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March 1, 2024
Dear Valued Tourism Partners,
Congratulations to the Virginia Beach Hotel Association (VBHA) for a fantastic 2024 Coastal Virginia Hospitality Expo held earlier this week at The Wyndham Virginia Beach Oceanfront. The CVB was honored to be the premier sponsor of this highly anticipated annual event. It was great to see so many of you as we networked and engaged while having a blast “Bringing Back the 80’s!” The turnout was amazing, as was the decor, the silent auction items, and the variety of vendors on hand. Well-done, VBHA!
Today, Friday, March 1 is the deadline to submit your 2024 National Travel and Tourism Week (NTTW) nominations. Honors in 14 categories will be awarded during our 2024 NTTW Awards Luncheon at the Convention Center in May. Industry partners are encouraged to take advantage of this prime, free opportunity to shine a light on those on your staff whose hard work and dedication help make Virginia Beach the destination of choice for millions of visitors each year. Nominate a hospitality hero today! Go to www.visitvirginiabeach.com/nttw for more information and to submit nominations.
City Recruiting Appointive Agency Members - The City of Virginia Beach is currently recruiting volunteers to serve on the Advertising Advisory Committee (AAC). This body is made up of citizens and organizations who provide input to the Convention and Visitors Bureau regarding the City’s tourism advertising and marketing initiatives and assists with the development of strategies to foster and stimulate tourism in the City.
The Committee needs the following volunteers:
- Two members of the Virginia Beach Hotel Association (which may include the Association President or members with advertising, marketing, or media experience; provided, however, that one of the two members shall be a representative of a hotel that is not located in the Resort Area)
- Two members of the Virginia Beach Restaurant Association (which may include the Association President or members with advertising, marketing, or media experience; provided, however, that one of the two members shall be a representative of a restaurant that is not located in the Resort Area)
- A member of the arts and culture community
- A retail industry representative
- A representative of the Resort Advisory Commission
- A cottage/rental industry representative
- A Central Business District Association representative
- A representative of the Shore Drive Corridor/Bayfront Area
- A sports industry representative
- Two citizen members with advertising, marketing, or media experience
Non-voting ex-officio members:
- The Executive Director of the Virginia Beach Hotel Association
- The Executive Director of the Virginia Beach Restaurant Association
- A representative of the Virginia Beach Chamber of Commerce
Interested parties can apply for one of the vacancies by completing a Talent Bank application here. For more information, contact the Virginia Beach City Clerk’s Office at 757-385-4303.
CVB Sales Activity and News: The CVB team supports the bureau’s strategic pillars of Engagement, Growth, Brand Development, Culture, and Accountability.
International media relations is an important part of the work we do at CVB and networking with UK media helps to increase travel to Virginia beach from that market. To assist with these efforts, Erin Goldmeier traveled with CRUSA (Capital Region USA) members last week to the UK & Ireland and met with nearly 60 travel journalists at various events and one-on-one appointments. Erin met with some of the top media outlets in the UK and Ireland including The Sunday Times, The Daily Telegraph, National Geographic Traveller, The Irish Sun, Northern Ireland News and more.
Additionally, the PR team secured the following coverage last week for CVB:
The M&C Sales and Services team is gearing up for a busy spring with a national citywide arriving in late March and a full schedule of business travel. The team will be promoting and selling the fact that “Happiness Is A Real Place” for meetings, too! Next week, industry partners are encouraged to tune into a free webinar hosted by Scott Warren of our team to learn more about how to reach out to military reunions to fill need periods. Join Scott and Sharon Danitschek, President & CEO of Military Reunion Network, for a great seminar on Mar. 6 at 2 pm. Click here for the link!
Jim Coggin is in Chicago attending the Heritage Club Peer Conference meeting with Bank Club Travel Directors who plan travel for their Bank Clubs. Virginia Beach is honored to host this conference in 2026!
In sports news, Virginia Beach is thrilled to host a trio of exciting sporting events, showcasing the talents of over 5,150 athletes from across the nation. Kicking off the excitement, the Sports Center will be the venue for the 2024 AAU Indoor National Championship, where more than 3,000 track and field athletes will vie for top honors in a highly anticipated return of this annual competition. Concurrently, the Center will also host the 2024 AAU Virginia Beach Grand Prix Volleyball Tournament, attracting 1,400 participants to the resort area. Adding to the weekend's competitive spirit, Ocean Lakes High School will welcome 750 gymnasts for the 2024 Shamrock Invitational. Together, these events highlight Virginia Beach's role as a premier destination for sports tourism, offering athletes and spectators alike an unforgettable experience.
The Convention Center has enjoyed a busy, successful week hosting the Hampton Roads Small Business Outreach + Industry Day for the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) as well as the annual meeting of Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA). Tomorrow, we are delighted to host the UNCF Hampton Roads Mayor’s Masked Ball where, among other impressive community leaders, the Hon. Dr. Amelia Ross-Hammond, Virginia Beach Council Member, is being honored. On Sunday we host the 48th Annual Virginia Beach Volunteer Rescue Squad Oyster Fest.
EVENTS & HAPPENINGS
Click here to view the 2024 CVB Events Calendar. To view the Resort area entertainment schedule, click here and 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 February 11 - February 17: Virginia Beach’s hotel occupancy rate for the week of February 11 – February 17 was down -0.2% at 51.4% occupancy but up 2.7% for the running 28-day trend. ADR was up 3.8% at $120.23 and up 1.1% for the running 28-day trend. RevPAR was up 3.6% at $61.77 and up 3.8% for the running 28-day trend.
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