Bob Batcher, as Rotarian of the Day, introduced a trifecta of speakers representing Visit Norfolk. Visit Norfolk is the city’s Convention and Visitors Bureau and seeks to promote Norfolk’s unique experience and amenities to residents and visitors as the best city of its size.
Marketing – Kara Copley, Marketing Manager, discussed some of the campaigns recently run to interest locals and travelers to come to Norfolk.
- Together at Last – This brought Norfolk and Virginia Beach together in a combined marketing campaign for the first time. It was run during COVID.
- City with Bite – This uses Nomara, a local foodie influencer, to highlight Norfolk’s independent restaurants.
You can currently see the second season at https://www.citywithbite.com/ and there are plans for a third and fourth season. These are 5-6-minute-long videos that showcase a variety of food scenes in Norfolk.
Sales Department – Katie Castano, Sales Manager, discussed how they bring people to Norfolk through sales. A big selling point is the walkability of Norfolk and that it has 50 restaurants in a 6-block area.
Norfolk is close to the beach and also Williamsburg and there are lots to do, including history and waterfront activities. The sales department brings groups in and then turns them over to the convention services team.
Convention Services Team – Catherine Williamson, Director of Convention Services, discussed how her staff works to plan and execute events, including setting up tour groups (for example support NATO fest parade and MEAC basketball tournament), event planning (family and military reunions and sports tournaments). Services include pre-promotion of meetings, providing Norfolk brochures, and giving a tour and itinerary ideas to group planners.
The formal presentation ended early enough for many audience questions.
- Norfolk’s sweet spot, for an event that utilizes most hotels downtown in peak, is about 800 room nights (which is MEAC’s), 1500 attendees total is the max for each hotel’s ballroom, if more, would have to use Scope.
- One of the biggest annual events is the 2,500 attendee Virginia Office of Emergency Medical Services come every year in November and offer courses, a big number for our city but they’ve worked it out and rotate their courses.
- Anticipate people coming back to travel for conferences, everyone likes to meet in person, have been booking for future years. 2021 tourism trends from Travel state of mind – Majority of people WANT to travel.
- We can get larger groups that would never previously fit in Norfolk because they can make more by having virtual attendees with smaller in-person attendance.
- Groups aren’t coming back full capacity yet; hotels and restaurants are doing the best they can with staffing shortages. It’s a reality so open to talking to it, Sheraton is fully staffed, banquet servers and housekeepers are shared between properties at a time, often part-time.
- They would love to have more conventional space, the Main is the largest one in Norfolk outside of Scope, it isn’t big enough to accommodate some of the groups they’d like to have.
- The economic impact the city brings is very important, $37 million in tourism and travel last year during the pandemic. Tourism is a huge piece of business for Norfolk.
- Mass transportation is a big factor that people want.
- Excited to add the casino with meeting space to the portfolio but haven’t started selling it. Do believe it will become walkable.
Meeting Highlights:
Chuck Spence and Frank Whitman led us in singing.
President Michael opened the meeting with the pledge of allegiance and the Four-Way Test.
Chip Vogan gave the invocation.
Brian McGuire reported that:
- Jason Drane’s 15-month daughter is still receiving regular infusions.
- Colin McKinnon’s daughter Kris McKinnon is only somewhat alert and her condition is up and down.
- Bill Gough is undergoing chemo and is unable to attend meetings.
The school of the week is Chesterfield Academy.
Al Carmichael announced guests:
- Dr. Howard Kesser (Sharon Laderberg’s father)
- Randall Garrett (Brian McGuire)
- Shawn Green (Jeff Wells)
- Ryan Wilkerson, president of ODU Rotaract (Bob Ash)
Fines/ Happy Bucks (Jim Sell served as Sergeant-At-Arms):
- Brian McGuire self-reported he wasn’t wearing his pin.
- Barb Lipskis – 9th grandchild was born Friday
- Sigur Whitaker – UNC Tarheels beat UVA in football 58-38
- Tom Koller – his daughter had a cancer-free PET scan
- Diane Starkey – announced Marie Osmond is coming to Norfolk for a holiday show, tickets go on sale Friday.
- Chris Bugg was fined for being featured in a recent VA Pilot/Inside Business article and gave happy bucks for a large number of visitors at today’s meeting.
- Sharon Laderberg has officially retired.
- Bob Bather – Rotary funded and city approved Wayfinder signs for PrimePlus
- Jeff Wells – His mom is celebrating her 91st birthday! He is also wearing a new mermaid hat in honor of today’s program.
- Berhanu Mengitsu- gave happy bucks in honor of Dr. Ash being a good mentor.
President Michael announced the Board of Directors meets on the 2nd Tuesday of the month immediately following the luncheon meeting.
Bill McInnis, as usual, ran the raffle with $210 in the new pot. $10 was on the daily with a new deck of cards, Lynwood was the lucky ticket holder.