2025 Media Marketplace & Annual Gathering: Information for Media Attendees

2025 Media Marketplace: Information for Media Attendees

Congratulations on being accepted to attend MATPRA’s 2025 Media Marketplace! We are looking forward to welcoming you to Reading, PA, in August.

Please read everything below — the page contains important information about the event.

MATPRA Media Marketplace & Annual Gathering
August 12-14, 2025
Reading, PA

We ask that you register by June 15, 2025 if you will be attending Marketplace. Your link to register has been emailed to you. Please contact [email protected] if you have not received your link to register. Please email us at the address above if you must decline your invitation so we can offer your place to someone on our waiting list.

Here are more details about the event:

1. Agenda (subject to change)
2. Pre- and Post-FAM Tour Options

WHAT TO EXPECT AT MATPRA’S MEDIA MARKETPLACE & ANNUAL GATHERING

Media Marketplace is an energizing three-day event where you’ll explore unique destinations, uncover untold stories, and connect with the people shaping the region’s cultural and tourism landscape. This is your chance to gather rich content, build relationships with destination reps, and fill your editorial calendar with fresh, authentic angles.

Check out the full agenda (linked above) to see what’s in store — and get ready to return home with a notebook full of ideas.

Media Marketplace itself takes place on Wednesday morning and is divided into two phases.

In Phase One, you’ll have scheduled 15-minute, one-on-one meetings with DMO representatives. Later this summer, we’ll send you details about our conference mobile app, along with instructions on how to request and schedule your meetings on the app.

After a short break, Phase Two will begin — a more informal, “speed-dating”-style session. DMOs will remain at their tables, and you’ll have the chance to circulate freely, making spontaneous connections and discovering destinations you might not have scheduled time with.

It’s a great way to expand your network and uncover unexpected story leads.

HOTEL ACCOMODATIONS

We will be staying at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Reading (701 Penn Street, Reading, PA, 19601). MATPRA will make your hotel reservations and pay for your stay for the nights of Tuesday, August 12 and Wednesday, August 13. If you wish to come to Reading early or stay late, we can provide you the link to our room block, but the cost of those nights is your responsibility.

EVENT SCHEDULE & ARRIVAL TIME

Our event will begin on Tuesday, August 12. We ask that you arrive at the DoubleTree in Reading by 12 p.m. to have time to register. You will board buses and depart for your Tuesday Destination trip to Boyertown at 1 p.m. There will be a spot in the hotel to securely store your luggage while you are on your trip. You can download the full event agenda above.

OPTIONAL PRE- and POST-FAM TOURS

Destinations surrounding Reading are excited to host you for optional pre- and post-Marketplace FAM tours, designed with travel media in mind. These immersive experiences offer exclusive access, compelling story angles, and insider tips to help you uncover the region’s most captivating travel narratives.

These trips are optional. When you register, you will be asked to rank your preferences in pre- and post-FAM tours, or to indicate if the tour(s) do not interest you. We will then assign tours based on interest levels between you and the DMO hosts.

A NOTE ABOUT TRAVEL

Please note that you are responsible for your own transportation to and from the pre- and/or post-FAM destinations and Reading. MATPRA will not be providing travel accommodations between destinations. Transportation WILL be provided during your time in-destination. Please email [email protected] if you have questions about this.

WEDNESDAY DESTINATION TOURS

There are three options for the Wednesday Destination Tour — you will be asked to rank your choices 1-3 when you register. These trips include a mix of media and DMO attendees, providing lots of opportunities to network and explore together.

The three options are:

• Local Folks: Experience the Rich Culture of the PA Dutch

Get to know our Pennsylvania Dutch by visiting the PA German Cultural Heritage Center. This distinctive, homegrown culture reflects a fascinating blend of customs, language, food, and traditions of the early German-speaking settlers of our region. Step back in time as you explore the Sharadin Farmstead, an authentic representation of PA Dutch rural life. Then, treat your taste buds at Dietrich Market, a one-of-a-kind shop renowned for its selection of local PA German delicacies.

• Soar into Nature at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary

Spend your afternoon at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary—the world’s first refuge for birds of prey. Established in 1934, the sanctuary has evolved into an internationally renowned conservation training center, a thriving wildlife sanctuary, and one of the best spots in North America to watch the annual fall raptor migration. Hawk Mountain’s staff will share insights into the sanctuary’s conservation work and introduce you to one of their remarkable raptor ambassadors. And no trip to Hawk Mountain would be complete without a short hike to take in the stunning views from its perch along the legendary Appalachian Trail.

• Reading Area Firefighters Museum

Reading Area Firefighters Museum chronicles and preserves the legacy of firefighting in Reading, PA. The museum is located in the former Liberty Fire Company No. 5 station house, a distinguished architectural and historical landmark known for its striking exterior and authentic 19th-century interior. It retains original furnishings from 1876, donated by famed Philadelphia department store magnate John Wanamaker. Featuring an extensive collection of antique fire apparatus and equipment, uniforms and gear, artifacts and even fine artwork and sculptures, each exhibit helps illustrate how fire protection and community safety evolved over time.

QUESTIONS?

Email Managing Director Heidi Schlag at [email protected].