Twenty-three people “like” it.

Loudoun was the most popular entry on a recent Facebook poll – earning the county the honor of hosting the first Social Media Tourism Symposium in November.

The inaugural conference, which addresses tourism-industry marketing techniques through social media such as Facebook and Twitter, will be held at the Embassy Suites in Ashburn.

Loudoun’s selection as host is a big win for the businesses that support tourism in the county, according to Cheryl Kilday, chief executive officer and president of Visit Loudoun, the county’s tourism organization.

In the poll, Loudoun was up against steep competition with localities across the nation, including Orlando, Fla.; Chicago; and the other frontrunner – Portland, Ore.

Kilday attributes Loudoun’s win to the Facebook voters and to Visit Loudoun’s proposal.

The bidding process included preparing a proposal with three hotel-and-meeting site options, and a detailed negotiation process with the hotels. In addition to the winning Embassy Suites (which has the fastest Internet connectivity in the nation, according to Kilday), the National Conference Center in Lansdowne and the Marriott in Dulles were also strong points.

Hosting the conference provides Loudoun with the opportunity to gain visibility in the industry across the nation, Kilday said. As a result, meeting planners are already asking to meet with Visit Loudoun’s sales director for possible conference hosting, among other things, in the future.

“For us to have secured this in such a visible way makes people go, ‘Oh! What does this community have to offer?’” Kilday said.

The conference will allow destination-marketing organizations, hotels, resorts, attractions and other tourism-related entities to share ideas and learn more about how social media are affecting promotion in the travel industry. It will also showcase Loudoun as a meeting destination and bring nearly 150 influential professionals to the county, which in turn will generate overnight stays and occupancy tax revenues.

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