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January 24, 2025
Dear Valued Tourism Partners,
Even Mother Nature can’t stop the excitement of the most anticipated culinary event of the year - the 20th anniversary of Virginia Beach Restaurant Week!
Earlier this week, inclement weather event kept many visitors and residents from venturing outside, so now the celebration will continue until Sunday, Feb. 2. This year, there are more than 50 culinary contenders to carry on the beloved tradition of this special week of specially designed pre-fixe menu items and spirits. I hope everyone can take advantage of experiencing a new venue or returning to an all-time favorite.
To elevate the culinary experience, the VBRA has partnered with the Virginia Beach Hotel Association (VBHA) to offer a Dine & Stay program with more than a dozen VBHA hotels offering package deals to complement Restaurant Week. Reservations are highly encouraged! Find the link to all the details about both of these terrific programs here.
Thanks to the many tourism stakeholders who have pledged their support to both of these local organizations who do so much for our industry! I hope to see many of you out and about during this exciting week. Cheers to 20 years and bon appétit!
We’re very pleased to share the results of our continued work in the areas of public relations, marketing, and communications. This week’s press hits include:
Does your business have something new or unique that you’d like to showcase? Please reach out to the content manager on our MarCom team, Alex Smith, at ajsmith@visitvirginiabeach.com, for opportunities to collaborate in our content space and to be featured on the Visit Virginia Beach website. Also, check out MarCom’s latest content via our social platforms. Make sure to like, subscribe, and follow Visit Virginia Beach on Youtube, Instagram, and Facebook to stay up to date on all things Virginia Beach. Don’t forget to tag @visitvabeach!
The Groundworks Company Kickoff event starts today! Groundworks, headquartered in Virginia Beach, is the nation's leading provider of foundation repair, basement waterproofing, crawl space encapsulation, and concrete lifting. We are looking forward to welcoming almost 1,400 of their employees from across the nation for team building, inspirational speakers, and educational sessions. Next Monday and Tuesday, we will host our City Council’s annual retreat as they work on the budget for fiscal year 2026 and other issues important to the citizens of Virginia Beach. There will be an Atlantic Avenue Public Meeting on Thursday, Jan. 30 from 6 - 8 p.m. at the facility which is open to anyone interested in learning more about what is planned for the iconic corridor. Find out more about the project here.
Our Services team is busy with Groundworks transportation locally as our sales team continues to work hard to promote and sell the destination. Amy Overstreet was in McLean, VA to attend the Fairfax, Loudon Event Executives’ quarterly meeting, spreading the good word about the benefits of meeting in Virginia Beach while Dee Mittman conducted a site visit with a very promising prospective client.
As cooler temperatures sweep through Virginia Beach, the Sports Tourism scene is heating up with four great events this weekend, bringing excitement and energy to our coastal city.
At the Sports Center, the 2025 Blizzard Blast Volleyball Tournament is serving up competition with over 1,800 volleyball athletes from across the country. While the cold may bite outside, the courts will be hot as teams battle to emerge as top contenders. Also at the Sports Center, the 2025 Virginia Beach High School Relays track and field event will welcome over 1,500 athletes. Fresh off impressive showings at last week’s VA Showcase, these competitors will push for district and regional championship qualifications, all while setting their sights on state-level glory.
Meanwhile, over at Ocean Lakes High School, things will heat up on the mats at the 2025 John Kelly Ocean Lakes Wrestling Invitational, where 700 wrestlers will bring grit and determination. And while the weather may have spectators bundled up, the competition will be red-hot at the 2025 USTA L4 BG12-18’s Doubles Championship at the Virginia Beach Tennis Center & Country Club. Over 200 highly skilled tennis athletes will take to the courts throughout the weekend.
While the temperatures may drop, the energy and passion of these athletes will keep Virginia Beach buzzing with excitement all weekend long! We hope everyone stays safe and warm.
Reminder: The Chesapeake Bay Center at First Landing State Park will be closed the entire months of January and February. The main Visitor Information Center at 2100 Parks Ave. will be closed on Sundays during the month of March.
Public Meeting on Atlantic Avenue Improvement Project Set for January 30 at Convention Center from 6 - 8 p.m.- The Atlantic Avenue Improvement project team is hosting a public meeting to present proposed plans for the Atlantic Avenue Improvement Project. The project aims to improve the overall experience of Atlantic Avenue by enhancing the streetscape, improving lighting, and modernizing the area while preserving its unique character. The meeting is open to the public. For more information, click here.
Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC) Grants Update - The VTC Marketing Leverage Program and the VTC Destination Marketing Office Program will open on February 11, 2025 and close on March 13, 2025. Prospective applicants can sign up for how-to-apply webinars at www.vatc.org/grants.
Reminder: Most 2023 and some 2024 grant cycle reimbursements and final reports are due. Reimbursement forms and reimbursement instructions can be found at: vatc.org/grants/grant-reimbursements. All reimbursement requests must be mailed via USPS, UPS, FedEx or other courier to VTC, Attn: Grants Team, 901 East Cary Street, Suite 900, Richmond, VA 23219. Contact Staci Martin, Grants Director, at smartin@virginia.org if you need balance information or an extension.
Please reach out to Teresa Diaz at tdiaz@visitvirginiabeach.com for the required DMO grant support letter, in advance of submitting your application by the deadline of March 13, 2025.
VRLTA Seeking Two Local Teams to Participate in 2025 Virginia ProStart Invitational – The Virginia Restaurant, Lodging and Travel Association (VRLTA) is actively seeking two management teams to represent Kempsville High School in the 2025 Virginia ProStart Invitational The Virginia ProStart Invitational is composed of two distinct competitions that showcase the most important skills needed on both sides of the restaurant and foodservice industry: front-of-the-house (Management Competition) and behind the scenes in the kitchen (Culinary Competition).
The Culinary Competition highlights the creative abilities of teams through the preparation of a three-course meal in just 60 minutes, using only two butane burners with no access to running water or electricity. There’s no room for error as they’re evaluated on taste, skill, teamwork, safety, and sanitation.
The Management Competition asks teams to develop a proposal for the next hot restaurant concept and present it to a panel of industry judges. The team's ability to think on their feet is also tested as they quickly solve challenges managers face on a daily basis.
Currently, VRLTA is seeking two sponsors for management teams to represent Kempsville High School, who won one of the top honors last year. Any Kempsville alumni interested? Find out all the details about this competition here and watch a short clip of the 2023 event here.
2025 Partner Professional Development Opportunities - To support our strategic pillar of accountability to you, our valued industry partners, we are glad to share upcoming opportunities for professional development within our industry:
- VRLTA Partners with VTC for Webinar on Opening of Next Round of VTC Grants - The next round of applications for the Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC) Marketing Leverage Program will open on Thursday, Feb. 11, and close on Thursday, March 13, 2025. The Virginia Restaurant Lodging & Travel Association (VRLTA) will host a webinar featuring Staci Martin, VTC Grants Director, and Noah Salaah ad-Deen, VTC Grants Specialist, on Thursday, Feb. 6 from 10 – 11 a.m. for a deep dive into the current and future programs. Participants will obtain a better understanding of each program, the marketing focus, who is eligible, in-kind and cash match requirements, timelines, and deadlines, and how to apply for the programs. Click here to register for this important webinar.
Miles Partnership Professional Development Opportunities in 2025
- March 18 – Destination Decisions, Powered by the State of the American Traveler
- May 15 – Harnessing the Power of AI
- June 24 – Technology Trends, Powered by the American Traveler
- September 16 – Traveler Segments, Powered by the State of the American Traveler
- November 18 – Stewardship & Sustainability Insights, Powered by the State of the American Traveler
For more information about these opportunities and to register, visit https://www.milespartnership.com/how-we-think
EVENTS & HAPPENINGS
Find the 2025 CVB Event calendar here. 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 in any way we can.
Sincerely,
Nancy Helman
CVB Director
CVB Strategic Pillars:
Engagement|Growth|Brand Development|Culture|Accountability
Hotel Occupancy for December 2024 - Virginia Beach’s hotel occupancy rate for the month of December was up 1.1% from Dec. 2023, at 41.4% occupancy, and up 2.2% year to date. ADR was down -0.2% from Dec. 2024, at $104.66, and down -1.9% year to date. RevPAR was up 1.0% from Dec. 2023, at $43.32, and up 0.3% year to date.
Source: STR, LLC. Republication or other reuse of this data without the express written permission of STR, LLC is strictly prohibited.
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