Come Together Family Reunion Sweepstakes that began in 2006. “Reunion Capital USA” supports the Livable Communities Initiative in Prince George’s County, Maryland, which is “a strategic plan for restoring, preserving, and conserving our communities.”

“Reunion Capital USA” and its corresponding Family Reunion Sweepstakes have proven an enormous success. Incorporating an email campaign and website, thousands of responses from every state in the country (including some international entries) have flooded Prince George’s County since the initiative began. Prince George’s County can truly claim to be the Reunion Capital of the United States because of its rich cultural history, attractions, proximity to our nation’s capital, and the County’s dedication to providing excellent service to family reunion planners and attendees.

Leslie E. Johnson, First Lady of Prince George’s County, is the official spokesperson for “Reunion Capital USA.” “Family Reunions are a unique opportunity for all ages to celebrate our past, present, and future. At a time when families are pulled in so many directions, no occasion better represents the love, traditions, and bonds that make us who we are,” said Johnson.

Prince George’s County businesses, including First Priority Trailways, Six Flags America, and the Greenbelt Marriott, have partnered with the Conference and Visitors Bureau to sponsor this initiative. The CVB also announced that they will partner next year with Gaylord National on the Potomac, the largest new meeting and convention site on the east coast.

“On behalf of our Board of Directors, members and staff, we are honored to receive this Marketing Award,” said J. Matthew Neitzey, CVB Executive Director. “The competition from around our state is formidable, which makes this recognition by our peers in the tourism industry that much sweeter,” Neitzey added.

The impact on tourism has been tremendous. In the past 12 months the “Reunion Capital USA” website has generated over 289,980 hits, and over 21,700 unique visitors. Since the campaigns’ inception, nearly 65 percent of contestants have expressed interest in having their event in Prince George’s County, and requested a Prince George’s County Family Reunion planning guide.

Over the past three years, the Prince George’s County Conference and Visitors Bureau has serviced 222 family reunions, representing approximately 6,735 attendees and $2.3 million in direct spending. “We believe that our Reunion Capital USA campaign will secure repeat business for us and attract new attention as Prince George’s County continues to be recognized as a favorite location for family reunions,” Neitzey stated.

To learn more about organizing family gatherings in Prince George’s County, upload and share reunion stories and family recipes, visit the county’s extensive website at: www.ReunionCapitalUSA.com

Courtesy of grouptrave;blog.com