2021 Major League Quidditch Championship Earns Award For Howard County

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — A special event successfully held in August at Troy Park in Elkridge ended up earning a 2021 Maryland Tourism Award for Visit Howard County. The Transactional Opportunities Award recognized the "robust social media campaign and tourism promotions" that increased revenue from the 2021 Major League Quidditch Championship.

This multi-day sporting event hosted and supported by Visit Howard County in partnership with the department of Howard County Recreation and Parks took place over a three-day span in August. A social media campaign reached more than 47,200 accounts with 65,000 video views. Tourism spending from the event brought in $195,000 in incremental revenue for local hotels, restaurants, retail and transportation businesses.

“Our efforts to make Howard County better for all includes supporting entertaining events that are family-friendly, providing a welcoming experience for visitors and embracing the magic of Harry Potter,” Howard County Executive Calvin Ball said. “Hosting the Major League Quidditch Championship this past August was a prime example of how our strong business environment paired with our unmatched parks facilities are a winning pair.”

Yolande A.M. Lacan, Visit Howard County board president, said she was thrilled when she found out about the event.

“As a Potter fan from original release, I found out about this a wands swish before the rest of the loyal Hogwarts fans in Howard County received their Owl Post. I marked my calendar and made my way to Platform 9 3/4 and bought my ticket. It was such a fun weekend and the team at Howard County took an opportunity and made it all the more fun and whimsical to include as many Howard County Tourism partners to help Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs, Ravensclaws and Slytherins find their way around for events, dining, lodging as well as how to spend their free time. Congratulations Team Visit Howard County, I look forward to future Quidditch Cups with anticipation," she said.

In addition to the 2021 Maryland Tourism Transactional Opportunities Award, two Visit Howard County Staff members were presented with awards from the Maryland Tourism Coalition at the event.

Mike Dwyre is the recipient of the first-ever COVID Frontline Hospitality Hero Award for creating and implementing web content that kept consumers engaged with businesses in the early phases of the pandemic.

Eric Teisch is the recipient of the 2021 New Professional of the Year who brings enthusiasm, professionalism and a can-do attitude and plays an integral role in the success of Visit Howard County and Maryland’s tourism industry as a whole. ;