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VIRGINIA BEACH The Virginia Beach Convention Center recently earned LEED® Gold certification for its sustainability initiatives, which focused on recycling, waste reduction and water and energy conservation. The 516,000-sq. ft. facility offers more than 150,000 sq. ft. of column-free exhibit space, nearly 29,000 sq. ft. of meeting space and a ballroom measuring more than 31,000 sq. ft. There are over 12,000 hotel rooms citywide, including upwards of 3,500 committable hotel rooms within 2.5 miles of the convention center. The Atlantic Coast destination has a wealth of out- door recreational and sightseeing attractions, including 14-miles of public beach and the three-mile Virginia Boardwalk, First Landing State Park, the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge and False Cape, which is situ- ated between Back Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. The Virginia Legends Walk is lined with markers honoring Ella Fitzgerald, Arthur Ashe, Booker T. Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Edgar Allen Poe and other famous Virginians. Local historic landmarks include Lynnhaven House, the Cape Henry Lighthouse and the Atlantic Wildfowl Heritage Museum, housed in the last remaining cottage on the Virginia Boardwalk. Three other major attractions — the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center, the Chesapeake Bay Center and the Contemporary Art Center of Virginia — offer space for after-hours events. WEST VIRGINIA Visitors to the Mountain State especially enjoy its outdoor attractions, with places like the Monongahela National Forest and the Greenbrier Rivers Trail offer- ing whitewater rafting, fishing, biking, horseback riding and a host of other activities. West Virginia’s New River/Greenbrier Valley is a haven for craft artists. Charleston boasts several Black heritage attractions, Virginia Beach hotel row Photo Credit: Virginia Beach CVB including Garnet High School; the Mattie V. Lee Home, the residence of the first Black female physician in the Black Meetings & Tourism May/June 2010: www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 71