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April 19, 2024
Dear Valued Tourism Partners,
We are excited to see dozens of motorcoaches around our City in support of the many Virginia Arts Festival’s activities surrounding the 2024 Virginia International Tattoo. We wish our VAF partners all the best for a series of fantastic events and hope everyone enjoys their time in beautiful Coastal Virginia!
Registration closes at the end of business today and I hope everyone has registered for their complimentary seat to our 2024 National Travel & Tourism Week Hospitality Awards Luncheon. Scheduled for Thursday, May 2 at the Convention Center, I encourage everyone to register using this link https://uk.eventsforce.net/virginiabeach/15/register or the QR code below to join in the celebration of our amazing hospitality industry. Advance registration is required, please. With more than 70 nominations, three new award categories and several surprises in store, it’s going to be a great day. I look forward to seeing everyone there!
CVB Sales Activity and News:
The CVB team supports the bureau’s strategic pillars of Engagement, Growth, Brand Development, Culture, and Accountability.
USA TODAY 10Best reports that Virginia Beach, VA represents one of the nominees competing in the Readers’ Choice Awards. Congratulations to our partners at the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center for their nomination in the “Best Aquarium” category. Readers can vote once per day for each award here until voting closes on Mon. May 13th at 11:59 am. The top 10 winners, as ranked by USA TODAY 10Best readers, will be announced on Wed. May 22nd at noon.
In more brand development news, we are excited to share the following examples of media coverage:
- “Virginia Beach Kicks Off Sizzling Summer Season With Four Major Special Events In A Single Weekend” press release coverage:
- Breaking Travel News features the news in “Virginia Beach Kicks Off Sizzling Summer Season With Four Major Special Events In A Single Weekend”
- Northern Virginia Magazine features “Virginia Beach to Hold Reggae Festival, Jackalope, and 2 More Events in Early June”
- New York Folk spotlights “Virginia Beach Kicks Off Sizzling Summer Season With Four Major Special Events In A Single Weekend”
- Loonie Savers release coverage (Canada):
- VB Sports Center Fencing release coverage:
- False Cape State Park is featured in Outside Magazine’s “The 21 Wildest East Coast Beaches” round-up story
- Mommy Poppins features Virginia Beach as an option in “23 Family Road Trips Under 10 Hours Away from Philly”
This weekend, Virginia Beach becomes the epicenter of athletic talent and competition, hosting over 3,000 athletes across four distinguished events. The festivities kick off with the 25th Annual National Field Hockey League Spring Tournament at the US Field Hockey Training Center, showcasing the skill and agility of top field hockey teams. Simultaneously, the 2024 Collegiate Club Soccer Post Season Tournament at the Hampton Roads Soccer Complex will gather soccer enthusiasts from various colleges, adding a dynamic competitive edge to the soccer fields.
The excitement continues at the Princess Anne Athletic Complex with the 2024 Beast of the East softball tournament, where teams will battle it out to claim the coveted title in a display of power and teamwork. Not to be outdone, the Virginia Beach Sports Center will host the 2024 Big Shots Virginia Beach Live event, promising an electrifying atmosphere as athletes take to the court to demonstrate their prowess and dedication to their sport.
Virginia Beach is thrilled to offer a weekend filled with intense competition, sportsmanship, and community spirit. These events not only highlight the diverse athletic talent our city attracts but also celebrate the passion and dedication of athletes and fans alike. Join us in supporting and cheering for the participants in what promises to be an unforgettable weekend of sports.
Jamie Rawls conducted two site visits with the Building Material Suppliers Association and the Association of Professors of Human and Medical Genetics this week. She also attended Connection, Celebration, and Collaboration. Also this week, Scott Warren attended the Southeastern Crime Stoppers convention at the Embassy Suites and Dee Mittman welcomed her Iowa Soybean annual event to Virginia Beach as well.
This week was one of familiar reunions and new beginnings at the Convention Center. As they host perennial friends the Virginia Future Community & Career Leaders of America, SkillsUSA, and the Spring Craft Show, the team also welcomes a new General Manager, Michael Meyers. Michael comes to the CVB with decades of experience in public assembly venues. Most recently, he was the General Manager of the Greater Richmond Convention Center and has also been President of the Wisconsin Exposition Center and Executive Vice President of the Lansing, Michigan Entertainment and Public Facilities Authority. Stop in and say hello when you get a chance!
Festival Partnership Opportunity Program - The City of Virginia Beach has a new opportunity to share with event organizers. The Festival Partnership Opportunity Program (FPOP) was created to solicit proposals for events that will provide meaningful experiences for guests and residents of Virginia Beach. Application deadline for this program is June 7, 2024. Find more information about FPOP and details on how to apply here.
City of Virginia Beach Launches Outdoor Event Permitting Online Platform – The City of Virginia Beach has launched a new online software platform, Eproval, to streamline the permitting process for outdoor events. Now applying for outdoor event permits in Virginia Beach becomes easier for applicants and more efficient for reviewers and approvers to process their applications. The Eproval tool will include permits for outdoor events on public and private property, including festivals and special events, parades, runs and walks, and social events requiring an outdoor event permit by City Code.
With this launch, Virginia Beach continues to solidify its position as a first-class destination for festivals and special events. Eproval is now available for use by residents or event organizers planning an event in Virginia Beach. To learn more about the platform and begin the permit application process, visit VirginiaBeach.gov/OutdoorEventPermits.
Key features of the Eproval platform include:
- Streamlined review process: Eproval automates the permit review and approval process for applicants, reviewers and approvers, ensuring timely and consistent responses to permit applications.
- Real-time updates: Organizers receive real-time updates on the status of their permit application, increasing efficiencies with the resolution of missing or incomplete information.
- Event planning playbook: The completed permit application will serve as a planning template for event organizers to host a successful and safe event.
- Year-over-year efficiencies: Planners of annual events are able to duplicate past applications, eliminating the need to re-enter information that carries over each year.
The Virginia Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau Resort Management Special Event and Film Office is implementing the two-phase Eproval platform, with the first phase allowing applicants to submit a request for outdoor use. If the request is approved, the applicant can proceed with the second phase, completing the outdoor event permit application. Workflows within the platform coordinate reviews from several State and City departments, including the Resort Management Special Event and Film Office, Parks & Recreation, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Fire, Police, Sheriff, Public Works, Commissioner of the Revenue and the Health Department to ensure compliance with all State and City regulations.
The Convention and Visitors Bureau Resort Management Special Event and Film Office will soon be implementing a similar process for beach wedding permit and film permit requests.
VRLTA Launches New Coastal Chapter - The Virginia Restaurant, Lodging & Travel Association (VRLTA) is excited to announce that they’ve expanded their Norfolk Chapter and are rebranding it to the Coastal Chapter. This move reflects the association’s growing membership in the region and gives way for more businesses to have a seat at the table. The new footprint for VRLTA’s Coastal Chapter includes Accomack, Chesapeake, Franklin, Hampton, Isle of Wight, Newport News, Norfolk, Northampton, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Virginia Beach, and Williamsburg. In addition, the VRLTA Coastal Chapter Board has expanded to include some of the area’s key stakeholders, including:
- Martha Davenport, Executive Director, Virginia Beach Restaurant Association
- Brande Forrest-Rumpf, PDM - Partner Engagement and Projects Coordinator, Visit Virginia Beach
- Lars Friedriszik - General Manager, The Historic Cavalier Hotel
- Mary Fugere - Director, Hampton CVB
- Mike Mauch - Owner, Harvest Virginia Beach
- Teri Wiley, CMP, DES - Executive Director, Virginia Beach Hotel Association
- Judy Hare Winslow - Director, Smithfield & Isle of Wight Tourism
- John Zirkle Jr. - Corporate Director of Operations, Harmony Hospitality Inc.
Free Fares for Earth Day Celebration - Hampton Roads Transit (HRT) will celebrate Earth Day on Monday, April 22, 2024. As part of this celebration, all HRT services (bus, 757 Express, light rail, ferry, and paratransit) will be free for the entire service day. This fare exemption does not apply to customers using Guaranteed Ride Program services on Earth Day. Please invite your friends, family, and neighbors to try public transit. See the HRT Customer Alert here.
Traffic Impacts at the Oceanfront - The City has developed a traffic impact document listing for all events on the horizon with an attendance of 10,000 or more per day. The City and event organizers have been working diligently to minimize effects on residents, neighborhoods, and businesses during the 2024 Oceanfront event season, with a focus on safety and security. As with all major events, extensive planning and preparation happens to ensure everyone has a great time, while making sure the City is fully prepared to address issues such as traffic, crowds, and communication. Find the traffic impact document here. Before each of the Oceanfront events with anticipated attendance of more than 10,000 per day, “know before you go” information for that event, including road closures, will be added to www.virginiabeach.gov/eventinfo which will serve as the central communications hub for event-related impacts all year long. Learn about special event logistics and share with locals and visitors before heading to the Oceanfront at the Know Before You Go page found here.
EVENTS & HAPPENINGS
Click here to view the 2024 CVB Events Calendar. To view the Resort area entertainment schedule, click here and for easy access the Town Center of Virginia Beach events and activities listing, 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 March 31 - April 6: Virginia Beach’s hotel occupancy rate for the week of March 31 to April 6 was up 4.8% at 66.8% occupancy and up 3.6% for the running 28-day trend. ADR was up 3.1% at $138.41 but down -0.3% for the running 28-day trend. RevPAR was up 8.1% at $92.48 and up 3.3% for the running 28-day trend.
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