Point Taken Case Study
The Hotel at the University of Maryland:
From Media Coverage to Measurable Growth
A AAA Four Diamond property needed a strategy to grow leisure bookings, business travel, and meetings and weddings business, all at once.
33.8K
Monthly Unique Visitors Reached
5
Earned “Meetings in a Museum” Features
4
Stella Award Wins
7
Qualified Meeting Planner FAM Tour Attendees
The Challenge
The Hotel at the University of Maryland, a AAA Four Diamond property just across from campus, aimed to increase leisure and business bookings, as well as reservations for meetings and weddings.
The Solution
The Hotel at the University of Maryland hired Point Taken Communications to develop a multi-layered public relations strategy aimed at leisure travelers, business guests, and meeting and wedding planners.
To bring the plan to life, Point Taken executed a series of creative, community-driven initiatives, including a dog adoption event, a children’s succulent-making workshop, and an inclusive trick-or-treating experience for children with special needs.
Point Taken also created the Meetings in a Museum PR program, enabling meeting planners to elevate guest experiences by showcasing artwork from local artists displayed throughout the hotel.
To further engage the meetings market, Point Taken organized a planner FAM tour, complete with on-site dining experiences and a curated tour of nearby Washington, D.C.
Expanding visibility in the weddings market, Point Taken wrote and pitched a wedding feature to Washingtonian magazine’s coveted Weddings section.
At the same time, the agency elevated hotel leadership through strategic thought leadership, including bylined articles in hospitality trade publications and podcast interviews.
The Result
The integrated PR program delivered measurable impact, including five earned articles spotlighting the “Meetings in a Museum” initiative, reaching a combined 33,820 monthly unique visitors across targeted media outlets.
A meeting-planner FAM tour hosted seven qualified attendees, generating new opportunities for future group bookings.
Industry recognition included winning four Northstar Meetings Group Stella Awards (🥇🥇🥇 Gold, 🥈 Silver), two Stevie Awards for Women in Business finalist honors, including the only finalist spot for Achievement in Arts & Entertainment Communications/PR.
Wedding market visibility expanded through a Washingtonian Weddings feature, elevating the hotel as a premier venue.
Sustained thought leadership was achieved with a quarterly Hotel Executive column published for two years, a podcast interview with hotel leadership, and an additional trade byline, positioning leadership as industry experts.
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