Hampton Roads is where salty air, pristine Atlantic beaches and sites that chronicle America’s earliest history mingle with standout meeting venues.
Two of Virginia’s largest meeting and event facilities are located in Hampton Roads. The sleek Virginia Beach Convention Center has 516,000 square feet of function space and the Hampton Roads Convention Center has 350,000 square feet of function space inside its nautically themed interior. Both have Virginia Green certification for design and operations that reduce impact on the environment.
Also in this region, the historic triangle of Jamestown, Williamsburg and Yorktown reflect America’s founding and early centuries of development. History comes with contemporary lures such as golf courses, outlet shopping, theme parks and museums.
Virginia Beach
Virginia Beach is ramping up its meetings portfolio with the addition of a major new multiuse project, Laskin Road Gateway. The $100 million project is slated to include shops, restaurants, residences, bars and clubs. The Beach Centre phase will open in early 2012.
"This is a huge public-private partnership effort that will create more of an urban, downtown feel for our convention corridor at the north end of our beach," says Al Hutchison, vice president of convention sales and marketing for the Virginia Beach CVB. "It’s steps from major hotels like Hilton Oceanfront and Hampton North Beach. It will have a high-energy vibe and be very welcoming for convention delegates."
The Gateway project is one in-progress item on the city’s wish list, and there are some others as well.
"We are working hard to get a headquarters hotel adjacent to our convention center," Hutchison says. "We should know this summer when that will move forward. We’re also working toward an entertainment attraction located about four blocks from the convention center and a block off the oceanfront. Hopefully, the developer will get word this fall on funding for that."
Virginia Beach offers lots of attractions besides its miles of Atlantic beaches. There’s the new Military Aviation Museum, with restored World War II aircraft that makes it ideal for special events with swing band entertainment and food from the era. The Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center exhibits habitats and marine animals from around the world, and after-hours events are popular for up to 3,000 guests. The LEED Gold-certified Virginia Beach Convention Center has 525,000 square feet of function space, including a 31,000-square-foot ballroom.
Norfolk
Meeting groups based in Norfolk have a new city shuttle service and culinary tours to enjoy.
Ride the Tide is a new light rail system that extends 7.4 miles from the Eastern Virginia Medical Center east through downtown Norfolk. Eleven stations provide access to hotels and destinations such as City Hall and MacArthur Center.
Culinary tours of Granby Street and the historic Ghent district are new in the city’s revitalized downtown. The tours showcase a local food history that covers centuries and includes roots in Native American, colonial and diverse port city cultures. Whether there’s the taste for traditional Southern cooking or trendy cutting-edge dishes, Norfolk can satisfy the palate.
MacArthur Center has cooking classes for groups at Williams-Sonoma or chocolate tasting tours at Lindt and Godiva. There are also pizza-making classes at California Pizza Kitchen.
Major Norfolk meetings hotels include Norfolk Waterside Marriott, with 400 guest rooms and 60,000 square feet of meeting space and Sheraton Norfolk Waterside, with 445 guest rooms and 30,000 square feet of meeting space.
Hampton
Hampton continues to upgrade its meetings and conventions product with projects like the new Peninsula Town Center. The lifestyle activity hub features shopping and dining unique to the region. CineBistro, a luxury movie theater and dining experience, is one of the newest additions to the center.
The Power Plant of Hampton Roads is the place to go in Hampton for some after-hours fun. Saddle Ridge Rock N’ Country Saloon and Luckie’s Dueling Pianos help attendees unwind with some great nightlife options. There’s even more at the NASCAR Sports Grille, the country’s third outlet for that brand.
Hampton has added a series of iPod walking tours that interpret the city’s historic past as it helps visitors discover gems of today. Downloads are free from iTunes or www.visithampton.com. Rentable iPods are available for $10 at the Hampton Visitor Center.
Hampton’s new Sea to the Stars ticket, available at the Hampton Visitor Center, bundles one-time admission to several attractions, including Virginia Air & Space Center and the Miss Hampton II Cruise.
The Hampton Roads Convention Center features 344,000 square feet of flexible convention and exhibit space connected to the 295-suite John Q. Hammons Embassy Suites Hotel via covered walkway. Holiday Inn Hampton Hotel & Conference Center is another full-service meetings property, with 320 guest rooms and 16,000 square feet of meeting space.
Williamsburg
America’s 18th century lifestyle, contemporary facilities and attractions remain the big draw for this colonial capital, according to Lisa Pacheco, director of conference sales and sports for the Greater Williamsburg Chamber & Tourism Alliance.
"Our destination sells us, but we encounter planners who think we are hard to reach," Pacheco says. "When I tell them there are three international airports, Norfolk, Richmond and Newport News/Williamsburg, within 40 miles of us they are amazed. We now have lots of direct flights on Frontier, Air Tran, Delta and US Air, and this pairs well with our 16 conference hotels that remain equipped and ready for meetings."
Pacheco says groups find Williamsburg a year-round destination, with Colonial Williamsburg, the world’s largest living history museum, and attractions like Busch Gardens Williamsburg and Williamsburg outlets as popular draws.
Primary meetings properties include The Williamsburg Inn; The Williamsburg Lodge; Great Wolf Lodge; Holiday Inn Patriot & Conference Center; and Kingsmill Resort & Conference Center.
Newport News
With Virginia’s statewide emphasis on the 150th commemoration of the American Civil War now in progress through 2015, Newport News is a major stop for Hampton Roads visitors. The internationally known USS Monitor Center at The Mariners’ Museum is a prime attraction. Groups may use the museum as a meetings or off-site event location, and they may tour the Monitor conservation center, where artifacts from the iconic Civil War vessel are being preserved. There are also Civil War-era homes to tour in the Newport News area.
Cheryl Morales, marketing manager for the Newport News Tourism Development Office, says meeting professionals can save valuable time and money by calling on the convention services staff for assistance.
"We are one team ready to make a conference successful because we liaison among hotels, attractions, restaurants and retail outlets to provide attendees with an enjoyable and productive time in our city," Morales says. "One example of our services is the discount coupon books we offer at conference tables. Travel counselors are on hand to answer any questions attendees might have."
Newport News now offers nine full-service hotels with a combined total of more than 1,000 guest rooms in the Virginia Green program, a statewide effort to reduce the environmental impact of the tourism industry.
Chesapeake
The Chesapeake Conference Center is Chesapeake’s foremost group facility, with a 20,000-square-foot ballroom and a location only 15 minutes from Norfolk International Airport. The 226-room Marriott Chesapeake is adjacent to the center and adds another 13,000 square feet of meeting space to the facilities package.
Chesapeake is a good destination for group recreation, such as guided kayak tours, ropes courses and other activities in the 107,000-acre Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge or the Northwest River Park, where miniature golf, horseshoes and volleyball are among the activities available.
Picnics and other outdoor gatherings for up to 150 people are welcome at the Pecan Grove in The Arboretum Homestead Grounds.
Portsmouth
History and waterfront ambience characterize Portsmouth, where the Old Towne historic district provides walkable diversions for visitors. In a single square mile, there are 300 years of history among vintage homes and other sites, where tours by candlelight and lanterns are popular.
According to Mark DiVenuti, director of catering and conference services at the 249-room Renaissance Portsmouth Hotel and Waterfront Conference Center, the town’s historic district is one of the best on the Eastern Seaboard.
"Portsmouth has one of the largest and best historic districts between Alexandria and Charleston—certainly the best in the Hampton Roads region," he says.
The district’s 12 squares along High Street are lined with an eclectic mix of art galleries, antique shops and restaurants. That’s where first Friday events each month bring open doors in the community for festive contemporary receptions within all of the heritage.
Groups of up to 150 may enjoy cruises out of Portsmouth on the Carrie B or the Spirit of Norfolk, which can accommodate up to 350 for tours, dinners and entertainment cruises along the Elizabeth River up to the Chesapeake Bay.
Suffolk
As the western gateway to the Hampton Roads region, Suffolk is a thriving city that’s known for its recreational activities and history. Just minutes from Portsmouth, Norfolk, Chesapeake and Smithfield, Suffolk has a growing arts scene among its shops, boutiques and historic structures, such as the 1837 Riddick’s Folly House Museum, once occupied by the Union Army during the Civil War.
The annual Suffolk Peanut Festival is the city’s signature event during October. It’s been going for about six decades and brings out thousands to enjoy not only the nourishing nut but also parades, concerts and competitions.
Suffolk’s principal group facility is The Hilton Garden Inn Suffolk Riverfront Conference Center, which is located in a six-acre parkland on the banks of the Nansemond River. It offers 14,000 square feet of meeting space, a full-service restaurant, bar and veranda for outdoor dining.
