Industry veteran Dean Miller has helped shape hospitality and events in Fairfax County, Va., for more than 35 years. Following his early roles in hospitality sales for local hotels under the Embassy Suites, Hyatt, and Hilton brands, he joined the newly established Visit Fairfax in 2005 as the organization’s first salesperson. Now beginning the new journey of retirement, Miller reflects on his incredible 35-plus-year career, sharing valuable insights for the next generation.
How has your role evolved since joining Visit Fairfax as the organization’s first salesperson in 2005?
Although my official title is national sales manager, I’ve morphed from a sales representative into much more of a consultant, advisor, and teacher—not only to the planners we work with but also to our stakeholders, industry partners, and the Fairfax County community. In the beginning, I fielded inquiries, sent out leads to our hotels, and conducted site tours. Now, I advise local hotels and attractions on their sales and marketing strategies, lead training classes for their sales teams, speak at industry conferences, write articles, help formulate our overall sales and marketing plan, arrange meetings between industry partners, and head up joint sales efforts with other DMOs in Virginia.
In what areas do you think you have had the biggest impact on Fairfax County as a meetings destination and on Visit Fairfax’s approach to hospitality?
Being in the marketplace, sharing a consistent message for more than two decades has helped enhance Visit Fairfax’s position. I’ve had the same e-mail, office number, and cell number throughout my time at Visit Fairfax, which is a huge advantage. Consistency is a big plus.
Which events stand out as defining moments for you and/or for Fairfax County, and why?
Landing the Adult Fans of Lego convention in 2006 was Visit Fairfax’s first win. The folks who ran the convention were so impressed by the service we provided that they gave us a 3-by-3-foot Lego version of our logo, which is still displayed in our lobby. We also hosted the World Police and Fire Games in 2015, a large sports competition featuring more than 10,000 first responders.
Seeing the county evolve into a much more urban destination with much greater mass appeal has been very satisfying. Today, we’re a far more compelling destination than we were 35 years ago, with enhanced mass transportation (the Metrorail extension to Dulles Airport), entertainment facilities (Capital One Hall), and museums and attractions (the National Museum of the United States Army).
What is the greatest professional takeaway that will continue to serve you personally in your retirement?
I was truly blessed to work with an outstanding group of colleagues and mentors over the years at Visit Fairfax. We all got along well and worked as a team. This is something of a cliché, I know, but I’ve worked at other places where teamwork was hard to find. Wherever you’re headed in the world, the people with whom you’re traveling are far more important than the destination!
What legacy do you hope to leave behind for Visit Fairfax and for Fairfax County hospitality?
From the very beginning, we’ve tried to deliver a higher level of service and attention. Other destinations have more meeting space or different attractions, but I like to think Visit Fairfax goes above and beyond for planners and groups. I believe this will continue to be Visit Fairfax’s guiding mission as a DMO.
Would you like to share any pearls of wisdom or tried-and-true tips for the next generation of event sales professionals?
Yes, I have shared these “5 Simple Keys to Success in the Professional World” with a group of new college graduates; unfortunately, many young professionals today overlook these important practices.
Learn to return phone calls—promptly, every time, every day. If people know that you’ll get back to them, they are more likely to want to work with you.
RSVP to invitations. If you can’t commit to attending, RSVP your regrets. If things change, you can revise your RSVP. Don’t make people chase you down for a response.
Show up on time. This should be basic, but it isn’t.
Learn to be concise and to condense as needed. Whatever plan, proposal, or concept you’re working on, communicate it in a well-written, concise e-mail. Unless it’s a complex topic, you should be able to convey your points on a single (printed) page. Folks don’t have the time for a lengthy dissertation.
Become an “expert” on a particular topic or point of interest.
Get to know everything you can about it—speak about it at meetings, volunteer for panels, and write articles for industry publications. In my case, I became known as an expert on reunions, which significantly raised Fairfax County’s profile as a reunion destination.
Regardless of what you’re selling or who your audience is, look for ways you can be of service. Look for opportunities to help people rather than just make a sale.
