How Destination Organizations Can Help Associations Deliver Greater Meeting ROI
For meeting and event planners, choosing a destination has always involved finding the right combination of meeting space, accommodations, accessibility, and attendee appeal. But as associations face greater pressure to demonstrate the value of gathering in person, the role of the destination organization is evolving, too.
Today, the most valuable destination partners can help accomplish much more than simply bringing attendees together. By connecting planners with local expertise, industries, experiences, and community resources, they can help create meetings that support an association’s goals, strengthen attendee engagement, and produce memorable results that continue long after attendees head home.
In Virginia Beach, that means looking beyond the venues to consider how the destination itself can become part of the experience—and a key factor in return on investment.
Turning Local Expertise Into Meeting Value
One of the biggest opportunities destination organizations can offer is something planners may not be able to find on their own: meaningful connections within the local community.
The Virginia Beach Convention Sales & Services team works closely with local stakeholders and industry partners, giving planners an entry point to unique expertise throughout the region. Depending on an association’s focus, those connections can open possibilities for speakers, educational sessions, tours, and behind-the-scenes experiences that complement the meeting agenda.
A medical association, for example, might benefit from access to a regional healthcare organization to explore new research or best practices. An environmental organization could tap into the area’s coastal resources and conservation expertise. Other groups may find connections within industries ranging from agriculture and maritime business to technology and renewable energy.
“Our Sales & Services team prides itself on the strong relationships and connections we have in our city,” says Anissa Ladd, Vice President of Sales & Services for Visit Virginia Beach. “We are the one degree of separation that can help a planner take a good plan and turn it into an exceptional and memorable experience.”
Incorporating local voices and resources can make educational programming more timely and tangible. Instead of simply holding a conference in a destination, attendees have an opportunity to learn from it, which creates another form of ROI: content and experiences attendees could not necessarily get from a webinar, virtual meeting, or conference held elsewhere.
Creating Benefits That Flow Both Ways
Establishing connections can also generate mutual value, as meetings bring visitors, spending, and ideas into a community, which supports hotels, restaurants, attractions, and other local businesses.
The Wave Maker recommendation program in Virginia Beach underscores that relationship by encouraging residents and business leaders to connect their professional networks with the city’s Convention & Meetings Sales team. The program reflects a simple idea: bringing a conference to Virginia Beach can benefit both the organization holding the meeting and the community hosting it.
When those interests overlap, a conference can become a catalyst for longer-term relationships. Local professionals gain access to association expertise and networking opportunities, while associations can expand their reach, introduce attendees to new ideas, and potentially strengthen membership or industry engagement within the region.
“By advocating for Virginia Beach from within their own organizations, our Wave Makers help associations discover how connected they already are to our destination,” says Ladd. “Those connections can turn into opportunities—not only for the destination but for the association. They already have a baseline established that will help deliver an event with greater value for attendees, stronger engagement, and ultimately a better overall return on investment for the association.”
Making Sustainability Part of the Experience
For associations with sustainability goals, destination organizations can also help connect environmental priorities with the attendee experience. Virginia Beach offers a natural setting for doing just that.
For example, sustainability efforts are already incorporated into meeting infrastructures. In 2026, the LEED Gold-certified Virginia Beach Convention Center was named Green Convention Center of the Year by the Virginia Green Travel Star Awards, which recognize outstanding green tourism practices and commitments to sustainability across the state.
With more than 250,000 square feet of flexible event space, the Virginia Beach Convention Center maintains initiatives that address recycling, water and energy efficiency and waste reduction. The commitment extends to food and beverage, where on-site catering incorporates sustainable practices into menus and operations, including sourcing locally grown produce and implementing food-recovery efforts.
In addition, the unique coastal setting of Virginia Beach offers numerous ways to connect with the natural environment as well. Planners can complement their business agendas with boat tours, nature hikes, and other outdoor experiences for groups, creating opportunities for attendees to explore local ecosystems while balancing purposeful programming with memorable downtime.
A Broader Definition of Meeting ROI
Attendance, convenience, and budget will always matter when planning meetings. But the return associations expect is becoming increasingly broader: stronger education, deeper engagement, meaningful networking, and tangible progress toward organizational goals. In Virginia Beach, the role of the Convention & Visitors Bureau begins long before attendees arrive, helping identify local resources, make connections, and uncover experiences that give the meeting a stronger connection to place.
Not only does Virginia Beach offer the infrastructure, world-class venues and dedicated on-the-ground support to set meetings up for success, but the greatest opportunity comes from bringing those resources together to create the most memorable experience. For associations striving to make every in-person gathering more valuable, that kind of partnership delivers returns that extend well beyond the closing session.
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