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September 15, 2023
Dear Valued Tourism Partners,
We are excited to see that many of you are able to attend our Open House next week! Please stop by our new main offices at 600 22nd Street, Second Floor, on Monday, September 18, 2023, between 3:30 and 6:00 p.m. We’d love to see you, so please RSVP here and let us know you’ll be able to stop in and we’ll show you around. Light refreshments will be served.
I am thrilled to share that the planning for the 2023 VB Summit has started and that Tourism Economics President Adam Sacks will be our keynote speaker. For more than 25 years, Adam has worked with destinations, industry associations and companies around the world in the areas of policy analysis, market assessments, and economic impact. He is an authority on measuring the economic impact of visitor activity and his work regularly informs national and local government policy. Adam will present our 2022 tourism economic impact data to City Council on the evening of Tuesday, November 14 and again the next morning to the industry and the public during the VB Summit. Save The Date of Wednesday, November 15, 2023, 8:30 a.m. to 11a.m. for VB Summit 2023.
In addition to the presentation at VB Summit 2023, there will be a tradeshow exhibition. This component of the event will offer all industry partners the opportunity to participate and have a presence at the tradeshow. The CVB will be providing tables and we invite everyone to sign up to join us. Email Teresa Diaz at tdiaz@visitvirginiabeach.com for more information.
Our ongoing brand development has media outlets eager to cover our destination:
- Journalist Alexandrea Sumuel reports “Beach Lounger to Leaf Peeper: What's New in Virginia Beach”
- Taryn White features FLSP in Visit Virginia’s “15 of the Best Yurts & Cabins for Virginia's Fall Foliage” round-up story
- City of Virginia Beach has been named as one of the 21 Best Cities for Fall Travel by Travel + Leisure!
- Virginia Beach is featured in A-Z animals “Discover the Top 15 Best Places to Go Whale Watching in the U.S.” round-up
The CVB Public Relations team is already starting to compile a list of “What’s New in 2024.” Please send us new openings, renovated, or expanded attractions, accommodations, major events, and travel services opening in Virginia Beach next year. This information will be shared with in-state, national and international media, and we would like to start engaging with media partners as soon as possible to ensure Virginia Beach receives proper coverage. Please send to Erin Goldmeier at egoldmeier@visitvirginiabeach.com. Images are helpful, too.
CVB Sales Activity and News: The Sports Tourism team began their week on the road proudly representing Virginia Beach at the S.P.O.R.T.S Relationship Conference in South Bend, Indiana. This esteemed conference gathers the nation's leading sports event planners and rights holders, fostering connections and collaborations. The Sports Tourism staff networked and engaged in discussions to bring groundbreaking events to Virginia Beach. Additionally, the team immersed in the latest industry trends to ensure Virginia Beach remains at the pinnacle of sports tourism. Meanwhile, back in Virginia Beach, the atmosphere is electric with anticipation as we welcome participants and spectators to the 2023 Endless Summer Volleyball Tournament at the renowned Virginia Beach Sports Center. This event, which will witness the participation of an estimated 2,000+ volleyball athletes, stands as a testament to our City's commitment to promoting and hosting top-tier sports events. With athletes hailing from various regions and bringing diverse talents to the court, we're expecting thrilling matches, spirited competition, and memorable moments that will further solidify Virginia Beach's reputation as a premier sports tourism destination!
The M&C team members Amy Overstreet and Jamie Mitchell have site visits this week and Sally Noona attended the Virginia Society of Association Executives’ CEO Retreat. Both state and national officials attended this intense program which offered great insight on how we can better partner with each other.
The VBCC has been busy all week with the annual Joint WaterJAM Conference, a combination of the annual meetings for the Virginia Water Environment Association and the Virginia Section of the American Waterworks Association. Next week, we welcome another large conference, Auto Glass Week, which is a first time event for Virginia Beach and showcases advancements and innovations in the aftermarket auto glass repair, replacement and calibration industry.
The 2023 NAS Oceana Air Show Is This Weekend! Featuring the Navy’s premiere flight demonstration team, The Blue Angels, who will perform during the show September 16 & 17th. This year’s theme, 50 Years of Women in Naval Aviation, pays tribute to all the Navy’s women trailblazers, from “The First Six” to earn their Wings of Gold in 1973, to the brave women who have since chosen to serve their nation in the skies. Our nation and our Navy is stronger because of their service. Click here for more information on the show including a welcome message from NAS Oceana’s Commanding Officer, Captain Steve Djunaedi.
Road Closures for 2023 NAS Oceana Air Show - There will be temporary road closures on London Bridge Road from Central Drive to International Parkway for the air show. From September 14 - 17, drivers will see an increased police presence starting at 2 p.m. on London Bridge Road. Traffic officers will slowly begin closing the road at 2:30 p.m. London Bridge Road will be fully closed from 3-4:30 p.m. Thursday to Sunday. No traffic will be allowed on that section of London Bridge Road during these times for safety reasons. This schedule is subject to change and could vary depending on operation needs. For more information regarding traffic and gate access, see the City’s press release here.
Celebrate Fall at Town Center’s Open House Tomorrow - Town Center of Virginia Beach welcomes you to a center-wide Fall Open House on Saturday, September 16th from 11 am to 2 pm. Our friendly shops and restaurants are ready to welcome you with exclusive shopping and dining discounts. Guests are encouraged to pick up a passport at the welcome table in the Fountain Plaza to take advantage of these deals. Fill up your passport with a stamp from each participating business to be entered into a giveaway.
Virginia Beach City Council Seeks Resident Feedback on Two-Year Focused Action Plan - Following the Virginia Beach City Council retreat in August, council members are asking residents to weigh in with what they believe City Council’s focus should be when it comes to policy development and decision making. During the retreat, council members were invited to identify and share up to seven priorities, which were then consolidated into individual themes. These themes and priorities will shape the focused action plan, which will outline where the city manager and staff will focus their efforts. Before the plan is finalized, City Council has requested resident input. A brief survey is available on SpeakUpVB.com where residents are encouraged and invited to share their input on how much focus each theme should receive. In addition, residents can share what success looks like for the areas they marked as a high priority. The resident rankings and comments gathered through the survey will be provided to City Council prior to finalizing the FY24-26 focused area plan. The survey will be available until Monday, September 18.
Virginia Aquarium E-cycling Event Set for September 23 - The Virginia Aquarium will be hosting an E-Cycling event from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday, September 23. The event is presented by PRA Group and will give participants the opportunity to responsibly recycle old electronics, prescription medicine, and used/broken child car seats. Recycling events like this one provide a sustainable way to dispose of items that would otherwise pose an environmental or health risk if sent to the landfill. Read more about the Aquarium here. For a full list of accepted items or if you would like to volunteer, visit VirginiaAquarium.com.
EVENTS & HAPPENINGS
The CVB Events Calendar for July 1 - December 31, 2023 may be found here. To view the Resort area entertainment schedule, click here. For Town Center events and activities, click here.
My team and I are committed to you and our industry and are here to help any way that we can. Please let me know how we can assist you.
Sincerely,
Nancy Helman
CVB Director
CVB Strategic Pillars:
Engagement|Growth|Brand|Culture|Accountability
Note: Hotel occupancy data was not available at publishing; we will resume publishing when the data is available to us.
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