BLUE BELL – Valley Forge’s Tourism and Convention Council (VFTCB) marked a milestone this week – its first in-person event in more than a year.

Socially distant and wearing masks, more than 100 guests attended the outdoor event at the Bluestone Country Club in Blue Bell to promote tourism in Montgomery County and highlight the VFTCB’s strategic initiatives for 2021.

The event celebrated US Travel’s National Travel & Tourism Week and was held just before the 5th annual Montco Golf Classic. In addition to the updates to the VFTCB, on-site attendees were given a hot air balloon, Scottish bagpiper, and the opportunity to celebrate the fourth birthday of the mascot Monty the Fox in Montgomery County.

The tourism authority outlined two upcoming new events during the event, including the very first Crave Montco month – a 31-day restaurant promotion in July; and the new Arts Montco Week – a week-long celebration of September’s cultural attractions.

The events are designed to promote restaurants and the arts – two segments of the tourism and travel industries hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic.

The goal of both initiatives, according to Mike Bowman, President and CEO of VFTCB, is to help revive the usually robust positive economic impact of tourism in the county of $ 1.65 billion.

“Tourism in Montgomery County is certainly powerful,” Bowman said in a press release. “Our industry is bent, but not broken. Travel can change and shape us and have a positive impact on our whole life. We need this now more than ever and we know our suburbs will emerge from this strength. Together we will work hard to use this power to turn things around and get people back to work. “

Montgomery County has more than 1,850 restaurants and Montco Makers – breweries, wineries, and distilleries – with 22,500 employees. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor, that number accounts for 4% of employment in Montgomery County and is the third highest figure in the state with expected growth of more than 11% from 2018 to 2028.

The month-long restaurant promotion is free for restaurants and Montco Makers – 31 days of meals, drinks and specials, including an update to the free Montco Makers app and a monthly competition, website, videos, blog content and PR and social plan.

Rachel Riley, senior director of communications at VFTCB, said the agency knew there was a desire for people to be able to eat out.

“They long for meeting nights, celebrate missed birthdays or even just on Tuesdays. We hope that consumers in Montco will and will satisfy that need, ”she said.

To raise awareness of the campaign, the VFTCB will spotlight a hospitality hero in the food and beverage industry on its weekly social platform.

Arts Montco Week, scheduled September 17-26, is designed to help promote support for the county’s 200 arts and cultural sites, which typically have a positive economic impact of $ 100 million. The festival is also free for arts and cultural organizers with no personal or virtual programming, as well as the need for a website, blog, video, PR, and social campaign.

The VFTCB also revealed some of the Valley Forge Sports Events successes that have proven to be recession-proof.

This summer, the organization will host more than 30 events, with 20,000+ night stays and an economic impact of $ 20 million, including:

• Two of the largest lacrosse showcases in the country

• The first esports festival at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks

• A brand new national field hockey event at the Conshohocken test site

• The USA Climbing North American Cup Series with the best Olympic climbers in the country at Reach Climbing in Bridgeport

• One of the first all-girls flag soccer tournaments with boy scouts

Another sporting event coming to Montgomery County in 2021 is the Advocates Pro Gold Association Tour, which will be held September 20-22 at the Bluestone Country Club. The APGA Tour is a diversity-based group competition with an up-and-coming professional golf course primarily from African American players.

“One of 13 tournaments planned for the 12-year series. It is the first time the tour has come to the northeastern US and the first time they have worked on a tournament with a regional tourism association,” it says in the press release stated.

Geoffrey Surrette, Executive Director of the Philadelphia PGA, spoke on Monday about the section’s centenary milestone and the performance of Montco Golf’s 50 historic and high-profile golf courses, which have seen attendance increases significantly due to the pandemic, with more expected this year becomes.

The VFTCB also released its Montco Golf Guide 2021 to celebrate what the agency calls “the perfect socially distant sport.”

In addition, Kirsten Tallman, director of visitor services at VFTCB, discussed the $ 14 million renovation project of the Valley Forge National Historical Park visitor center due to be completed this summer, including the fully updated Montgomery County Welcome Center. The park receives more than two million visitors each year, with at least 250,000 visiting the visitor center, and contributes more than $ 30 million to positive economic impact.