CALL FOR NOMINATIONS

2023 DESTINATION MARYLAND AWARDS

INTRODUCTION

The Maryland Office of Tourism Development (OTD) and the Maryland Tourism Development Board (MTDB) offer this call for nominations for the new 2023 Destination Maryland Awards.  These awards recognize the outstanding work of the tourism industry in its quest to increase visitation to Maryland by showcasing the state as an exciting must-see destination.  Individuals, businesses, organizations and governmental agencies that have completed projects that significantly and positively impact the local, regional or statewide economy are eligible to submit a nomination.

Reflecting the OTD and MTDB strategic objectives, the awards reflect four major areas of focus: Maximizing Opportunities, Market Expansion, Leveraging Partnerships and Transactional Opportunities.

ELIGIBILITY

The 2023 Maryland Tourism Awards are open to Maryland individuals, businesses, organizations and governmental agencies who have successfully met the award criteria between September 1, 2022 and August 31, 2023.  Self-nominations are acceptable. All nominations must fit into at least one of the four following categories:

Maximizing Opportunities Award

This award will be presented to the entrant who has most successfully utilizes  an event, trend or asset to generate overnight stays.

Eligible nominations include events, anniversary celebrations, promotions or trends that have quantifiably increased visitors and/or customer base over the previous year.  On the separate nomination form, please limit the information provided to 200 words or less per description and include all applicable quantifiable results.

  • Percentage amount increase over previous years (40%)
  • ROI (investment as it relates to increased attendance/visitor spend) (35%)
  • Creativity (25%)

Market Expansion Award

This award will be presented to the entrant who has most successfully offered a Maryland tourism product into a wider section of an existing market, or into a new demographic or geographic market. Eligible nominations include any new program that has attracted a quantifiable amount of new audience/customer. On the separate nomination form, please limit the information provided to 200 words or less per description and include all applicable quantifiable results.

  • International, out of state and/or targeted demographic (30%)
  • Creativity (25%)
  • ROI (cost of program in relation to attendance/visitor spend) (25%)
  • Revenue generated (20%)

Leveraging Partnerships Award

This award will be presented to the entrant who most successfully identifies and packages complementary assets (i.e., trails that exist in each partner’s territory, byways that pass by a hotel/restaurant/shopping district, etc.) to drive revenue by generating overnight stays.

Eligible nominations include partners (financially vested) and/or allies (non-financial and/or in-kind). Nominations focused on tourism in combination with Outdoor Recreation, Arts & Entertainment Districts, Maryland Scenic Byways, Maryland Heritage Areas and/or Maryland Main Streets are strongly encouraged to submit.

On the separate nomination form, please limit the information provided to 200 words or less per description and include all applicable quantifiable results.

  • Results – goal driven, quantifiable outcomes (i.e., increased visitation, increased generated revenue, visitor satisfaction) (40%)
  • Strategic Approach – goals and roles (including product development, marketing activities, programming and/or events) of each partner in achieving those goals (30%)
  • Need for the partnership and rationale of each partner’s participation (15%)
  • Creativity, uniqueness of the partnership, and significance to each partner (15%)

Transactional Opportunities Award

This award will be presented to the entrant who most successfully creates tourism products or programming to make a cash register ring.

Eligible nominations include programs in existence for at least two years using digital and traditional media, technology, events, campaigns, promotions, retail transactions and/or training of professional staff dealing directly with the public to quantifiably enhance visitor spending onsite and/or on-line.

Eligible nominations include any tourism-focused business(es) or organization(s) that have created programming (including packages, tours, promotions, experiences and/or events) that have steadily grown from the beginning of the program in one or more of the following categories:

  • Hotel Driven programs - Increased room nights booked and/total revenue
  • Motor Coach/Boat/Air/Land tours - Increased group sales
  • Convention/Event Complexes – Increased number of conventions booked

On the separate nomination form, please limit the information provided to 200 words or less per description and include all applicable quantifiable results.

  • Net amount of revenue increase (40%)
  • Strategy around the purpose of the campaign (25%)
  • Sustainability of campaign (25%)
  • Creativity and ingenuity (10%)

GENERAL SUBMISSION INFORMATION AND REQUIREMENTS

  • Nominations become the property of OTD and must be submitted on one of the four forms provided.
  • Businesses, workforce development programs and partnership projects can only be nominated once every three years.
  • Nominations describe efforts that have been completed and results that have occurred within the award period of between November 1, 2022 and August 31, 2023.
  • Nominations received past the time/date deadline and incomplete submissions are ineligible.
  • Completed nominations must be submitted as follows:
    • One electronic copy of the nomination must be sent via email to [email protected] with the Subject:  2023 Maryland Tourism Awards; AND,
    • Seven hard copies of the nomination and each supporting enclosure (brochure, ad copy, etc.) if applicable must be RECEIVED by 5:00 p.m. on October 21, 2023 at the Maryland Office of Tourism and addressed as:

2023 Maryland Tourism Awards
Maryland Office of Tourism Development
401 E. Pratt Street, Suite 1400
Baltimore, Maryland   21202
Attention: Julia Bouie

AWARD DECISIONS

A panel of reviewers will score the nominations based on the criteria listed in the category description.  Each criterion will be considered on a point scale as indicated for a total of 100 possible points.  Nominations received in one category may be moved by the reviewers to the more appropriate category.

RECIPIENT RECOGNITION

  • Recipients will be recognized during the opening luncheon of the Maryland Travel and Tourism Summit (MTTS) beginning at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, November 8, 2023. The MTTS will be held at the Marriott Owings Mills Metro Center, 10101 Grand Central Avenue, Owings Mills, MD 21117.
  • Nominators will be notified if their nomination is selected to receive an award.  If nominators are not registered to attend the MTTS, OTD will notify them and arrange attendance for two people.
  • All information regarding awards must be kept confidential in advance of the luncheon.
  • Recipients will be publicized through all appropriate OTD communication channels.