Annapolis and Newport CVBs co-host event

The Annapolis & Anne Arundel, Md., County CVB (AAACCVB) and Newport & Bristol County, R.I., CVB (NBCCVB) will hold joint invitation-only luncheons for more than 100 meeting planners in Washington, D.C., and Alexandria, Va., at the end of March. Both events will feature trade shows with hospitality industry partners from both destinations networking and discussing future meetings with planners.

“Everyone in the meetings’ industry is under pressure to do more with less,” says Tim Walsh, vice president of sales at the NBCCVB. “Pooling our resources allows us to maintain a high level of programming to market both the Annapolis and Newport areas as meeting and incentive destinations.”

Annapolis approached Newport with the possibility of co-hosting an event in the summer of 2009. Representatives of the Newport CVB toured Annapolis the following November to finalize the agreement. The similarities between the two destinations drew them together. But when it came time to choose a host city, both bureaus agreed to go to Washington, D.C.

“We are in the business of attracting meetings and groups to our respective destinations,” says Bill Adams, director of sales from Annapolis. “Instead of making the meeting planners come out to Annapolis and to Newport, we figured we’d have an event that was centrally located to all of the meeting planners, associations and government. We thought it would increase our chances of having great attendance at the events.”

Both bureaus are exploring other options to further the collaboration.