MARKETPLACE UPDATE: After careful consideration, the MATPRA Board of Directors has decided to postpone the 2021 MATPRA Media Marketplace due to current consumer travel trends and the ongoing public health situation. It is our goal to have Marketplace return in 2022 and we hope to see all of our members and media friends in attendance! ——– The MATPRA Media Marketplace is a great opportunity for both PR professionals and travel journalists to get together and discuss story ideas, arrange visits to our destinations and talk about what’s new in our backyards. About Marketplace Destinations: Altoona/Blair County: Located within the heart of Pennsylvania’s Alleghenies, Altoona/Blair County offers a distinctive variety of authentic experiences from classic family fun, extensive railroading history and heritage, to an expanding performing and visual arts scene, all within outstanding outdoor recreational green spaces. Classic family fun includes America’s only Italian themed waterpark and the world’s oldest wooden roller coaster, Leap the Dips, all in the hometown of the iconic original Slinky. Unique experiences also include America’s only interactive railroaders museum, the Horseshoe Curve National Historic Landmark, as well as the westernmost Revolutionary War site. Stellar year-round outdoor experiences include Pennsylvania’s highest skiable mountain and a portion of the September 11th National Memorial Trail, a 1,300 mile on and off-road trail system linking the three 9/11 sites. Happy Valley: Surrounded by more than 750,000 acres of state forests, Happy Valley makes an excellent base camp for outdoor activities. Happy Valley, PA has plenty of biking/hiking/kayaking fun from the Harvest Fields Community Trails to Foster Sayers Dam at Bald Eagle State Park. Unique attractions include Penns Cave and Wildlife Park, the Boal Museum and Columbus Chapel, the Central Pennsylvania Tasting Trail, Berkey Creamery at Penn State, the small city of State College and charming communities like Bellefonte, Philipsburg and Millheim. We are ready for you. Accessible, affordable, accommodating, artsy and adventurous. Located in the middle of beautiful Pennsylvania scenery just a few hours’ drive or short flight away. Happy Valley is of course, home to Penn State University and Nittany Lion pride. Whatever one’s definition of adventure is, we believe it can be found here in #HappyValleyPA. Raystown Lake Region: There’s space for you here in the Raystown Lake Region of Pennsylvania. Enjoy breathtaking scenery and 118 miles of unspoiled shoreline at the Freshwater Striped Bass Capital of the Northeast United States. Bring your boots, kayak, mountain bike and fishing pole to explore the many free spots to access including beaches, state parks and award-winning trails. Dive into the natural wonders of Huntingdon County underground on a cave tour, visit a museum filled with local and living history, and travel back in time on a train and trolley ride. We’ve got hotels, vacation homes, cabins, lodges, campgrounds, B&Bs etc. Plus Raystown is the only lake in Pennsylvania where you can rent a houseboat and live on the water during your vacation! Clearfield County: Clearfield County is your halfway to everywhere destination. Located in west-central PA, the backwoods. backroads. backwaters. are accessible from any of the five exits off Interstate 80. Enjoy a variety of experiences in Clearfield from hiking and biking the great outdoors to exploring the rich history of our county. We’ve got the Lumberjack Burger Trail, Lumberjack Tasting Trail, Grice Community Museum, The Doolittle Station, and 102 miles of the West Branch of the Susquehanna River. And don’t forget elk viewing, art galleries, historical societies, Coalport Coal Museum, two beautiful State Parks, Quehanna Wild Area, Curwensville Lake, Bilger’s Rocks and Denny’s Beer Barrel Pub! Sponsorships: Sponsorship opportunities coming soon. Journalist Application Process for Marketplace: Journalists must apply to attend MATPRA Media Marketplace. A select number of journalists are invited to attend based on criteria established by a committee that reviews each journalist’s audience, scope and past coverage to ensure the best fit for the marketplace. Journalist applications are now closed for 2021. Questions about the application process? Download our handy FAQ sheet for more information. Questions about the Marketplace may be directed to midatlantictourism@gmail.com. Check out what MATPRA discovered in 2019 in the Greater Richmond, Virginia Region on Instagram! Past MATPRA Media Marketplaces Greater Richmond, Virginia Region- September 2019 Laurel Highlands, Pennsylvania – September 2018 Winchester, Virginia – September 2017 Talbot County, Maryland – September 2016 Erie, Pennsylvania – September 2015 Cumberland Valley, Pennsylvania – October 2014 Arlington, Virginia – August 2013 Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania – September 2012 Calvert County, Maryland – September 2011 Gettysburg, Pennsylvania – September 2010 Rehoboth Beach, Delaware – May 2009 Annapolis, Maryland – August 2008 Hampton, Virginia – June 2007 Lancaster, Pennsylvania – September 2006 Richmond, Virginia – May 2005 Washington, D.C. – June 2004