Mike Bowman, President and CEO of Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board, has been named by the Philadelphia Business Journal as one of the region’s 100 most powerful businesspeople of 2024.

This year’s Power 100 features familiar names from years past and dozens of new faces. The list is an indicator of Greater Philadelphia’s evolving business community.

The Power 100 is not a ranking, but rather a guide that aims to reflect the most influential people at this moment in time. The editorial staff of the Philadelphia Business Journal selected those who made the Power 100, and in some cases, the profiles include business partners.

“… with change comes opportunity,” said Ryan Sharrow, Editor in Chief of the Philadelphia Business Journal. “The opportunity to push boundaries, create change, and be part of a turning point for the region. The ability to seize the moment and shape that change played a key role in choosing our annual compilation of the Philadelphia region’s 100 most powerful businesspeople.”

Bowman is among those embracing change, taking the lead in advancing Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board’s mission to actively promote the Valley Forge area and Montgomery County as both a convention site and a leisure visitor destination. His efforts focus on encouraging patronage of member hotels, restaurants, attractions, and services. As the head of this private, non-profit membership sales and marketing organization, Bowman drives the Board’s mission, representing over 600 member businesses throughout Southeast Pennsylvania.

“Business is back, but it’s different,” said Bowman. “We’ve had to learn how to communicate with and accommodate changed consumer and visitor behavior. I think Thursday has become Friday for people. Our county hotels are seeing a mid-week increase, which is encouraging. Weekends have been incredible.”  

Bowman stated that, in particular, sports-related business continues to set records for the area and contributes to more than 70 percent of total group business.

“Montco hosted 35 sporting events with record-high attendance, generating more than 85,000 total room nights, resulting in $23 million in economic impact, up 19 percent over last year,” said Bowman. “That included the single-largest sporting event to ever come to Montgomery County — the U.S. Youth Soccer Eastern President’s Cup in June 2023. It generated 5,000 room nights and [had a] $5 million in economic impact. This year, the county will host the YMCA Gymnastics Nationals, an event that should be larger than the soccer tournament.”

On June 20-24, 2024, Montgomery County will host its largest-ever indoor sporting event, the YMCA 2024 Gymnastics Championship & Invitational, at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center. Three Montgomery County YMCA gyms will jointly organize the event, anticipating the participation of 1,700 athletes and their families.

The event is expected to generate $6 million in economic impact. Bowman continues to drive such efforts to attract leisure, business, and group travel to the county that is home to the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, the King of Prussia Mall (the third largest mall in the U.S.), and Valley Forge National Historical Park.

“I’m very optimistic for Montgomery County,” said Bowman. “All forecasts are projecting that 2024’s positive economic impact for tourism will surpass 2019 numbers. I feel really good.”

Learn more about Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board and its roster of upcoming events, attractions, and ways to enjoy the Montgomery County and Valley Forge areas.