Host Committee Sponsors
Don't miss out on this exciting opportunity to increase regional group tour business. Become a 2008 ABA host city sponsor.
Virginia Beach greatly appreciates all of its ABA 2008 Marketplace host city sponsors.
(Downloads are in PDF format)
American Bus Association 2008 Marketplace
Groups have long found their way to Virginia Beach’s shores, including the first permanent English settlers, who landed here at Cape Henry before settling Jamestown.
Today, making the most of a trip to Virginia Beach is easy, with inspired choices for even the most diverse groups. With the region’s mild year-round climate, Virginia Beach is a popular getaway every season of the year. Find out first-hand why Virginia Beach is truly a wealth of adventure and discovery. Join us for the 2008 ABA Marketplace.
Learn more about the ABA Marketplace. The region is gearing up to greet you. Watch the video.-
Planned Evening Activities:
- Beach Party at the Cavalier Beach Club with music from Jazz to the Jitter Bug.
- Entertainment from the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts, and upscale cuisine
- Discover Norfolk - The reason the mermaid came ashore!
- Download the complete list of activities
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Sightseeing Tours & Familiarization Tours:
- Sightseeing Tours - 15 tours to experience kayaking, shopping, fishing, history and more!
- Six Pre-FAM opportunities including racing, coastal paradise, mountains, trails, and more!
- Registration for the Sightseeing and FAM tours will begin in October.
- Download the complete list of FAM tours and Sightseeing Tours
- ABA Pre-FAM online registration is now closed. For further information please contact Robin Mamunes with Virginia Tourism Corporation at 804-545-5545.
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Other Events:
- Two Dine Around nights to taste the unique restaurants serving seafood to steaks!
- Download the Dining Guide
Welcome to our soft sands. To the warmth of the sun on your shoulders. Welcome to another way of enjoying the day. Here, where Virginia meets the Atlantic Ocean, you’ll find the perfect combination of vibrant city and relaxed coastal town. Our three-mile boardwalk is the place to breathe in the ocean, and be part of the scene. You’ll find local cuisine at the oceanfront, as well as other restaurants in equally beautiful settings.
Natural wonders are easy to reach, with First Landing State Park and Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge putting you right in the midst of lush forests and surprising streams. Discover the ocean’s treasures at Virginia Aquarium, or go on a dolphin or whale watching outing.
All this and more, centrally located along the U.S. East Coast. Virginia Beach is:
- Just 3½ hours south of Washington, D.C.
- Within a short driving distance of most eastern U.S. cities, and 1/3 of the U.S. population
- 20 minutes from Norfolk International Airport, where 200 flights arrive daily
- Linked to Amtrak service in Newport News via bus service to the oceanfront
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Average temperatures in February:
Air (high) - 50º F / 10º C
Air (low) - 35º F / 01º C
Water - 48º F / 09º C
American Bus Association Marketplace in Virginia Beach, Virginia
1-800-PORTSVA
Fax: 757-393-5330
cogginj@portsmouthva.gov
www.visitportsva.com
Event Volunteer site proudly sponsored by Bryant & Stratton College
Virginia Beach is proud to be hosting the American Bus Association Marketplace in 2008 - but we need your help for it to truly be a huge success. Please volunteer your time and talent to help us display the excitement and diversity of Virginia Beach and the region to our visitors.
The ABA Marketplace is a fun learning and networking experience for volunteers of all ages. Working together, we will showcase our time-honored, world-renowned Southern hospitality, providing customer service that is second to none. Volunteering at one of the first national conventions ever held in Virginia Beach is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
More than 3,000 travel industry professionals from across North America will descend on Virginia Beach during the ABA Marketplace. This means we will need more than 600 volunteers to assist with welcome greetings, hospitality, transportation and sightseeing tours – just to name a few of the myriad of opportunities. Volunteers will develop a greater understanding of the motorcoach group tour industry, meet key ABA tour operators, and receive a fashionable volunteer jacket or vest to wear during the conference. And after the conference, the jacket or vest is yours to keep.
If you’re from out of town, we’ve got you covered. Click here for a list of hotels offering great rates for volunteers. These rates are for volunteers only and are not good for ABA attendees. Transportation will not be provided.
Thank you for your help in advance. We are very much looking forward to working with you. Together, we will make this the absolute best ABA Marketplace ever!
For questions about volunteering or to sign up as an ABA volunteer, please contact:
Jim Coggin
Director of Sales
Portsmouth Convention & Visitors Bureau
505 Crawford Street, Ste 2
Portsmouth, VA 23704
1-800-PORTSVA
Fax: 757-393-5330
cogginj@portsmouthva.gov
www.visitportsva.com
Event Volunteer site proudly sponsored by Bryant & Stratton College
