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New Hire Spotlight – Curtis Weaver

Please welcome Curtis Weaver, who joined our team this week as a Marketing Communications CMS Specialist!

Let’s get to know him a little better:

  1. What is your favorite TV show?

Lately, I have been hooked on the new summer game shows that have been coming out recently. Shows like Beat Shazam and Love Connection are some of the ones I have been tuning into when they air.

  1. What do you love the most about Virginia Beach?

One of my favorite aspects of Virginia Beach is how diverse the city is. You can drive around the area and go from beach to city to farm land. All of the areas are diverse and beautiful. Not only is the landscape diverse, but the people are as well!

  1. What surprises you the most about the CVB?

What surprised me the most is how open everyone is here at the CVB. They are warm and welcoming and answer any question I have asked just as such. They have also done a great job at making me feel a part of the team from the minute I started.  

  1. What project are you most looking forward to in your new role?

I am excited to start working with our external clients in helping make great posts and photos to put on our new website. By doing this, it will help make our city stand out as a great vacation spot to future visitors.

  1. What is your biggest pet peeve?

My biggest pet peeve is a tie between two different ones. First, it is when people do not respect someone’s opinion just because it is not their own. The other is when someone tells you they will take care of something and they do not follow through.

  1. If you could take a vacation anywhere, where would you go and why?

I have always wanted to go to Ireland. The stories and tales from the area intrigue me. I have also always wanted to go and kiss the Blarney Stone.  

  1. What is the one thing you want staff to know about you?

I love movies. Currently in my collection, I own over 800 movies on DVDs.

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advocating for our industry on a national level

I wanted to share this article with the CVB to help everyone understand what is going on at the national/international level regarding our industry. I think this speech given by Loews Hotel CEO at NYU’s International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference  is well spoken and easy to understand. It basically asks the industry for three calls to action:

  • Communicate travel’s tremendous benefits to help a new group of policymakers in Washington understand how travel can help achieve America’s economic goals …
  • Get deeply engaged in the coming infrastructure debate to promote investments that benefit travel and can drive our economy for decades to come …
  • And stand up for valued programs like Brand USA that are under political attack.

http://www.scps.nyu.edu/about/newsroom/news/2017/loews_hotels_co_chai.html

While it is easy for us to get lost in the day to day of our work, we must not lose sight of bigger issues at play if we are to continue serving locally as subject matter experts on the travel industry.

Tiffany

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VB Media Hits

Good afternoon!

We wanted to pass along several exciting hits we’ve received—please see below for details.

USA TODAY:

USA Today has shared the best beaches to explore and enjoy in Virginia Beach, including a “photo tour” of experiences. The outlet has covered a “best beaches” feature for several states, so we’re very happy to see Virginia Beach make up the piece in its entirety, as well as see our key messaging points.

USA Today has 36,693,647 unique monthly visitors and 12,368,554 social media followers. Additionally, this article was distributed through USA Today’s subsidiaries across the U.S.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/destinations/2017/06/01/virginia-beaches/102354548/

 

ENDLESS VACATION:

We worked with Zach Patton, writer for Endless Vacation, back in December on his “Weekenders: Beyond Williamsburg” piece, and we’re excited to share that it’s out! (Link below) Virginia Beach wraps up the article with New Earth Farm and the ViBe Creative District.

The piece will also run in the Summer 2017 digital issue/ app. Endless Vacation receives 73,720 unique monthly visitors online and has a circulation of 1,834,277.

http://endlessvacation.com/beyond-williamsburg/

BALTIMORE MAGAZINE:

More love from Baltimore! Virginia Beach made Baltimore Magazine’s roundup of 12 destinations where “H20 is the way to go.” We’re happy to see that they took our messaging when describing Virginia Beach as vibrant and diverse; the piece also covers some of our favorite places to stay, eat, drink and do.

PDF attached. The article will run online after June 12 at http://www.baltimoremagazine.com/issue/june-2017

Baltimore Magazine has a circulation of 61,474 and receives 152,929 unique monthly visitors online.

 

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VBCC Carpet Cleaning

Jackie Owens, VBCC Crew Leader Extraordinaire and Vic Olds, longtime beach resident and Maintenance Worker are finally finding time to clean carpet after a very busy six months of events. Jackie promises it will look much better in a few days, just in time for high school graduations.

Since this message goes to a “stories” mailbox, I should tell a little story.

As a young teen of 13 years or so, I had the opportunity to work as a part time farm hand for a semi-retired custom homebuilder in Virginia Beach. He’d purchased a 200 acre farm adjacent to Dam Neck and raised ponies for his grandchildren and a couple of hundred head of Angus beef for market. While he lived in a waterfront home in Birdneck Point, he never forgot his humble beginnings living off the earth. He was the closest thing I had to a grandfather since both of mine had died before I was born.  He was called “JC”, short for James Courtney Kesler. Mr. Kesler employed one of the hardest working men I think I’d seen in my 13 years. He was a laborer, and his name was Enoch Olds. I remember him calmly cutting a ditch across a field in the hot sun to drain standing rain water. I didn’t work with him much but appreciated his work ethic whenever I was around him. He seemed pretty old to me in 1968, but it wasn’t until later in my life that I learned how old. As a volunteer EMT I was called to Enoch’s home some 25 years later.  He lived at the end of Olds Lane off of S. Birdneck Road in Seatack. Several generations of his large family lived in the homes that lined the street with their surname.  It was a hot summer afternoon. I don’t remember the nature of the call but do remember seeing Mr. Olds lying in a bed with crisp white sheets and a gentle breeze coming through the screened windows. Each of his grown children and grandchildren alternated providing care for him daily. They did so better than any nursing home I’d been in – and I’d been in many. I believe I gave Mr. Olds his last ride to the hospital at nearly 100 years of age.

I share this story because I see similarities in Vic, Enoch’s grandson. He’s calm and steady and works hard. Just like his grandfather in his elderly years a half century ago. Searching way back in my memory banks, I can see the resemblance.

  • Courtney
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2017 Patriotic Festival

Thanks to Jamie Files and the Resort Management team for sharing this AWESOME balcony shot of the 5th Street stage as this year’s Patriotic Festival begins. Much gratitude to all  CVB staff  who have served our country; enjoy this special weekend dedicated to all of YOU!

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Beautiful coverage has rolled in!

The Boardwalk Art Show has been included within Travel + Leisure‘s (12,288,741 UMV) roundup, “Best Things to Do in June Across the U.S.” T+L has a combined social media following of 8,856,909.

Virginia Beach was also recently listed as a top 10 summer travel destination by MSN Lifestyle (482,657 UMV). This piece was developed from TripAdvisor’s Vacation Rentals research and gives a nod to families within our drive markets looking for the perfect summer getaway. MSN Lifestyle has a combined social media following of 177,243.

http://www.travelandleisure.com/trip-ideas/best-things-to-do-in-june-in-america

http://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/tripideas/10-summer-travel-destinations-already-heating-up/ss-BBAAGXu#image=4

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Check out the DOS presentation

Tiffany in Marketing Communications spoke at the industry’s Director of Sales (DOS) breakfast this morning about how the MarComm team is supporting the M&C team. Highlights include major focus areas, goals, strategies and tactics and examples of creative services. She also provided ways for industry partners to help.

CLICK HERE to check out the presentation.