|
February 10, 2023
Dear Valued Tourism Partners,
February is a busy month with lots of sports activity across the City and a variety of consumer shows and events at the Convention Center. Add to that the excitement of planning some major events for Spring, including a new festival I’ll share more about later in this newsletter. Thank you for everything you’re doing to prepare for our loyal guests; they’re anxiously waiting for their 2023 visit to Virginia Beach!
Last Call For Free Registration To Attend VBHA’s Hospitality Expo - It’s almost time for the 2023 Coastal Virginia Hospitality Expo. Everyone is invited to attend and visit with vendors who will be on-site to share their new products and materials. There is still time to register for the event set for Wed., Feb. 15 at the Wyndham Hotel at 57th and Atlantic Ave. Complimentary attendee registration is still open; please register today here. Make plans to stop in and connect with old friends and meet new ones at this fun, informative industry event and networking opportunity.
National Travel & Tourism Week 2023 - The CVB team is excited to be planning our local hospitality award luncheon and celebration for Thur., May 11 at the Convention Center. Nominations for this year’s hospitality heroes in more than 10 different categories are now open so be sure to get your nominations in today! Remember, there is no fee to nominate and nominations are open to anyone working in the Virginia Beach hospitality industry, your staff and those at your favorite places included! All nominees are invited as guests to the luncheon which is being headlined this year by local radio personality “Some Guy Named Allen” from FM 106.1. Nomination deadline is March 1, 2023. The nomination form may be found here.
Virginia Beach Events Announces 2023 Festival Lineup - Earlier this week, Beach Events shared their 2023 festival lineup and it has something for everyone! The season kicks off the weekend of April 15 - 16 with the debut of Bulls and Barrels. This rodeo-style event promises edge-of-your-seat bull riding and barrel racing on the Beach with a $12,000 purse and a “Best of the Beach” buckle up for grabs. Tickets go on sale today for this family-friendly event which also includes mini bull-riding, rodeo clowns and more. Be sure to sign the kids up for the always-exciting Mutton Busting competition! Find out more about all the festivals scheduled for this year here.
Sales Activities - Group Tour Sales Manager Jim Coggin and several partners were recently in Detroit for the American Bus Association (ABA) Marketplace. Activities included 50 desk-side appointments, a client dinner with US Tours, and a booth on the Marketplace floor. Thank you to our Virginia Beach partners for your support and participation at ABA ‘23. The Sales & Services Team is busily preparing for some major sales missions this quarter, the arrival of significant citywides this month and through the spring along with preparing to host Smart Meetings’ National event and a FAM in late April!
Convention Center Activity - After welcoming over 5,000 people to the Mid-Atlantic Sports & Boat Show, the VBCC is ready to welcome the Coastal Virginia Wine Expo and the SGK Gun Show this weekend. Preparations continue for the Shamrock Expo and the larger events coming up this spring.
Explore Town Center for Valentine’s Day - Shop, dine, explore, and see what’s on tap for Valentine’s Day at Town Center of Virginia Beach. Click here for all the scoop on uptown events and happenings.
Shamrock Marathon Weekend March 18-19, 2023 - This St. Paddy’s Day tradition at the Oceanfront has a race distance for every goal: Marathon, Half Marathon, 8K, challenges, and youth events. No matter the distance, you’ll experience a scenic course before you cross the finish line overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. For race/registration information, course maps, and more, please visit www.shamrockmarathon.com. Note that on March 18, the Shamrock 8k will close portions of Pacific Ave, Atlantic Ave, 25th Street, 27th Street, 37th Street, and the boardwalk. As well, please be aware that on March 19, the full and half marathon will result in partial road closures in the resort area of Virginia Beach. An official Road Closure notice will be distributed in March.
Our current Calendar of Events is available here. Take a look and see more of what’s on the horizon for the first half of 2023.
My team and I are committed to you and our industry and are here to help. Please let me know how we can assist.
Sincerely,
Nancy Helman
CVB Director
Hotel Performance for the week of January 22 - 28: Virginia Beach’s hotel occupancy rate for the week of January 22 – January 28 was up 11.6% at 42.9% occupancy and was up 10.4% for the running 28-day trend, according to STR. ADR was up 14.1% at $103.17 for the week and up 10.2% for the running 28-day trend. RevPAR was up 27.3% at $44.25 and up 21.7% for the running 28-day trend. In comparison to January 2019, we have an increase in occupancy of 10.56% and we also saw an increase in ADR and RevPAR of 33.5% and 48.14% respectively.
| 
