In a room full of Dartmouth town officials, business owners, hospitality representatives, and the Sister City committee, Michelle Pecoraro spoke about the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower's arrival.

"It's really about this amazing ocean voyage... which is significant because it brought this group of people who were seeking a better life. It really is America's immigration story," she said.

Already the town of Plymouth is gearing up to celebrate in 2020, as it too will be realizing a birthday. Pecoraro, executive director of Plymouth 400, is making the most of the historical milestone with educational and tourism opportunities, but she wants to include all of Massachusetts into the commemoration.

The 12-month celebration will feature nine signature events — including a Wampanoag history exhibit, a multi-day cultural festival, an international webcast for elementary school students, and a candlelit Thanksgiving event — designed to amp up interest in the colonial era.

"Travelers have a lot of choices," said Pecoraro. By building up historical connections and using the next three years to improve transportation, infrastructure, and safety committees, Pecoraro hopes to build Massachusetts' tourism opportunities to rival those of Virginia and Philadelphia.

"It's time to make these things work for us," she said, referencing the upcoming anniversaries of not only the Mayflower, but of the first Thanksgiving in 1621. "We want to help the state realize an even greater tourism economy." The idea is to not limit the tourism to Plymouth, but to move people around the state, she said, listing events planned for Boston and on Cape Cod.

She asked Dartmouth officials to submit their events to the Plymouth 400 calendar, so visitors seeking historical attractions would be directed to events at all surrounding towns — including Provincetown, Duxbury, Brockton, Kingston, Mashpee, and Sandwich.

The campaign has also spread to include the United Kingdom, Netherlands, and the Wampanoag peoples, although Pecoraro is still working on synced branding. Pecoraro is also looking to include namesake communities; there are 6-7 Plymouths around the country, she said.

New tools — such as a Plymouth 400 app, social media, museum exhibits, and airline partnerships — help spread accessibility, said Pecoraro.

Such efforts to include the Town of Dartmouth tie into the Sister City committee's efforts to incorporate history and culture into school curriculums. The committee recently travelled to Dartmouth, England after signing a sister city agreement — which recognizes historical connections — and is working to connect students on both sides of the Atlantic.

Dartmouth also has a sister city agreement with Nordeste, Lagoa, and Povoção in the Azores.