A Destination That’s Built for SMERF Groups
Approximately 2.75 million people visit Virginia Beach each year, and the Virginia Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau encourages them to “Live the Beach Life!” on the city’s 14 miles of public beaches and three-mile-long concrete boardwalk. But it’s not all sand and surf. Aside from the beach scene, Virginia Beach is home to a long list of exciting activities, from shopping the city’s Town Center, which houses a wide array of shops, restaurants, cafes and nightlife, to spotting sea turtles the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center, one of the most visited aquariums in the United States. Other nearby attractions include Colonial Williamsburg, Busch Gardens, Jamestown, Cape Henry Light House and Fort Story.
This serene, oceanside community has a number of exciting projects looming on the horizon. “We have a couple of prime development proposals on the table,” says Al Hutchinson, VP of Convention Sales & Marketing for the Virginia Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau. “One would be a hotel to support and maximize the potential of the Convention Center, and we’re looking at a new entertainment attraction that will be online as early as 2012. It’s a multi-use, indoor facility with entertainment, a performance theater, a number of different restaurants, skating rinks and Ferris wheels. It’s going to be a very unique, one-of-a-kind facility.”
Although the future is obviously bright, Hutchinson makes sure to note that Virginia Beach is already a prime location for meetings and conventions. “Number one is affordability, specifically for SMERF groups that need convention space from September to May – that’s off season for us,” he says. “So affordability is very advantageous for that marketplace. The second big selling point for us is that we now have a unique mid-size convention center that has services and the space that a lot of these folks are looking for. So we’re able to showcase a venue that has the architecture and the amenities that groups need to fit their bill.”
Completed in January 2007, the $202.5 million Virginia Beach Convention Center boasts more than 500,000 square feet of event space. The facility hosts everything from regional and national trade shows to sports tournaments in its 150,000 square feet of Exhibition Space, 31,029-square-foot ballroom and 28,929 square feet of meeting rooms. In addition, there are approximately 12,000 hotel rooms citywide, 3,500 of which are within a two-mile radius of the Convention Center. “The Convention Center is city owned and managed, so SMERF groups only have to deal with one entity to help with building space, planning, hotels and off-site venues,” says Hutchinson. “You can’t beat the convenience of a one-stop shop.”
And the city is focused on sustainability. “We now have close to 100 hotels, restaurants and attractions that are part of our Green Team here in Virginia Beach,” says Hutchinson. “We just announced two new partnerships – one is with Green Meetings Energy Council and the other is with the Convene Green Alliance. We’re very focused on the green message. We just think it’s our destination’s position to embrace it and go eco-friendly. We want more groups who feel that’s very important. We want to be known as a totally green destination.”
With a number of new projects on the drawing board and a wealth of options and opportunities already available, Virginia Beach is an ideal location – not only to frolic in the surf and soak but the sun, but also as a place to hold a successful meeting or convention. “We have a couple of prime development proposals on the table – one would be a hotel to support and maximize the potential of the convention center,” says Hutchinson, adding that plans to narrow down a developer for the hotel will occur in the coming months.
The Virginia Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau offers a number of resources for groups, including professional advice and assistance in planning off-site events, customized site inspection tours of Virginia Beach, the Convention Center, hotels and attractions and help with housing reservations. To contact the Virginia Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau, visit http://www.vbmeetings.com or call 757-385-4700.
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