Tourism Industry & BACVA News

Media Contacts Only:
Sara Hisamoto
Baltimore Area Convention & Visitors Association
410-659-7071
shisamoto@baltimore.org

BACVA Books Two Medical Associations That Will Utilize the New Hilton Hotel

(BALTIMORE) - The Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Association (BACVA) has recently secured commitments from two convention groups from the highly sought-after medical meetings market - Orthopaedic Trauma Association (OTA) and the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC), for October 2010 and June/July 2011, respectively. APIC, a citywide convention, is making a return visit to Baltimore after a successful 2005 meeting here. Both groups have pending agreements with the new Hilton Baltimore Convention Center Hotel for room nights and potential meeting space.

With two world-renowned medical institutions and a growing biotech industry, Baltimore is an attractive meetings destination for medical groups. "Having Johns Hopkins and the University of Maryland in our own backyard gives Baltimore a competitive edge in the lucrative medical meetings market," says Tom Noonan, president and CEO of BACVA. "The presence of those institutions, combined with our waterfront and tight convention package, sets Baltimore apart from the other cities competing for the business."

OTA will meet in Baltimore for the first time October 12-16, 2010, bringing an estimated 1,200 medical professionals to the city who will use more than 2,000 hotel rooms and generate an estimated $1.2 million in direct spending. APIC will return to Baltimore on June 22-July 2, 2011, bringing an estimated 4,000 nurses, physicians, microbiologists and public health practitioners who will use more than 8,000 hotel rooms and generate an estimated $4.1 million in direct spending.

These medical bookings come as BACVA prepares to increase its sales presence within the pharmaceutical and corporate markets with a new a sales manager located in the northeast region. Both pharmaceutical and corporate groups have the ability to book short-term, making them an attractive market segment for convention destinations.

In addition to the northeast sales position, other new sales strategies include the hiring of a third salesperson in the association-rich Washington, D.C., region. Another strategy currently being implemented is "taking Baltimore on the road." Over the past several weeks, the sales team has been hosting client events in D.C.; New York City; and Northern Virginia, where local chef Timothy Dean of Timothy Dean Bistro joined the group and provided a cooking demonstration for the meeting planners. A client event scheduled in Chicago on March 22 will feature Fleming's chef Eric Littlejohn. A Baltimore chef will also join the sales team in Philadelphia on March 28.

Meeting Details

Orthopaedic Trauma Association
October 12-16, 2010
1,200 attendees
2,785 total room nights
$1.2 million estimated direct spending

Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology

June 22-July 2, 2011
4,000 attendees
8,704 total room nights
$4.1 million estimated direct spending

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The Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Association (BACVA), a membership-based organization, is the official destination development and marketing leader for Greater Baltimore, responsible for generating incremental economic benefits to the community through the attraction of convention and leisure visits.