What makes your city a top meeting/convention destination?
The new Virginia Beach Convention Center and our tourism product is ideal for groups from 1,000 to 4,000. However, we can accommodate smaller and larger groups depending on the requirements of the group for meeting, ballroom, and exhibit space. We are ideal for state and national associations, professional trade shows, military, religious, and fraternal groups, and amateur sporting events. Our primary target is conventions and groups that meet between October and May.
Tell us about a meeting you're thrilled to have just signed on or a recent meeting you're very pleased with.
In February, we will be hosting the 2008 American Bus Association (ABA) Marketplace, bringing more than 3,500 bus owners and operators, destination marketing organizations, and other travel and tourism professionals to our city. This meeting not only highlights Virginia Beach to the group tour market, but also showcases our region and the Commonwealth of Virginia. Other meetings we are pleased to welcome are the Rejuvenate Marketplace 2008, USA Track and Field Convention 2010, and Aglow International 2012, which we recently booked.
What is your perspective on destination leadership?
A key component of destination leadership is bringing together resources to enhance the visitor experience. This ranges, in our destination, from working with the political sector, the tourism industry leadership, and the private sector to continue to enhance and improve our product; to working with regional CVBs, the state, and the national tourism leadership to both expand our marketing and visitor offerings and address the funding needed for this economic sector.
What is your city's roadmap for the future?
These are exciting times for Virginia Beach. We have a new Town Center, which opened recently to rave reviews. This vibrant area has fine dining, shopping, and entertainment. Our new Performing Arts Center is the latest addition to this venue. Our city is currently involved in development of a master plan for the resort area that includes a convention center headquarters hotel, a new entertainment complex, and a vibrant new corridor connecting the convention center and the entertainment center.
What green initiatives is your city/convention center undertaking? We are pleased that the new Virginia Beach Convention Center (VBCC) was the first Virginia Green convention center in the state. Recently the VBCC became a partner in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Energy Star Challenge. The Convention and Visitors Bureau has become a partner with Virginia Green, and we are currently working with our restaurants and hotels to increase the number of properties that become Virginia Green certified.
How do you see the role of the bureau changing in the future?
I've seen an evolution over the past three to five years. CVBs have gone from the role of simply marketing and selling a destination to being a change agent for development of that destination. They now work more closely with their political and community leaders to discuss the importance of this industry and why it is important to sustain it. In addition, CVBs need to take a lead role with their stakeholders to keep the product constantly improving.