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June 6, 2025
Dear Valued Tourism Partners,
A heart-felt congratulations to the iconic Ocean Eddies Seafood Restaurant on their 75th anniversary. The anniversary celebration will include a beachside party tomorrow, June 7th, 2025, from 10 am to 6 pm. This free event will feature live music, including performances by The Deloreans, The Steals, Cody Stag Music, and DJ Hayden Scott. The party will also include a crush tent and giveaways, including a $100 gift card and a cocktail class for two!
It’s a sure sign that summer is right around the corner when the North American Sand Soccer Championships (NASSC) roll into town!
Beginning today, June 6th, and running through Sunday, June 8th, this year marks the 31st edition of the largest sand soccer festival in the world! It is always an honor to partner and host the popular North American Sand Soccer Championships (NASSC) which draws thousands of athletes, their families and soccer enthusiasts to the sunny shores of Coastal Virginia!
This prestigious event will feature over 800 amateur and professional sand soccer teams competing in a thrilling display of athleticism and skill. With an estimated 100,000 attendees expected over the weekend, NASSC promises to deliver an unforgettable experience filled with excitement and community spirit. In addition to the main sand soccer competitions, the event will offer a variety of attractions to ensure there's something for everyone. Attendees can explore the interactive vendor village, engage in sidekick sports like flag football, beach volleyball, and beach kickball, and witness the intense U.S. Open Championship matches featuring both professional Men’s and Women’s beach soccer teams. The U.S. Open at NASSC attracts elite men’s and women’s beach soccer players from across the country and around the world.
This year, standout athletes from the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, Europe and our own local region will compete for a cash prize and the prestigious title of U.S. Open Champion.
Proceeds from NASSC will benefit the Hampton Roads Soccer Complex, furthering the development of local soccer facilities and supporting the growth of the sport in our region. This marquee event not only highlights the best in beach soccer but also strengthens our community through sport and entertainment. Join us for a weekend of sun, sand, and soccer as we celebrate this landmark anniversary of the North American Sand Soccer Championships. It's an event you won't want to miss! Click here for the weekend schedule.
Earlier this week, the Sports Tourism team proudly welcomed the 2025 National Gymnastics Association Championships and Educational Summit, bringing over 2,000 gymnasts from across the country to Virginia Beach from Monday through Friday. The action continues into the weekend with a packed lineup of premier events: the Tide Swimming School’s Out Classic at the Princess Anne Family YMCA will host more than 600 swimmers, while the Pro Skills Basketball Nationals take over the Virginia Beach Sports Center with 1,200 basketball athletes competing for top honors. Meanwhile, Legendary Softball’s Summer Kick Off Championship will bring fast-paced softball action to the Princess Anne Athletic Complex, and the U14 Regional Club Championship in field hockey will showcase rising stars at the USA Regional Field Hockey Training Center.
While NASSC and our sports events definitely kick off the summer fun, the good times certainly don’t stop there! We are proud to say we have something for everyone in our destination, with many live performances and shows at absolutely no cost. From the free Oceanfront Concert Series along the Boardwalk to the historical reenactment shows and the exciting performers from Live on Atlantic! there are endless opportunities and unique ways to experience our coastal city! Here is a great blog post developed by my team which is full of information to share with staff and guests.
We are also pleased to share several press hits:
- Virginia Beach’s new Atlantic Park and the Dome are featured in Brand USA’s 2025 What’s New round-up
- Virginia Beach and the Delta Hotel is listed in the Forbes article titled, “Take A Hike Literally, At These Popular U.S. Destinations”
- HGTV ranks First Landing State Park among nation’s top dog-friendly beaches
The M&C Sales & Services Team just wrapped up shuttle service for the delegates for the Right of Way Association’s Annual Conference at the Convention Center. More than 1,000 delegates and exhibitors were registered, and many brought families to enjoy all that our City has to offer.
Yesterday, the Team held their Quarterly Connect meeting. Hosted by the Westin Town Center, Captain Wesseler and Sargent Ball of the 2nd Precinct shared updates regarding safety in the resort city.
In sales travel news, Amy Overstreet was in Burlington, VT serving up an ice cream break of Ben & Jerry’s while promoting Virginia Beach as a great meeting destination at Northstar’s Boutique Meetings appointment show.
The Tourism Team hosted the recent board meeting for Heritage Clubs International. Heritage Clubs International is the leading bank travel club organization in North America. Virginia Beach is very excited that we have been selected as the host city for this prestigious group’s annual Peer Group Conference scheduled for February 23rd - 27th, 2026.
This weekend, the Convention Center hosts two proms, Bryant & Stratton’s graduation, and the Virginia Bridal and Wedding Expo. Directly afterwards, the Center becomes the home to Virginia Beach’s High School graduations. From Tuesday through Saturday, we will welcome over 50,000 people to celebrate this important milestone in the lives of our local youth.
Beach Blanket Cinema Debuts for 2025 with Showing of “National Treasure: Book of Secrets” - Grab the family and meet other movie buffs on the beach at 29th Street on select nights at 8:30 for some of your favorite movies. Bring your blanket or beach chairs and enjoy these free, family-friendly events! The fun starts on Thursday, June 12. For a list of the individual dates and featured movies, click here.
Fan Favorite “Art Crush” Returns to Virginia MOCA - On Thursday, June 12, from 6 - 8 p.m., Virginia MOCA is bringing back a fan favorite! Art Crush returns to Virginia MOCA for a fresh, after-hours experience that blends gallery games, creative challenges, and unexpected conversations. Kick off the night with drinks and mingling, then dive into a playful group adventure inspired by the art on view. Whether you come solo or with friends, you’ll leave seeing the museum—and each other—with fresh eyes. Find out more here.
There is Still Time! Nominees Sought for 2025 Virginia Restaurant Lodging and Travel Association (VRLTA) Ordinary Awards - Hosted by the VRLTA, the prestigious Ordinary Awards celebrate and honor all of Virginia’s restaurants, lodging establishments and hotels, DMOs, attractions, and more. Simply ordinary is definitely not what these nominees are; in fact, they are extraordinary in that they shine a light on the incredible restaurateurs, hoteliers, attractions, establishments, and employees that represent some of the best our industry has to offer from across the state. Nominations are open through June 30th, 2025, and winners announced at the VRLTA awards dinner and ceremony on September 8th, 2025. Find out more about the awards dinner and the process for nominating someone at the link provided here.
Partner Professional Development Opportunities - To support our strategic pillar of accountability to our stakeholders and the industry as a whole, we are pleased to share information about upcoming opportunities for professional development:
Virginia Restaurant Lodging and Travel Association Hospitality Training Opportunities - VRLTA’s 2025 Regional Seminars aim to provide education and resources on critical industry topics, extending VRLTA’s outreach and enhancing their statewide presence through valuable, focused programming. The organization also regularly offers a variety of training and certification opportunities in the hospitality industry. These include online courses, career and technical education programs, and certification programs. Visit https://www.vrlta.org/hospitality-training/ for more information.
2025 Miles Partnership Professional Development Dates - For more information about the following opportunities and/or to register to participate, visit https://www.milespartnership.com/how-we-think:
- 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
I hope some of you, or your designees, are able to attend one or more of these important and insightful professional development opportunities.
EVENTS & HAPPENINGS
Find the 2025 CVB Event Calendar here, the Virginia Beach Events entertainment schedule here, and a link to the many fun events at Town Center of Virginia Beach 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
nhelman@visitvirginiabeach.com
CVB Strategic Pillars:
Engagement|Growth|Brand Development|Culture|Accountability
Hotel Occupancy for April 2025 - Virginia Beach’s hotel occupancy rate for the month of April was up 3.1% from April of 2024, at 63.5% occupancy, but down -1.0% year to date. ADR was up 3.6% from April of 2024, at $139.10, and up 2.7% year to date. RevPAR was up 6.8% from April of 2024, at $88.38, and up 1.7% 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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