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January 26, 2024
Dear Valued Tourism Partners,
The CVB team is excited to welcome Groundworks for their annual meeting at the Convention Center this weekend. Headquartered in Virginia Beach, Groundworks is the nation's leading provider of foundation repair, basement waterproofing, crawl space encapsulation, and concrete lifting. A citywide meeting, our staff will be on hand to greet and welcome the 1,500 arriving delegates and support them while they are here. A special thank you to all our industry partners for all your efforts to help make the attendees feel welcomed and appreciated, and for everything you do to elevate the Virginia Beach experience for all our guests.
Anyone interested in learning more about the City’s Growth Activities Program is invited to register for an event on Monday, Jan. 29 from 6 – 7 pm at the Meyera E. Oberndorf Central Library. Join members of the City's SWaM Business Office to unlock a world of skills, strategic tools, and best practices which can elevate your business to the next level. Please note that this opportunity could increase your chance for potential partnership opportunities with the City of Virginia Beach and Something In The Water. Space is limited. Register here.
CVB Sales Activity and News: The CVB team supports the bureau’s strategic pillars of Engagement, Growth, Brand Development, Culture, and Accountability.
This weekend Virginia Beach is set to host two standout sporting events, drawing athletes from across the region to our renowned venues this weekend. The Virginia Beach Tennis Center will be alive with the competitive spirit of the 2024 USTA L4 Closed Doubles Championships, welcoming 200 tennis athletes to vie for top honors. Concurrently, the Virginia Beach Sports Center will be a hub of athletic prowess, hosting the 2024 ACC Last Chance and 757 Invitational. This event is expected to attract over 1,000 track and field athletes, showcasing a wide range of talents from sprints to long-distance running, and field events. Together, these events highlight Virginia Beach's capability to host diverse and large-scale sports competitions, further establishing our city as a key player in sports tourism.
The M&C Sales and Services team is eager to welcome more than 1,500 attendees to the Groundworks annual meeting at the Virginia Beach Convention Center this week. Proudly, our team will be greeting and engaging with the delegates as they arrive at the airport, welcoming them at our network of hotels and supporting them as they participate in sessions at the Convention Center. Also, this week Jamie Rawls is on the road in Greenville, SC attending Independent Planners Education Conference where she has almost 20 one-on-one planner appointments in hopes of generating new growth.
Jim Coggin recently attended the Pittsburgh Travel Showcase presented by AAA Travel, where more than 10,000 eager vacationers were expected to attend this premier three-day leisure show.
After successfully hosting the Tidewater RV Show, the Mid-Atlantic Home and Outdoor Living Show, and the Uniquely Yours Bridal Expo last weekend, the VBCC is excited to host Groundworks this weekend. We continue to welcome the community next weekend when we open our halls to the Boat and Leisure show.
VRLTA Webinar: ServSafe Alcohol Public Policy Trends & Risk Mitigation - Join our partners at the Virginia Restaurant Lodging Travel Association (VRLTA) for an informative virtual session on Alcohol Public Policy Trends & Mitigating the Risks, on Monday, Feb. 5, 2024, from 10 - 11 am. During this webinar, participants will hear Vice-President of ServSafe Alcohol & Regulatory Services Trevor Estelle speak on changes to state and local alcohol policies in the last three years - the most significant changes since the end of Prohibition in 1933. Also covered will be information on ServSafe Alcohol training, specifically the content, benefits, and implementation. For more information and to register for this webinar, click here.
Virginia Tourism Corporation Grant Openings and Webinars - A reminder that The Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC) Grants Division will be opening THREE grants on Thursday, February 8, 2024, at 9 a.m. which will remain open until Thursday, March 14, 2024, at 5 p.m. There are some changes to the programs. VTC is offering multiple webinars and invites you to join them to learn about the programs. Click here to learn more and to register for a webinar.
Most changes are summarized on www.vatc.org/grants.Significant changes not listed on the site include:
- All applications now require a lodging partner and letter of support from a lodging partner. Lodging partners can be local/regional and can be B&B, campground, state or national park, hotel, motel, AirBnb operator, VRBO operator, etc. Reason: We need to focus on overnight visitation and making sure applicants incorporate overnight stay motivations in their marketing even if they are a day trip location.
- All applications will require a letter of support from local/regional DMO and if no local/regional DMO then a letter of support from the locality. Reason: This will spur more partnerships and keep DMOs/localities in the loop on new initiatives in their area.
- Special Events & Festivals will now require uploading proof of prior attendance. This can be a ticketing report, written attestation, Facebook RSVP screenshot, etc. We need to hold folks more accountable on their attendance tracking, but I recognize some events don’t have ticketing so we will allow the written attestation. Reason: This will also fortify our economic impact tracking.
City of Virginia Beach Development Authority Announces Return of Façade Improvement Grants - The City of Virginia Beach Development Authority (VBDA) is pleased to announce the return of the Façade Improvement Grant (FIG) program. For three years in a row, this popular program has provided financial assistance to businesses and property owners seeking to enhance the attractiveness of their properties. The results speak volumes. Since the program’s inception, VBDA has awarded $273,680 in grants to 39 small businesses, who in turn have invested $1.4 million in properties throughout the City. The program, which is administered by the Department of Economic Development, provides matching grants of up to $10,000 to eligible businesses and property owners who are looking to make improvements to the exterior of their buildings or properties. These improvements can include paint, fencing, parking upgrades, signage, accent or security lighting, and other enhancements that will help to improve the overall appearance and attractiveness of a property. For more information, the application portal and guidelines for the FIG program, visit www.yesvirginiabeach.com/fig.
CVB Loonie Savers Program Accepting Partner Offers for 2024 - The CVB invites all partners to participate in our 2024 special offers program designed exclusively for our Canadian guests. The Loonie Savers digital pass program will further support the CVB’s efforts to be recognized as a year-round destination and will give our industry partners the opportunity to receive free exposure for your businesses products and services. Once your offers are loaded and approved, someone from our team will contact you to confirm any details. Click here to sign up.
EVENTS & HAPPENINGS
To view the 2024 CVB Events Calendar, click here. To view the Resort area entertainment schedule, click here. For easy access to all of Town Center’s 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 Development|Culture|Accountability
Hotel Occupancy Data for the Week of January 7 - January 13: Virginia Beach’s hotel occupancy rate for the week of January 7 – January 13 was up 2.2% at 42.3% occupancy but down -0.2% for the running 28-day trend. ADR was up 1.3% at $102.96 and up 1.1% for the running 28-day trend. RevPAR was up 3.6% at $43.58 and up 0.9% for the running 28-day trend.
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