Live The Life
Linda Eisan meets with meeting planner, Casey Hurd of Blue Ridge Partners at Smart Meetings Mid Atlantic in Washington DC, July 20, 2016 at Renaissance Washington DC Downtown Hotel.
Smart Meetings Mid-Atlantic is designed to match meeting professionals with hotels, destinations and CVB’s. The program is a collaborative atmosphere to learn from industry experts, build connections and book business.
The Convention Sales Support team took a half day on Thursday, July 21st to do a few site visits around Town Center. On this beautiful day, the team which included Tanisha Brown – Convention Sales Administrative Specialist, Shantese Putman – Convention Sales Assistant, Tianna Peterson – Convention Sales Intern, and Claire Rew – Convention Center Intern toured our ad agency’s office, BCF, and spoke with Account Manager Liz Brooks, Toured the Westin Town Center with DOS Bob Dorr as they were preparing for an elaborate weekend-long wedding, stopped for a cold treat at Cold Stone Creamery, made our way to Crowne Plaza for a tour with GM Mark Smith, and last but not least walked through the Virginia Beach Economic Development office with Office Manager Olivia O’Bry.
This summer Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC) partnered with Convention and Visitor Bureau partners across the state who market to the Midwest territory and traveled to Chicago IL for a joint sales mission. The mission of this trip was to conduct multiple group presentations, client events, and sales appointments. A successful trip sharing what Virginia can offer to groups based out of the “windy city”.
Claire Rew, Event Services Intern with the VBCC has written the following passage about her experience as an intern. Check it out!
A 300 hour internship? Not what I imagined my summer before my senior year at Longwood University to include. With my major being communication studies, I figured I would be sitting at a desk all day long at a job that I found uninteresting. So much for beach days I thought, but little did I know, interning at the Virginia Beach Convention Center was going to be an experience more valuable than ever.
The first day on the job, I met the event coordinating crew, Avery, Keith, Darcy, Samantha, Adrielle, Forrest, Sarah, and Kathy. I could not have had a greater welcome and of course, I got the famous, Keith Bernstein building tour. I later found out, that was only but a rehearsal to prepare me for the two hour Courtney Dyer tour. However, these both were no match for my lack of direction, getting lost in the back of house hallways countless times before I finally figured my way around.
Within the next few days, I started to assist in managing events, walkie-talkie and all. I quickly learned many valuable skills, including problem solving, teamwork, and crowd control, and frequently saw interesting sights, like Comicon cosplayers, emotional wrestlers, and tiny dancers. Through all of the different distractions that come with every event, I can honestly say that I learned something new each day that I spent at the VBCC.
Between events, I was assigned with various projects, such as compiling new staff member kits, creating staff information packets for events, editing event coordinator guides and manuals, and putting together organizational event binders to help keep coordinators on their “A” game. I also attended most pre-conference and client meetings, where I furthered my knowledge of how to effectively communicate and thoroughly plan for events. From ensuring the client’s satisfaction, to making sure the right amount of chairs have been ordered, to attempting to understand EBMS, I now see that the job of an event coordinator is much more than one might think.
After getting the feel of how the VBCC runs and operates, I marched on over to the CVB to hopefully meet some faces behind the many emails I had been receiving. Not knowing much about the positions or tasks the CVB is responsible for, it was interesting to learn about their different departments. Many events would not be held here at the Convention Center if it was not for the marketing and promotional efforts of the CVB. If I were a tourist, I too, would want to come to Virginia Beach after viewing “The Daily Life” blog. Next time a blog article is written about an exciting activity in Virginia Beach, I would be more than willing to tag along just to “get the experience” for myself.
As my internship comes to an end, I feel prepared to someday in the future enter the event planning field. “It takes teamwork to make the dream work” they say, and the VBCC is one fine example of how to make the dream happen. Dedication from all members of sales, event services, operations, sustainability, and all the contractors is required in order to hold a successful event. I am lucky enough to have gotten a chance to meet many of these great people and cannot thank them enough for a wonderful summer and learning experience!
Pictured from left to right: Forrest Harrell, Avery Burgess, and Claire Rew, and Samantha Bernheim in the dolphin costume.
Last week, the CVB hosted 23 students and chaperons from the Education First foreign exchange student program. Students from Germany, Spain, France and several other countries devoted their morning to community service at the JCOC where they helped organize the food pantry, assisted in the kitchen and helped serve lunch to the residents. Their afternoon was filled with a visit to the Veterans’ Memorial where they learned a bit about American military culture, followed by a behind-the-scenes tour of the convention center and a brief tourism overview. Their time with us ended with a fantastic Virginia Beach history lesson and learning about the services offered at the VIC. Thanks to Courtney, Scott and Teresa for hosting this group whose service project fostered a ton of good will and resulted in 80 community service hours to add to our One Beach, One World success stories!
CLICK HERE to read this great article about Virginia vacations for all interests in the Baltimore Sun!
CLICK HERE to view all of the final :15 and :30 video files and the deck of static banners from the FY17 Fall Creative campaign.
Earlier this year, the CVB was asked to match an incoming meeting group with a non-profit to support during their annual meetings which was set for July at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront. After evaluating the groups interests and partner opportunities, a great match was made between the group, Virginia Transportation Construction Alliance (VCTA), and Vetshouse, Inc., a local non-profit which supports military veterans.
VCTA’s goal was to raise $560, which would pay the Vetshouse expenses for one month, plus collect a bin of personal care and toiletries for the residents. VCTA decided to hold a raffle to raise the money, with the raffle winner winning $200. Support was overwhelming; VCTA initially raised $2,400 in cash donations plus four bins of personal care items. Here’s where the story really gets good:
On Saturday morning, July 16, VCTA leaders invited Vetshouse Executive Director Willard “Smitty” Smith, a Vietnam veteran, to join them for breakfast. Smitty accepted and thought he was going to the Sheraton to collect a bin of personal care items but was instead presented with a check for $2,400. While he was overwhelmed at VTCA’s generosity, but again, the story gets even better…
The winner of the $200 raffle donated her winnings to Vetshouse, bringing the total donation to $2,600. VCTA Executive President Jeffrey Southard then asked VCTA members to step up to make the donation an even $3,000 and offered a challenge, start with his $50 contribution. Within minutes, the line to donate additional money to Vetshouse stretched around the Sheraton ballroom! VTCA members took out $20, $50, even $100 bills, and placed them on the table in front of Smitty. Some wrote checks. Smitty broke into tears. In the end, VTCA members contributed $6,300 to Vetshouse along with four bins of personal care items.
This project represents the largest donation made to a partner under the “One Beach, One World” social responsibility program created by the CVB to enhance the Virginia Beach experience for visitors desiring to support our community during their stay.
What do intern Claire Rew and Event Manager Sam Bernheim and do on a 102 degree day when events are loading out? Get up close and personal with our new baby ducks, of course. These new editions to the water features outside Hall D are about two weeks old in this photo.
Distinctive Gourmet’s Charles Burnham tidies up has mini café in the Jewelry Show Friday afternoon. This outgoing young man was willing to talk to anyone….as long as it was about football!
Team VB was joined by Ruth Fraser, (not pictured) president of Sister Cities Association of Virginia Beach, Carolyn Garrett – VP, and Naomi Estares – Event Coordinator, at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington DC to welcome and pre-promote Virginia Beach as host of the 61st Annual Convention in July 2017!
(In photo from left to right: Linda Eisan, Carolyn Garrett – VP of Sister Cities, Sally Noona, Todd Bertka, Sherri Waghalter, Naomi Estares – Event Coordinator, Dawn Whittaker, Jennifer Westnedge – Sales Manager at Holiday Inn Oceanside, Tiffany Wilson – Sales Manager at Sheraton VB Oceanfront)