Southern Maryland Heritage Area Launch Event

The Hatcher Group partnered with Destination Southern Maryland to launch a new National Heritage Area with an integrated marketing and communications campaign, which culminated with a large-scale event. National Heritage Areas connect communities, promote awareness, and foster interest in our rich natural resources and diverse heritage. Southern Maryland is home to First People, a vital component of the history of the region, Maryland, and the nation. And it was in the first capital of Maryland, St. Mary’s City, where the basic human right of religious freedom was put into law for the first time in the entire Western world.
We collaborated with Destination Southern Maryland to bring the new National Heritage Area to life. Our design team created signage, banners, a program card, and other swag, including a pin and tote bag. We elevated the campaign and amplified the event with digital and traditional advertising.
The festival-style event was held at Piscataway Park in Accokeek, Maryland, and featured Gov. Wes Moore as the keynote speaker. Leaders from the Piscataway Indian Nation and the Piscataway Conoy Tribe spoke at the event, along with U.S. Department of the Interior Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks Shannon Estenoz and Maryland Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller. More than 600 people attended the day-long event, which featured performances by members of the Piscataway tribes, a youth rhythm club, and colonial singers. Hatcher handled complex event logistics—registration, the run of show, speakers and performers, signage, swag, volunteers, and vendor coordination (including AV equipment, catering, and staging). Our multimedia team captured film and photographs of the event and developed a 60-second highlight video of the celebration.
We developed an earned media strategy and pitched local reporters and national tourism outlets. We also crafted a media advisory and press release about the launch of the new National Heritage Area, which included quotes from elected officials that attended the event as well as members of Congress who helped pass the legislation. The event garnered media coverage in targeted outlets; coverage continued well after the event ended.