BRIDGE AWARD
The Bridge award recognizes the contributions of those who help advance the understanding and practice of social inclusion, specifically within the hospitality and tourism industry in Baltimore.
JOHN TYLER, LOVE GROOVE PRODUCTIONS
John Tyler has spent the past decade creating spaces where Baltimore’ s music, arts and creative communities can connect, grow and shine. A native Baltimorean and Emmy Award-winning composer, John is the founder and curator of Love Groove Festival, which celebrated its 10th anniversary this year. Founded in 2017, the festival showcases Black and Brown artists while creating space for joy, healing and cultural connection.
John has partnered with Visit Baltimore to showcase the city’ s vibrant arts and music scene to journalists, customers and travelers. This year, he brought Baltimore’ s creative energy to new audiences as a major contributor to the B-Side campaign, including being one of the featured artists on the anthem and curating music for the D. C. Signature and Stoop Storytelling events.
From his early days at Baltimore Design School to Love Groove’ s evolution across the city, John continues to create opportunities for the city’ s artists to be seen, heard and celebrated.
CHARM CITY CHAMPION AWARD
This special award is given to a well-respected leader in the region whose work touches many aspects of tourism and the community and whose passion for Baltimore shines through in all that they do.
CHRIS RIEHL, RENT-A-TOUR
As the owner of Rent-A-Tour since 2007, Chris Riehl has introduced thousands of visitors to the people, places and stories that make Baltimore special, helping guests feel like they’ ve stepped into the history they’ re hearing about. A longtime Visit Baltimore partner, Chris regularly supports FAM tours, site visits and sales missions, sharing his expertise with meeting planners and travel professionals near and far.
Chris’ s commitment to Baltimore extends beyond his work. A past president of the Baltimore Tourism Association, past chair of the Maryland Tourism Coalition and current member of the Maryland Tourism Development Board, he is a passionate ambassador for the city and its tourism community. Whether he’ s hosting visitors, emceeing an event or performing on stage, Chris brings Baltimore pride to everything he does and embodies what it means to be a true Charm City Champion.
TOURISM AWARDS 37