THE CHARLOTTESVILLE ALBEMARLE CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU HONORED WITH CONVENTIONSOUTH'S READERS CHOICE AWARD
The nation’s top meeting planners recognize the organization’s commitment to professionalism, creativity, and service
The official destination marketing organization for Charlottesville and Albemarle County, the Charlottesville Albemarle Convention & Visitors Bureau (CACVB), has been awarded a ConventionSouth 2014 Reader’s Choice Award.
The CACVB is among 175 convention and visitor bureaus (CVBs), meeting facilities and hotels located across the South to receive this year’s Readers’ Choice Award. Throughout the year, meeting professionals nominated the meeting sites they believe provide exemplary service for group events. The nominated sites are then compiled onto an online ballot where meeting professionals and fans are asked to vote for the best of the best. More than 4,800 voters participated this year in the selection process - the highest vote count ever recorded.
“ConventionSouth readers and fans have voted to decide the best meeting sites in the South, and it is no surprise to us that Charlottesville Albemarle Convention & Visitors Bureau has been selected to receive our annual Readers’ Choice Award,” said ConventionSouth Publisher J. Talty O’Connor. “The value in receiving this prestigious recognition is that it comes from the United States’ top meeting professionals who hold events in the South. These planners demand the highest level of customer service and quality facilities, and they have contributed in determining that Charlottesville Albemarle Convention & Visitors Bureau indeed displays the commitment to professionalism, creativity and service that they require.”
The CACVB’s Executive Director, Kurt Burkhart, is thrilled with this new recognition. “Our team is humbled by this recognition,” he said. “A main focus of our organization is to encourage group travel to Charlottesville and Albemarle County; our destination is wonderful place for small to mid-size meetings and conventions, and for our Bureau to be recognized by meeting planners nationwide is testament to our pledge to offer the best assistance possible.”
ConventionSouth is an award-winning publication aimed at meeting planners nationwide, presenting industry-relevant content such as destination, green meetings, and site inspection guides. A production of Covey Publications, the monthly magazine also boasts a comprehensive website.
Charlottesville and Albemarle County, as a destination, have racked-up numerous accolades that continue to motivate travelers to visit, what is commonly referred to as, Jefferson’s County. Livability named the destination one of 10 Best College Towns, while Good Housekeeping magazine proclaimed Charlottesville to be the Happiest City in America. Forbes Magazine named our area the Locavore capital of the world; Go Green Go Travel chose Charlottesville as their #1 destination for agritourism; and Wine Enthusiast Magazine proclaimed Charlottesville as one of America’s 5 New Foodie Cities and Virginia as one of the top 10 wine destinations in the world. With its burgeoning arts and entertainment scene, Charlottesville remains a draw for visitors who attend our array of festivals and events that celebrate music, theater and innovation, not to mention food & wine. A complete list of accolades can be found here: http://www.visitcharlottesville.org/media/accolades/ .
Brigitte Bélanger-Warner
Director of Sales & Marketing
Charlottesville Albemarle Convention & Visitors Bureau
434.970.3632 – warnerb@charlottesville.org
About the Charlottesville Albemarle Convention & Visitors Bureau (CACVB)
In addition to serving as the global resource for marketing the tourism assets of Charlottesville and Albemarle County, Virginia, through www.visitcharlottesville.org, the CACVB assists tour operators, meeting planners, reunions and other groups in planning visits to the destination. CACVB’s mission is “to enhance the economic prosperity of City and County by promoting, selling and marketing the City of Charlottesville and County of Albemarle, as a destination, in pursuit of the meetings and tourism markets.” CACVB operates the Downtown Visitor Center (610 E Main St) which is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and a satellite Visitor Center in the Albemarle County Office Building (401 McIntire Rd) which is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., as well as a touch-screen kiosk at Monticello’s Thomas Jefferson Visitor Center.