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• VADMO Spring Symposium 2025

  • Start
    09 Apr 2025
  •  
    12:30 PM
  • End
    10 Apr 2025
  •  
    3:00 PM
  • Location
    The Hotel Madison Harrisonburg VA
  • Spaces left
    23

  Register

  
  

  
  

  Planning for the Future

  The Hotel Madison

  Harrisonburg VA

  April 9-10,2025

  Sign up now for this annual VADMO event themed, Planning for the Future. Attendees will learn about new advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI), and how it can be incorporated into your local, regional and state programs.  Additionally, we have scheduled speakers to discuss strategic planning and the community development processes that will add new assets to your programs.

  Best practices in utilizing available data to support and build your local programs will also be addressed along with crisis management tips and tools.  

  VADMO's annual highlight, the prestigious Virgo Awards, will be presented to communities that have demonstrated Best Practices in their local initiatives, marketing strategies and events. 

  We look forward to seeing you in Harrisonburg in April!

  To reserve your room, please use this link:

  VADMO: https://reservations.travelclick.com/110365?groupID=4459495

  Expires March 8, 2025 

  VADMO Cancellation/Refund Policy:  Refunds to registration can be made up 10 days prior to the first day of the conference.  Cancellations after that time will not be eligible for a refund.

  
  

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• 2025 VADMO - VIRGO Awards - Application & Registration

  • When
    10 Apr 2025
  •  
    1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
  • Location
    2025 Virgo Awards Luncheon - Spring Symposium

  Register

  
  

  VADMO VIRGO Awards

  Each year, VADMO honors the best and brightest in Virginia’s tourism industry.  Whether it is an innovative marketing campaign, a wildly successful destination event, or a top-notch tourism professional, the VIRGO Awards showcase the immense talent and dedication of destination marketing organizations across the Commonwealth.

  Industry peers - located outside of Virginia - will serve as Judges for the awards and the submissions shall be evaluated on the quality of the application, economic efficiency, budget, purpose and objective of the event and the economic or community impact. 

  Projects, campaigns, and efforts completed between January and December of 2024 are eligible to be submitted.

  New categories - for a total of 10 Awards - are included this year to recognize the many new opportunities in Destination Marketing for agritourism, wineries, breweries and regional events.

  
  

  VIRGO Categories for 2025 Applications

  BEST COMPREHENSIVE ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN (One Award in Each Subcategory based on DMO Operating Budget)

  • DMOs with Total Budgets under $500K
  • DMOs with Total Budgets $501K - $1mil
  • DMOs with Total Budgets $1mil +

  A comprehensive advertising campaign is an all-encompassing plan that aligns all marketing activities with your destination's objectives. It involves a meticulous integration of various elements such as digital marketing, traditional marketing, content marketing, social media marketing, influencer marketing, etc.

  NOMINATION FORM-BEST COMPREHENSIVE AD CAMPAIGN

  
  

  BEST DIGITAL AND/OR SOCIAL MEDIA INITIATIVE

  Recognizing excellence in digital marketing, content creation, and social media strategy.

  NOMINATION FORM-BEST DIGITAL/SOCIAL MEDIA INITIATIVE

  
  

  BEST PRINT COLLATERAL

  Recognizing outstanding design, creativity, and effectiveness in printed marketing materials. (Examples include, rack cards/brochures; visitor guides; direct mail pieces; annual reports; posters/flyers, etc.)

  NOMINATION FORM-BEST PRINT COLLATERAL

  
  

  BEST IN NICHE TOURISM (One Award in Each Subcategory)

  • Eco-Tourism/Outdoor Adventure
  • Agritourism/Culinary/Winery/Brewery
  • Arts/Music/Culture/Heritage

  Creative and successful tourism initiatives that showcase a destination’s niche tourism market. 

  NOMINATION FORM-BEST IN NICHE TOURISM

  
  

  BEST REGIONAL MARKETING INITIATIVE

  ​Two or more cities, counties or towns that have established a program, event or campaign that markets a region as a consolidated destination.

  NOMINATION FORM-BEST REGIONAL MARKETING INITIATIVE

  
  

  BEST DESTINATION EVENT 

  ​Events, festivals, sport tournaments, concerts, reenactments, shows that generated a significant number of visitors.

  NOMINATION FORM-BEST DESTINATION EVENT

  ​

  To submit your DMO or local/regional event or initiative, click on the link included with the category of your choice and fill out the NOMINATION FORM. 

  Please submit the nomination/application to: vadmo@associationbuilders.com by March 26, 2025.

   

  Registration Costs/Fees:

  First Three Entries:

  VADMO member $40 each | Non-members $55 each

  
  

  Fourth Entry (plus):

  VADMO member $30 each | Non-members $45 each

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• Spring 2025 VADMO AAA Tour Operator Sales Blitz

  • Start
    05 May 2025
  • End
    23 May 2025
  • Location
    Mid/Central PA; Ohio/Pittsburg; Western NC, TN, Boston

  Register

  Spring 2025 VADMO AAA/Tour Operator Sales Blitz

  About

  Join VADMO as we canvas AAA offices and meet with tour operators in our bordering state/drive markets. We have three teams with leaders for three sets of dates. Each team has room for a third member to join, or we could set up a fourth team if we have interest from our partners:

  
  

  Team Mid/Central PA – May 5-9, 2025

  Team Lead: Dana Howe, Visit Norfolk; Jim Coggin, Virginia Beach CVB; Toni Bastian, Richmond Region Tourism; 

  Team Ohio/Pittsburg  – May 12-16, 2025

  Team Lead: Bruce Newton, Hampton CVB

  Team Western NC & TN – May 19-23, 2025

  Team Lead: Andrew Marks, Lynchburg Tourism; Hannah Oliver, Loudoun County Tourism

  Team Boston – May 12-16, 2025

  Team Lead: James McCann, City of Portsmouth

  
  

  Thanks to Virginia Tourism Corp for their support in providing canvas bags, binders and giveaway items for this mission.

  
  

  What will the AAA Offices / Tour Operators receive?

  At each of our visits, a Resource Binder with profile sheets from participating DMOs and a Virginia Is For Lovers bag filled with “goodies” supplied by the participants to be shared. Teams will review each of the destinations/profile sheets in the binder with the tour operators or AAA auto travel counselors.

  Benefits to participating DMOs:

  For those only sending profile information, be assured that everyone’s profile sheet and destination will be included in the Resource Binder and reviewed with staff members who make travel recommendations. Sample itineraries for tour operators will be shared or created during our desk side calls. An after-action report will be sent to participating DMOs with office mailing address, staff listing with contact information and any special notes or requests made during our presentation for follow up.

  
  

  Costs:

  $100 for DMO’s participating in the actual Blitz, making calls to tour operators and AAA offices.

  $125 for DMO’s participating by sending materials to be included in the calls.

  
  

  Deadlines and Materials:

  Each DMO will need to send their destination profile sheet in a 3-hole punched plastic sheet protector along with their Visitor Guide booklet to be included in the binder.  You will need to provide 100 copies of each to cover all our calls this mission. This number of packages could increase if we have more participants this year.
  

  Gift items included in the bags will give DMOs additional exposure. Consider small items, like ink pens, hi-liters, cell phone pockets or other similar sized items, but no large water bottles, please. We are stuffing 100 bags, so send as many items as you would like to share in each of the bags.

  DMOs will need to send their profile sheets, visitor guides, and any gifts in advance for placement in binders and bags. Please have all items delivered by April 20^th, 2025, to:

  
  

  James McCann- VADMO

  Portsmouth Tourism Dept.

  521 Middle St

  Portsmouth, VA, 23704

  Hope you can join us!

  
  

  Registration Opens March 1^st and Closes April 15^th, 2025 - with all materials being delivered by April 20^th, 2025
  

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