Latest news with #HamptonRoadsChamber
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Virginia International Tattoo will bring more than 100,000 to the Scope and bring $20 million to the economy
NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — More than 100,000 people are expected to attend the Virginia International Tattoo, which last year had an economic impact of more than $20 million and is expected to have a similar impact this year. Virginia International Tattoo Just days away, the Virginia International Tattoo, which began in 1997 with just a single show at Scope Arena, is the unofficial start to our season of festivals. Now, more than 20,000 students from the region see the largest Tattoo in North America, and the Virginia Arts Festival expects more than 110,000 people to attend, making it the largest Tattoo in North America. Virginia International Tattoo a salute to 250 years of service, sacrifice 'The economic impact last year was estimated to be over $20 million just from that one week,' said Scott Jackson, the director and producer of the Virginia International Tattoo. Jackson said the show is for all ages and brings in people from all over. 'We also have multiple NATO countries involved,' Jackson said. 'And not only is the cast international, so is the audience. In fact, last year, I think overall at the Arts Festival, we had people come from 49 states and I think 11 international points of origin.' Bryan K. Stephens, CEO and president of the Hampton Roads Chamber, said it has a collective impact, and the entire region sees benefits. 'Old-fashioned epic' Virginia International Tattoo to feature new events 'That is huge for the hotels and restaurants and our tourism industry here in Hampton Roads,' Stephens said. 'So it's just not Norfolk, it's the entire Hampton Roads region.' One of those places that is bracing for the increase in customers is Waterside. It has a meals voucher program and feeds all the cast. But when people come to see the show, they stop by for a quick bite. 'We will experience a pretty big jump in business, particularly for the lunches, because most of them tend to come out before the shows,' said Janet Aguilar, Waterside director of marketing. Stephens said it is the beginning of the busy season the 757 will start seeing. 'Tourism is the third pillar of our economy, behind the Department of Defense spending and the Port of Virginia,' Stephens said. 'And so any way that we can exploit tourism here in Hampton Roads just really enhances our economy.' The Virginia Arts Festival said more than 32% of ticket sales come from outside the area, resulting in thousands of visitors touring museums and attractions and going shopping. 'So we really create[d] a great package,' Jackson said. 'The Tattoo [is] the centerpiece, but there's all these other things to do.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Business groups lay out risks, opportunities of Trump policies in Hampton Roads
NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — Two month's into President Donald Trump's second term, local business and government organizations in Hampton Roads are making their thoughts known on the potential good, and bad, of his proposed policies. Specifically, the letter sent to the six lawmakers representing the region on the federal level highlights where they think the local workforce and infrastructure fit within the president's 'America First' agenda. It also lists off the risks — what tariffs could do to local farmers, what the lack of support of offshore wind could mean for investments already made and what cuts to defense spending and the federal workforce could mean for the local economy. 'We would like for you to protect the gains we have made in recent years, help buildupon those gains, and work with us to advance the region, ensuring new gains under thisadministration,' the letter said. A pair of the signatories said the idea to compile the document was born out of the Trump administration's proposals to drastically change the way the federal government operates. Dominion's offshore wind project spared from Trump's pause 'We are 37th [largest United States metro] in population, we're fifth in terms of DoD spending, and we're fourth in terms of percent of federal workforce,' said Nancy Grden, president and CEO of the Hampton Roads Executive Roundtable. 'So anything that happens at the federal level, we are really getting sort of more than 'our share' of what's happening.' Aside from Grden, the letter is signed by the leaders of the Hampton Roads Chamber, Hampton Roads Alliance, Hampton Roads Workforce Council, Virginia Peninsula Chamber, Virginia Maritime Association and Hampton Roads Military and Federal Facilities Alliance. Hampton Roads' economy is supported by three main pillars: defense, the maritime port and the hospitality and tourism industry, according to Old Dominion University. In the economic department's latest 'State of the Region' report, a 'fourth-straight year of growth' was predicted for the region. However, Bryan Stephens, president and CEO of the Hampton Roads Chamber, said business doesn't thrive when uncertainty exists. Forty percent of the region's GDP is tied to federal spending. It's the same spending the Trump administration is looking to slash. 'The business community likes certainty,' Stephens said. 'The business community likes predictability, and with this rapidity of policy changes, there is a lack of certainty and there's a lack of predictability in the business community. So we wanted to address the issue head-on.' Trump's plan to 'resurrect' American shipbuilding could mean opportunity for Tidewater The letter touts Hampton Roads as the 'epicenter of our nation's security interests' and encourages lawmakers to vouch for the region when at all possible. 'You know, the fact that the administration wants to increase shipbuilding and ship repair is going to play big benefits to Hampton Roads.' Stephens said. 'But there's also some risk associated to it, like layoffs in the federal government.' The letter warns of 'shocks' to the economy, our national security and to the services necessary for the health and safety of residents if cuts aren't carried out in a 'deliberate and thoughtful' way. Grden said this will likely only be the first iteration of the letter. 'Considering the rapidity of these executive orders and all that's coming out, we know that this is a living document,' Grden said. 'We acted as regional organizations on behalf of Hampton Roads, and I think the important takeaway is that there is a group of groups, if you will, that really wants to advocate on behalf of the of the whole place.' Kiggans: Cuts that weaken defense capabilities 'unacceptable' Congressional-Delegation-Letter-New-Administration-and-New-CongressDownload Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Virginia Beach mayor honors fallen police officers during State of the City
VIRGINIA BEACH — Every year at the State of the City event, Mayor Bobby Dyer highlights the accomplishments of the city's public safety personnel. 'This year, sadly, is different,' the mayor said on Wednesday inside the convention center. Dyer called for a moment of silence for police officers Cameron Girvin and Christopher Reese, who died after they were shot during a traffic stop on Feb. 21. 'Anytime a first responder loses their life on the job, it's painful and tragic,' the mayor said. 'To lose two in the same incident is staggering and almost beyond comprehension. We grieve for the family for our public safety departments and for our city.' Recognizing heroes and the city's major economic successes took center stage at the annual event hosted by the Hampton Roads Chamber. Roughly 1,300 people attended including dozens of local business leaders, state and city officials, two former governors and Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears. Dyer and City Manager Patrick Duhaney took turns speaking to the audience as they have in years past. Among the many individuals recognized at the event was Vada Carawan and her dad, Cameron Carawan. Vada, a Virginia Beach Girl Scout, recently saved her father's life with CPR with assistance from 911 dispatcher David Fowler. All three attended and received a standing ovation. The city's newest entertainment venue The Dome, set to open May 4, inspired interactive audience participation. Attendees scanned a QR code with their phones and responded to the question of who they want to see perform at The Dome, and what was the first concert they saw. The responses were shared live on two screens. The venue is part of Atlantic Park, a $350 million project and the city's largest public-private partnership to date. Atlantic Park will include an entertainment venue, surf park, retail, restaurants, apartments and offices. Venture Realty Group in partnership with celebrity Pharrell Williams are behind the project. In total, the city has funded $153 million for Atlantic Park. 'It's an exciting project and will reinforce Virginia Beach as an outstanding place to live as well as a year-round vacation destination,' Dyer said. Duhaney gave a nod to Virginia Beach's tourism industry, which sustains 33,000 jobs, representing 19% of the city's workforce, he said. Visitor spending contributes $336 million in state and local tax revenues, reducing the annual tax burden by almost $2,000 per Virginia Beach household, Duhaney said. Virginia Beach wants to be the highest capacity digital port on the eastern seaboard, Duhaney said. Globalinx will add four additional subsea cables at its Sandbridge landing site, more than doubling the capacity of its data center in Corporate Landing Business Park. The center is currently connected to three subsea cables that land in Virginia Beach. Dominion Energy's Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project is marching along. When completed, the 2.6 gigawatt project will power up to 660,000 homes. Half of the monopile foundations which are needed for the 176 turbines have been installed, the mayor said. Construction is expected to be completed by 2026. Sign up for the Virginia Beach Today daily newsletter Dyer and Duhaney both touted new and expanding businesses in the city, including Amazon's 650,000-square-foot robotics fulfillment center off Dam Neck Road. The new facility will add 2,000 full-time jobs in Virginia Beach and nearly 200 electric delivery vans will operate out of the center, the mayor said. Zim, a container shipping company, invested $30 million to relocate and expand its U.S. headquarters in Virginia Beach. And Doma Technologies, a cloud-based document management software company, is currently expanding its headquarters. Duhaney, who was hired five years ago and is Virginia Beach's first Black city manager, said city contracts with minority and women-owned businesses in 2024 increased by $75 million compared to the previous year. Stacy Parker, 757-222-5125,
