Live the Life in Virginia Beach!

What makes Virginia Beach a great place for faith-based meetings?

My hometown of Virginia Beach has over 140 diverse places of worship where all are welcome to celebrate their faith in an incredible God-given coastal environment. Woven into the fabric of our community are citizens, businesses, and community leaders who truly possess a servant’s heart. From hospitality professionals to active and veteran military service members, this community cares about one another, and it shows when people come to visit and meet!

A Virginia Beach meeting can do more for your attendees than educate and inspire, thanks to the mental health and wellness benefits naturally derived from the ocean. Even just listening to the waves activates the body’s system responsible for slowing us down, allowing people to relax and feel more engaged and in tune with the Divine’s creation.

What are some of Virginia Beach’s unique and major meeting spaces?

First and foremost, our LEED Gold convention center, located just blocks from the ocean and in the midst of our ViBe District, where artists are supported and celebrated, offers a coast-ally inspired and green setting for learning and gathering. Soaring glass and water features, column-free exhibit halls and ballroom spaces stimulate attendees. If you prefer an uptown setting,

our Town Center region offers great venues, especially for religious programming. Adjacent to the Westin, the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts and Zeider’s American Dream Theater provide exceptional halls for gatherings of all sizes. Partnerships make it possible for groups to get creative with our space!

What are some nearby cultural experiences that groups would enjoy?

Some favorite offsite venues that offer an excellent backdrop for our religious groups include the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center and the Military Aviation Museum. The Aquarium is nationally ranked and provides an inviting indoor facility for up to a couple thousand people. The Military Aviation Museum offers the best collection of privately owned and operational World War I and II airplanes! This venue can also host a large number of groups in their pristine hangers. Virginia Beach is a true family beach destination, and gatherings along our oceanside parks offer groups great appeal. For small and intimate reflections, our pristine beaches and nature trails in our parks and along the Bay offer something for everyone.

What are some new or upcoming enhancements to Virginia Beach that would interest event planners?

Virginia Beach continues to be very accessible. Our site along the mid-Atlantic seaboard places us strategically within a day’s drive of two-thirds of the nation’s population. Our location also makes us an easy plane or train ride. Amtrak has added new routes, and our Norfolk International Airport, only 10 to 20 minutes from our Virginia Beach hotels, provides direct and nonstop service from hundreds of locations across the nation. Two new carriers recently expanded and entered our market: Breeze Airways and Spirit Airlines.

Virginia Beach continues to grow, and along its convention corridor, a new venue will be breaking ground at the end of the year, namely, Atlantic Park, which will offer a mixed-use facility of retail, residential and commercial. An exciting component of this development is an entertainment venue that will include a wave park for surfers and spectators and a performing arts venue for up to 3,500 people indoors and up to 5,000 people combined indoors and outdoors.