News
Mapping out New Opportunities, Part 2
The Official Old Town map has been very popular and we are already starting to plan improvements for the next version, which will come out in August. If you are a currently an ACVA member, you will automatically receive a dot on the map showing your location plus a listing that includes the name of your company, street address and telephone number.
If you are not currently a member, you may purchase a dot and listing for $75. For this fee, you will be on the map that is available from August to December 2008, when the next edition will be published.
For more information contact Director of Membership Merrie Morris at 703/838-4200, ext. 205 or mmorris@FunSide.com.
ACVA Initiatives to Welcome Guests from National Harbor
The ACVA is the lead for marketing initiatives to draw visitors from National Harbor to Alexandria's shops, restaurants and historic attractions. Among these initiatives are
- The production of an original video to be shown on the new water taxis as they travel from National Harbor to our waterfront
- In-room advertising at Gaylord National
- Attractive and informative kiosks at the waterfront
- Convention sales materials, a rack brochure, and the 2008 Official Visitors Guide to Alexandria
- Extended hours at the Alexandria Visitors Center at Ramsay House, which, starting in April will be open until 8 p.m. to assist visitors.
This is an extremely exciting time for tourism in Alexandria, and even now details are unfolding. Mark your calendars now for the February 22 Fun Side Forum — ACVA's Stephanie Brown and representatives from the City and National Harbor Collaborative Task Force will present the latest information on this multi-pronged effort. Watch the Events page of this site for details of the February 22 Fun Side Forum plus a boat trip to National Harbor being planned for an afternoon in early March.
Brand Study Results
The ACVA has completed an intensive three-month research study that identified those attributes that are authentic to Alexandria, distinguish us from our competitors, and best motivate travelers to visit our City. These attributes confirm what those of us who live and work here know to be true— that Alexandria is
- A destination full of historic ambiance
- A showcase for period architecture
- Charming
- Offers great dining and shopping experiences
The study also evaluated the effectiveness of "The Fun Side of the Potomac," a slogan that is now 10 years old. As a result of the study, ACVA will work with a full-service advertising agency that has expertise in tourism branding with the goal of using this information to launch new branding and marketing programs.
These new initiatives are in concert with recommendations of Mayor Euille's Economic Sustainability Work Group and will effectively market Alexandria to capture an increasing share of the competitive travel market.
To see a Powerpoint presentation given by SMARI (Strategic Marketing and Research Inc.) on the results of the brand study, click here. SMARI is also preparing a complete narrative report of their findings, which will be posted shortly.
Introducing www.VisitAlexandriaVA.com
The ACVA's website has a new name — www.VisitAlexandriaVA.com. In one of the marvels of modern technology, the change does not affect the site — anyone who types the urls TheFunSideofthePotomac.com or FunSide.com into their browsers will continue to go to our website. This change fits into our plan to launch new branding and marketing programs in the future. (For now, staff email addresses will remain the same.)
ACVA Launches Destination-Wedding Initiative
Alexandria is opening its doors to brides and grooms wanting a one-stop shop for creating a unique celebration right here. At the January 25 Fun Side Forum, the ACVA sales team presented an exciting plan to position Alexandria as a wedding destination and bring that business here.
With the average cost of a DC-area wedding at $29,000, the wedding industry is a booming business. "The weddings market is especially important for Alexandria because of the market's broad reach across so many businesses in the City," said Stephanie Brown, president of the ACVA. "From hotels to restaurants, shops, historic attractions, and wedding services, Alexandria businesses offer the full range of services that are crucial to creating a successful destination wedding experience. The City will benefit from the added revenue generated in this market."
The action plan includes several components:- www.MyAlexandriaWedding.com is the source for all the information a bride needs to plan her perfect event here, including listings for ceremony and reception sites and vendors such as florists and car services. It also includes a form for brides to request information from the ACVA. Those requests will receive a prompt, personalized reply from Brian Chung, the ACVA sales-team member designated for the weddings market.
- Participation in the Washington Bridal Showcase — Brian attended the January showcase and received more than 30 requests for information. In the future, he will invite ACVA members to partner with him at this tradeshow.
- MyAlexandriaWedding.com Postcard — Designed to work with ACVA's other marketing materials, this attractive piece is available to all ACVA members who work with the bridal market. It positions Alexandria as an ideal wedding destination and directs the bride to ACVA for information and assistance. If you would like a stack of 50, please contact Brian at bchung@FunSide.com and he will make sure you receive a supply.
The ACVA is excited about this new initiative and glad to see it featured by the Washington Business Journal. Read about it here.
Can You Hear Me Now?
With so much happening in Alexandria's tourism community, ACVA wants to make sure everyone is 'in the know'. If you are not receiving our emails, or if you know someone who should be added to our list, please contact Merrie Morris at mmorris@FunSide.com or 703/838-4200, ext. 205.
