Framingham, MA (March 10): The MetroWest Boston Visitors Bureau (MBVB) will be holding
their Annual Meeting, Tourism Summit and Legislative Breakfast, entitled “The Power of
Travel” on March 27 from 8:00 – 11:30am at the Warren Conference Center and Inn in Ashland.
The event is open to everyone, and will include a travel and hospitality industry update, both at
the regional level delivered by MBVB Executive Director Stacey David, as well as at the state
level, given by Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism Executive Director Kate Fox.
Additional speakers include Sheila Green, who will update on the MA250 initiative that is
marketing events surrounding the 250 th anniversary of the American Revolution, and
Representative Priscila Sousa, who will talk about building a strong community in uncertain
times. The second half of the program will be educational sessions designed to provide
inspiration, insight, and tangible takeaways to help attendees in promoting their own
businesses. These sessions will include a panel discussion with the Travel Editor from Yankee
Magazine and the team at ShoredUp Digital on the ways you can use storytelling to gain free
press coverage and greater social media engagement, another panel discussion on experiential
tourism and how to create experiences visitors want (even if your business isn’t normally
experientially based!), a presentation on the Visitors Bureau’s new walking and driving tours
app and how to get your organization into one of their itineraries, and an interactive session
designed to help you think creatively about the impact of tourism and how you can leverage
those impacts in your own organization. All businesses in MetroWest and the surrounding
communities are invited to attend, including hotels, restaurants, attractions, non-profit arts &
culture, retailers, town administrators and more. Registration is required. To view the full
agenda and register, please visit www.metrowestvisitors.org/annual_meeting.
AGENDA:
Stacey David
MetroWest Boston Visitors Bureau Executive Director
Stacey will share visitor data on the State of the Region regarding tourism and hospitality, along
with a recap of last year’s MBVB marketing results and this year’s plans for promoting
MetroWest to various market segments…and how you can benefit.
Representative Priscila Sousa
6 th Middlesex
Rep. Sousa will share her thoughts and insight on creating community in uncertain times.
Kate Fox
Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism Executive Director
An update on the domestic and international destination marketing strategies underway at the
Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism.
Sheila Green
MA 250 th Anniversary Coordinator
Learn about the Commonwealth’s plans to commemorate and market the anniversary of the
American Revolution, and how your organization can leverage those efforts to bring in visitors
to your attraction or event…even if you’re not a history museum!
AI-Powered MetroWest Tours: The Wave of the Future
The Visitors Bureau is thrilled to announce the launch of custom AI-powered driving and
walking tours of MetroWest. Learn about this initiative, see a demo of the first tours on the app,
and hear how your organization could get involved.
Panel: Experiential Tourism: Travel’s Shiny New Toy
The hottest trend in travel right now is experiential tourism. See examples from around the
world, hear how our amazing panelists have hopped on this bandwagon to create activities and
experiences that draw visitors in, and learn how you can do the same in your own business (even
those that you think don’t lend themselves to classes or workshops!). Panelists: Hunter Chaney
(American Heritage Museum), Evan Reseska (Boston Honey Company), and Carol Collord
(Medway Community Farm).
The Impact of Tourism
While we all know (and love!) the economic impact of tourism, there are other impacts as well.
This session will explore some of the other ways that visitors are influenced by the trips they
take, and how you can leverage those impacts for your own organization.
Panel: The Power of Storytelling in Travel Marketing
Join us for a riveting panel discussion with the amazing Travel Editor of Yankee magazine, Kim
Knox Beckius, and powerhouse duo Angela Prout and Marnely Murray from ShoredUp Digital
who will share their insights, tips and tricks for garnering earned media and great influencer
engagement through the power of storytelling. Learn to craft destination-driven content that
converts!
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The MetroWest Boston Visitors Bureau is a non-profit organization focused on promoting travel
and tourism throughout the 19 towns of the MetroWest region: Ashland, Bellingham,
Framingham, Franklin, Holliston, Hopedale, Hopkinton, Hudson, Marlborough, Medway,
Milford, Millis, Natick, Northborough, Sherborn, Southborough, Sudbury, Wayland, and
Westborough. For more information, please visit the MBVB website at
www.metrowestvisitors.org.