Having trouble viewing this Newsletter? Click Here.

To provide comments or feedback to this newsletter please email us at Newsletter@VisitRoanokeVa.com.

26th Annual National Travel and Tourism Week May 9-17, 2009 "Discover Great American Traditions" Celebrate National Travel and Tourism Week in our collective effort to promote the power of travel. The goal is to enhance the country's economy, security and perception, and recognize the cultural and social benefits created by travel and tourism. Did you know the Power of Travel in the Roanoke Valley is: $644 million in spending Over 7500 jobs $133 million in payroll Over $22 million in local taxes

Did You Know that travel and tourism is a $1.6 trillion industry in the United States? If one dollar bill equaled a second of time, then $1.6 trillion would equal almost 51,000 years.

Did You Know that travel and tourism generates $110 billion in tax revenue for local, state and federal governments? If you place 110 billion one dollar bills end-to-end, they would circle the world 419 times.

Did You Know that the travel and tourism industry is one of the country's largest employers with 7.5 million direct travel-generated jobs? You could fill the Louisiana Superdome a hundred times over with people directly employed in the industry.

Did You Know that dining is the most popular domestic trip activity and is included in 31 percent of all domestic trips? Shopping is the No. 1 leisure/recreational activity for overseas visitors.

Support Travel & Tourism in Virginia and the Roanoke Valley!

Save the Date Annual Meeting and Luncheon Roanoke Civic Center - Special Events Center Wednesday - May 6 11:30am - 1:00pm

Neil Ordway - Holiday Inn Roanoke - Valley View

Like the rest of the country, the Roanoke Valley and our local economy face significant challenges.  At the Roanoke Valley Convention & Visitors Bureau we feel that tourism can significantly impact our economy.  Tourism can immediately bring new dollars into our community; dollars that are spent in a variety of businesses and circulate widely.  How can you help to stimulate our local economy?  As a member of the CVB, you can be an important factor in boosting tourism by working together and increasing value through partnering with other members.  Everyone can help promote Tourism by approaching our employers, associations, family members and friends about bringing groups, events or conventions to the Roanoke Valley.  We need every member's voice to make ourselves known and to be heard throughout our community. Lastly, all of us are lucky enough to live in the Roanoke Valley and we can save money on getaways and stimulate the local economy by enjoying the beauty in our own backyard.

Another busy spring/summer season is upon us thanks to the Sports Marketing Committee. The upcoming season boasts the following events coming to our Valley...

• The BassMaster Elite Series returns to the waters of Smith Mountain Lake April 23 - 26.
• NCAA Div II & III Woman's Lacrosse and NCAA Divisin II Softball return to Salem in May.
• ISF Senior World Cup Slow-Pitch and USA Men's Fast Pitch National Team will be here in June.
  

Through the efforts of the CVB, the Roanoke Valley will once again be host as the Harley Owners Group thunders through our Valley June 17- 20.

It's hard to believe that this will be my last newsletter address as President of the CVB.  These past two years have gone by so fast.  I would like to thank Dave and his staff and all of our members, especially our board members for your support over the past two years.  I am very proud of the work that the staff at the CVB does and I only hope that their efforts will continue to grow in the upcoming years.  At this time I would like to introduce Dr. Susan Short, Director of Virginia Tech Roanoke Center as the CVB's new President starting in July.  Susan has been chairing our successful Sports Marketing Committee the past couple of years and through her great leadership she will successfully guide the CVB during this time of economic challenge. 

Enjoy the rest of this season and those to come!

• Café Asia
• Craig County Tourism Commission
• Days Inn Airport
• Entre Computer Center
• Holiday Inn Express
• Holiday Inn Express - Troutville
  
• Hotel Floyd
• Out & About Advertising, Inc.

2007 2008 Change % Change City of Roanoke $   722,939 $   792,894   $ 69,955     9.67% County of Roanoke $   231,546 $   243,510   $ 11,964     5.16% City of Salem $   183,237 $   183,941   $      704     0.38% County of Botetourt $     82,548 $     73,929  -$   8,619  -10.44% County of Franklin $     14,232 $     11,708  -$   2,524  -17.73% Total Tax Revenue $1,234,502 $1,305,982   $  71,480     5.79%

Source - Local Governments

Join over 50 members participating in the RED (Regional Entertainment Discount) Card marketing program. This is a FREE opportunity!

The RED Card is highlighted in ads, the Visitor's Guide and the CVB web site. n addition, it is displayed at information tables for Conventions and Sports events. To measure the effectiveness, the CVB conducted a conversion study.  It indicated that 57% of the people receiving the RED Card actually traveled to the Roanoke Valley.  This is a 22% higher response than our average 35% visitation.  This leads us to believe that the RED Card provides added value to the traveler. 

Simply supply a discount for your business. The RED Card will be attached to a brochure listing your discount as well as be listed on the Roanoke Valley CVB web site.

For those organizations that have not committed for 2009, we ask that you honor this discount through December 2009.  Please note visitors cannot use the Roanoke Valley RED Card in conjunction with other discounts or offers.  Discounts are subject to availability and blackout dates.

The deadline to be included is April 22, 2009. Please contact Debora Wright for more information on this exciting program. Click Here to see a list of current RED Card participants.

Bureau Awarded $25,000 Grant

The Roanoke Valley Convention & Visitors Bureau was awarded $25,000 through the Marketing Leverage Grant from the Virginia Tourism Corporation.  The Bureau will be implementing a new Internet Marketing Initiative Program to focus its marketing efforts towards Internet-based programs.  The proposed program would introduce more Internet marketing while continue using print media with Internet components.   In addition, the program will allow the Bureau to optimize key words and phrases within major search engines as well as provide a means to communicate with these prospects electronically to convert them to actual visitors.  This grant will allow the Bureau to significantly increase traffic to the Bureau's web site and to raise awareness of the amenities and attributes of the Roanoke Valley as an exciting tourist destination. 

The Roanoke Valley Convention & Visitors Bureau and Inprint received a Gold ADDY Award from the Roanoke Valley Advertising Federation at its annual awards gala last month. The award is for an advertising campaign run in select North Carolina newspapers during the spring and early summer of 2008. The eye-catching news promised "more smiles per gallon" and encouraged readers to visit a web site created exclusively for the campaign where they could register to win a FREE gas card. The ADDYs are the largest creative advertising competition in the country. Gold ADDY winning entries will be forwarded to a three-state regional competition. Regional winners will advance to national competition. In southwest Virginia, more than 400 entries were submitted with only 30 receiving Gold awards. The campaign was entered on behalf of the Bureau by Inprint, which created and wrote the ads and web site.

Dave Kjolhede and Kelly Burd-Adams will attend the National Association of Sports Commissions' (NASC) Annual Conference, April 27-29, 2009.  Rights Holders and Suppliers comprise the membership and this conference offers both an educational and trade show component.   The Roanoke Valley Convention & Visitors Bureau held a Press Conference on March 10 to announce 12 major sporting events that will bring over 38,000 people to the Roanoke Valley and generate in excess of $14.25 million in direct spending to the Valley.  Additionally, some of these events will generate coverage of our area on both regional and national television networks.   This news is a real positive in light of several forecasters predicting a tourism decline in the coming months as a direct result of a troubled economy.  "The Roanoke Valley is no exception; however, our diversity of marketing efforts, especially as it relates to sports events, may help soften the blow,"  declared Dr. Susan Short, Chair of the Roanoke Valley Sports Marketing Committee and President-elect of the Roanoke Valley Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Dr. Susan Short, Chair of RVCVB Sports Marketing Committee, answers questions at a Press Conference.

Vickie Meeks Miller attended the World Conference and Exposition of the Religious Conference Managers Association in Grand Rapids, Michigan on January 27-30, 2009.  This year's theme was "Catch the Spirit" to celebrate the spirit that adverse times can inspire.

Vickie will also attend the National Coalition of Black Meeting Planners Spring Conference in Valley Forge, PA on May 13-17, 2009, and the Christian Meetings & Conventions Association's Spring Showcase in Fort Worth, Texas on May 19-21, 2009, to culminate a very busy spring convention season.

Vickie will successfully conclude the Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce Leadership Roanoke Valley Program on June 2, 2009 with the graduation ceremony for the 2009 LRV Class.

The Roanoke Valley CVB hosted the North Carolina Motorcoach Association (NCMA) in February.  Nearly 50 tour planners attended to seek out new tour destination ideas.  We were able to give them a first-hand look at the region with area tours, evening events at the O. Winston Link Museum, Virginia Museum of Transportation and the Taubman Museum of Art.  We also offered entertainment ranging from the Southwest Virginia Ballet to the Blue Ridge Dinner Theatre.  We even had a "Poker Run" event in downtown Roanoke with the retail shops and attractions.

Downtown Roanoke Poker Run Event

Roanoke Valley Tour Sampler

Taubman Museum of Art Tour

Catherine Fox, partnered with the Virginia Tourism Corporation to call on media contacts in New York last month.  We look for a presence along with Virginia in these media outlets.

Upcoming -

• Catherine Fox, Tourism Director, will be attending Travel South to meet with additional tour planner contacts this April. Catherine will also be attending the Mid-Atlantic Tourism PR Alliance Media Marketplace in May to meet with media contacts to pitch story ideas. Additonally, she will be calling on AAA offices in North Carolina and the Tidewater region.
• Flying USAirways in May? Be sure to read their magazine while in flight - the Roanoke Region will be profiled.
• Hospitality Training Workshop - the next set of workshops will be offered this fall in September.  Location TBD.

The latest Group Tour Planner is hot off the press highlighting opportunities for groups traveling by motorcoach.  This information has also been updated on our web site. Click here

Date	Conventions/Expos/Shows	Venue
APRIL
4-5	Body, Mind & Soul Expo	SCC
8-10	Virginia Transportation Construction Alliance Spring Conference & Trade Show	THR&CC
15-19	The Links, Incorporated	THR&CC
16	Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce Business & Tech Expo	RCC
22	Senior Fun and Health Fair Day	SCC
23	Working Women's Holiday	SCC
24	Smith Mountain Lake Business Expo	Downtown Moneta
MAY
6-8	American Public Works Association State Conference	THR&CC
8-10	Roanoke Tattoo Festival	THR&CC
9	Radford University Graduation	Radford University
15	Jefferson College of Health Sciences Graduation	RCC
15	Virginia Western Community College Graduation	SCC
15-16	Virginia Tech Graduation	Virginia Tech
17	Hollins University Graduation	Hollins University
22-23	National EMS Memorial Service	First Baptist Church & THR&CC
22-24	Treasures of the Earth Gem and Jewelry Show	SCC
30-31	Sidewalk Art Show	Taubman Museum of Art - Street venue
JUNE
7-9	Virginia Transit Association	THR&CC
9	Roanoke County High School Graduations	SCC
10	Salem High School Graduation	SCC
12	Roanoke City High School Graduations	RCC
12	Lord Botetourt High School Graduation	RCC
15-20	Roanoke Valley Horse Show	SCC
17-20	Harley Owners Group State Rally	Roanoke Plaza Hotel & Holiday Inn Valley View Co-hosts
Date	Sporting Events	Venue
APRIL
3-5	Blue Ridge Bike Fest	RCC
17-19	29th Annual Chance Crawford Benefit Softball & Baseball Tournament	Various Venues
23-26	Bassmaster Elite Series Blue Ridge Brawl	Smith Mountain Lake
24-26	ODAC Women's Softball Championship	James I. Moyer Sports Complex
MAY
2	12th Annual SML Triathlon	Smith Mountain Lake State Park
16	Tom Maynard Memorial Poker Run	Bridgewater Plaza @ Halesford Bridge
16-17	NCAA Division II & III Women's Lacrosse	Roanoke College
18	13th Annual Corporate Cup Golf Classic	Waterfront Country Club
21-25	NCAA Division II Women's Softball Championship	James I. Moyer Sports Complex
23	Appalachian Power 5/10K Festival Run	Downtown Roanoke
JUNE
12-14	VIII ISF Senior World Cup Championship	Various Venues
26-27	USA Men's National Team Fast Pitch Softball	James I. Moyer Sports Complex

RCC: Roanoke Civic Center
SCC: Salem Civic Center
THR&CC: The Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center
SEC: Special Events Center at the Roanoke Civic Center

Click Here for a complete list of events

Community Schools Annual Strawberry Festival
May 2 - 3, 2009: 10:30am - 5:30pm: Location: Downtown Roanoke
The Strawberry Festival is a family event with live entertainment, arts and crafts, games and activities for children as well as the most delicious strawberry treats you will ever taste. Click here for more information.

Celebration at the Station!
May 9, 2009: 10:00am-2:00pm: Location: O. Winston Link

This fifth annual rail heritage festival will be sure to top them all with even more activities and things to see than ever before.  In honor of our fifth year, this event will include the Class A No. 1218! Also present will be Norfolk Southern office cars, 1/8 scale train rides, a Thomas the Train table, O. Winston Link Museum's caboose and model train layouts. This unique Roanoke tradition offers something for everyone. www.Linkmuseum.org

Caching in on Scenery

May 16, 2009: Location: Roanoke County's Garst Mill Park

12:00 noon - 5:00pm

Ten scenic and/or historic sites within Roanoke County will be the destinations for this treasure hunt. At each location a box will contain different colored coins, each with a different point value. Collect as many "treasures" as you can to accumulate as many points as possible, but only one coin can be taken from each location. Details will be posted on the Roanoke County Parks, Recreation and Tourim's web site, or call (540) 387-6078 ext 251.

Festival in the Park
May 22 - 26, 2009: Location: Downtown Roanoke and various venues
Great concerts and great family entertainment planned. Visit the festivals for details and entertainment schedules. Click here for more information.