Local Visitors Bureau Unveils New Name, Logo

• Editor's Note: the following information was submitted by Discover Prince William & Manassas, VA it is unedited. 

At a luncheon celebrating the positive effects of tourism on the local economy, the Prince William & Manassas Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) Thursday unveiled an exciting new brand for marketing the destination and attracting more travelers to the area.

The CVB brand now includes a new name for the destination – “Discover Prince William & Manassas, VA” -, a new logo and a new tagline – “Where America’s Story Becomes Yours.”

“This is a year of discovery,” said CVB Executive Director Ann Marie Maher.  “The world is taking a new look at Prince William & Manassas as part of the 150th Anniversary of the American Civil War.  We felt this was an ideal time to take a new look at how we present ourselves to travelers who want an authentic, dynamic and welcoming experience.”

Maher said the new name speaks more directly to the role the tourism group plays, inviting business and leisure travelers todiscover all the destination has to offer. 

Luncheon and Speaker Bill Geist Focus on Positive Impact of Tourism

Thursday’s luncheon at the Harbour View Events Center (Woodbridge) was part of National Tourism Week, and began with a few words from Maher about the re-branding process.  She was then joined by Prince William County Board of Supervisors’ Chairman, Corey Stewart and City of Manassas Mayor, Hal Parrish along with representatives from the Virginia Tourism Corporation to unveil the logo.

Stewart and Parrish reported that in 2009 tourism provided 5,636 jobs to Prince William County generating $6.8 million in local tax receipts, traveler expenditures totaled $415 million and the City of Manassas sustained 518 tourism-related jobs generating $1.4 million in local tax receipts. 

After the unveiling, keynote speaker and travel expert Bill Geist spoke to the crowd of nearly 100 from local travel-related businesses.  Geist called tourism the “invisible industry: you can rarely tell a tourist from a resident of the destination.” Yet, he noted, its impact is felt by everyone from hotel clerks to real estate agents.  And tourism tax revenue supports better educational opportunities and county services.

“The key to showcasing tourism is to make it relevant and exciting,” said Geist. He referenced the CVB’s new tagline –Where America’s Story Becomes Yours – as setting expectations for an exciting travel experience.

New Brand Based on Traveler Research

The new logo reflects research into traveler and local perceptions of Prince William & Manassas as a destination.  The marketing team discovered that the attributes most often associated with Prince William & Manassas included: an unparalleled range of history/heritage attractions; welcoming and walkable towns that are authentic; and the chance to connect with America’s past in a new way.

The CVB will use the new logo and tagline in advertising (print and online), a new website, the Visitors Guide, marketing materials that invite group travel operators and meeting planners to Discover Prince William & Manassas, and in signage and marketing related to this summer’s events commemorating the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War.

It was designed by Woodbridge marketing agency Creating Results, LLC, in collaboration with the CVB marketing committee.

Discover Prince William & Manassas, VA is a non-profit organization which aggressively promotes the destination to groups, meetings, events and leisure travelers by selling, packaging and marketing area tourism-related businesses and services .