The Virginia Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) announces that the National Forum for Black Public Administrators (NFBPA) has selected Virginia Beach for its 2012 national convention.    

“Big changes in Virginia Beach’s product development throughout the city caught the attention of the site selection committee,” said John Saunders, executive director of NFBPA. “The new Convention Center and the services provided by the CVB team sealed the deal.”

“This is a big victory for the Virginia Beach CVB,” added Al Hutchinson, vice president of convention sales and marketing for the CVB. “After pursuing an unsuccessful bid for NFBPA several years ago, our success for 2012 recognizes the importance in refreshing and improving the Virginia Beach hospitality product to compete nationally for conventions like NFBPA.”

Virginia Beach won the NFBPA bid over Atlanta, Ga. and San Antonio, Texas.

NFBPA will bring an estimated 1,500 delegates and 3,100 hotel room nights to Virginia Beach in April, a non-peak month, helping the city become more of a year-round destination.  Currently, 61 percent of Virginia Beach visitors come between Septemberand May.  NFBPA will result in an estimated $1.2 million dollars in direct spending to the community. 

In addition, “Bringing the NFBPA convention to southeast Virginia provides a wealth of training opportunities for local government employees,” according to Deborah Morton, president of the Hampton Roads chapter of NFBPA.

The NFBPA is the principal and most progressive organization dedicated to the advancement of black public leadership in local and state governments. More than 2,600 NFBPA members manage public programs and agencies in more than 350 jurisdictions nationwide. Forty chapters support the growth of the organization at the local level. 

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