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B M & T ••• July/August 2026 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 26 meeting space, and a downtown location that lets attendees stay close to the action without feeling boxed-in. Its Tudor-style pres- ence, grand ballroom, Regency Room, Pine Room and 1882 Lobby Bar give planners polished settings with a built-in sense of place. Berglund Center adds arena, theater, exhibit and special-event capacity, giving Roanoke even more range for larger events. A group can move from sessions to the Roanoke Star & Overlook for that big Blue Ridge moment, add a guided food tour through downtown, or build in active breaks with Roanoke Mountain Adventures. Wellness here is obvious. A morning walk, a sce- nic drive, a paddle outing, or even time by Hotel Roanoke's outdoor pool can be an energetic reset between sessions. A guided experience through the historic Gainsboro neighborhood or a visit to the Harrison Museum of African American Culture gives attendees a richer understanding of the Black entrepreneurs, artists, churches, and institutions that shaped the city. Your evenings can stay elegant at Hotel Roanoke or loosen into local flavor at Twin Creeks Brewpub. Roanoke gives your group room to think, connect, and remember exactly where they gathered. For more information contact Visit Roanoke – (800) 635-5535 or www.visitroanokeva.com. k V i r g i n i a B e a c h k Virginia Beach understands how to make a meeting feel like a reward. Your attendees can spend the morning inside a major convention hall, break for lunch with Atlantic views, walk the Boardwalk between sessions, and end the evening under rooftop lights with salt air hanging in the background. Few destinations balance convention-scale infrastruc- ture and genuine coastal release this naturally. The Virginia Beach Convention Center, with 250,000 sq. ft. of programmable meeting space, gives planners the scale to think big, with expansive exhibit space, a massive ball- room, flexible meeting rooms, and enough capacity for con- ferences, expos, leadership summits, faith gatherings, and multi-track programs. Yet the city never feels consumed by the meeting itself. The Oceanfront remains close enough that attendees can step out of a general session and reconnect with the beach almost immediately. Oceanfront hotels add the polish. Marriott Virginia Beach Oceanfront Resort gives planners a dramatic coastal setting with Virginia Beach's largest oceanfront ballroom, while the Cavalier Resort and The Historic Cavalier Hotel bring a more refined retreat energy through the Beach Club Pool Deck, Cavalier Sunken Garden, SeaHill Spa and private-event spaces that feel made for executive groups, incentive programs and VIP gatherings. Here, infra- structure becomes part of the mood: light on the water, glass in the ballroom, the Atlantic just beyond. Offsite experiences become part of the storytelling here. A reception at the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center trades ball- room walls for glowing aquatic exhibits and conversation beside marine life. The Military Aviation Museum brings aviation history and hangar-scale dramatics into the program. Meanwhile, the city's African American history driving tour, along sites tied to Black education, faith, civic life and community history, can turn a pre- or post-meeting block into something thoughtful and focused. For more information contact Visit Virginia Beach – (757) 385-4700 or www.visitvirginiabeach.com. Wellness feels effortless in Virginia Beach because the destination itself encourages movement. Sunrise walks on the beach, yoga by the ocean, bike rides along the Boardwalk, outings through First Landing State Park, or time at SeaHill Spa all create space for attendees to reset between sessions. Even networking takes on a different tone here. Conversations expand over rooftop dinners at Orion's Roof, late-night gatherings at LunaSea, seafood by the water at Rudee's on the Inlet, or casual brewery events at New Realm Brewing. Virginia Beach gives planners range. The city can both host serious business and allow people to relax, reconnect, and celebrate. Virginia Beach meetings are memorable because the ocean never lets them become just another conference. In Virginia, meetings stay with people long after the final keynote. They linger in the taste of fresh Chesapeake seafood shared beside the water, in twilight conversations beneath rooftop lights, in quiet mountain mornings before the day begins, and in the sense that they experienced a fully welcoming destination. Across the state, planners can create experiences in waterfront resorts, historic downtowns, vibrant arts districts, or scenic mountain escapes. Here, Virginia's rich Black history, creative spirit, and warm hospitality bring depth and personality to every itinerary Whether you're planning an executive retreat, leadership summit, association conference, reunion, or incentive trip, Virginia invites you to imagine something more than a typical meeting. Bring your next gathering here and discover how easily business, culture, relax- ation, and shared experience come together in ways attendees will carry home with them. V I R G I N I A S P E C I A L S E C T I O N Virgina Beach Conference Center