Virginia Beach Department of Economic Development

This summer, we had a great time co-hosting local Presidents and officials of Universities, community colleges and technical colleges throughout Hampton Roads on a trip to Stuttgart, Germany, in partnership with The Hampton Roads Alliance and Hampton Roads Workforce Council!

We had the opportunity to meet with educational, business, and political leaders in the area and explored Germany’s dual track vocational education training (VET) program, a national workforce development pipeline. The delegation, which included Hampton Roads Mayors and business leaders, visited corporate business headquarters of manufacturers, business development offices, the campuses of the technical schools and apprenticeship sites associated with the VET program to investigate how their technical education model best practices could be adapted into the Hampton Roads educational ecosystem.

Through their findings, the delegation is constructing a partnership that will bolster economic growth and maximize economic development opportunities by creating a skilled workforce that emulates attributes of Germany’s VET model.

Read the full press release here: https://ow.ly/3eOH50PXRmG

Recently, the VirgiVirginia Beach National Golf Club course (a VBDA-owned course) was ranked 14th in USA Today Sports: Golfweek’s Best Courses You Can Play 2023 for the state of Virginia! We are proud to have such a fantastic course receive recognition for the city of Virginia Beach and look forward to their continued success!

Photo: VirgiVirginia Beach National Golf Clubirginiabeach

Thank you to those who joined our Business Network For Offshore Wind , Offshore Wind Ready training event 9/21! Virginia Beach Department of Economic Development offered, in partnership with the Virginia Beach City Government, an opportunity for local Virginia-based businesses to receive free training to learn about the business opportunities in the rapidly growing offshore wind industry. We discovered how to access the proper tools and resources to begin to network with others seeking to join the expanding industry!

The City of Virginia Beach is offering Virginia-based businesses the opportunity to attend an Offshore Wind Ready training free of charge! Hosted by the Business Network For Offshore Wind, the training offers an overview of business opportunities in the rapidly growing offshore wind industry. Learn how to access the proper tools and resources to get started and network with others seeking to join the industry. Learn more and register:

Offshore Wind Ready | Virginia Offshore Wind Ready is a one day program designed for businesses who want to learn about business opportunities in offshore wind.

We had a great time networking at the Breakfast Briefing this morning, thank you to Virginia Maritime Association for putting it on. Virginia Beach Economic Development is committed to advancing the maritime industry and supporting efforts to introduce green energy sources to Hampton Roads – Visit our website to learn more: https://www.yesvirginiabeach.com/key-industries/maritime-logistics

Today was Taylor V Adams, Deputy City Manager and Director of Economic Development for Virginia Beach, last Virginia Beach Development Authority (VBDA) meeting.
Pictured below, he was presented a photograph as a token of gratitude for all he accomplished during his time working for the City of Virginia Beach. We wish him all the best as he steps into his new role as the CEO of of the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada!

Day one of RenewableUK’s Global Offshore Wind was a great success! If you weren’t able to make it to the Leveraging US Offshore Wind Ambitions session where Paige Fox and Business Network For Offshore Wind presented, the NOF member reception where we spoke as global partners, or to ‘Beer with the Beach’, make sure to stop by tomorrow at BNOW’s US Delegation Pavilion (stand F80) to talk about business opportunities in the US!

Join us today for thought-provoking conversations around diversity, innovation, and transformation at London Tech Week! Don't miss out on learning how the City of Virginia Beach can help your tech company expand to the US - come see us (Paige Fox & Charles Macdowell) today, Tuesday 13th June!

Next week, the Virginia Beach Economic Development will be back at RenewableUK's Global Offshore Wind, London (14-15 June)! Paige Fox will be a panelist, alongside Business Network For Offshore Wind, at the Leveraging US Offshore Wind Ambitions session, taking place on 14 June from 13:00-14:00 BST. We will also be exhibiting at BNOW’s US Delegation Pavilion (stand F80).

Additionally, we hope you can join us at “Beer with the Beach” at the GENERATE stand 32 at noon on 14 June where we will be sampling some of the best beer from across the pond!

Today VBDED is in Dearborn, Michigan attending the 4th Area Development Annual Workshop Forum! During this interactive event, our team is engaging face-to-face with leading site consultants during multiple boardroom presentations and roundtable discussions. We look forward to returning to Virginia Beach with new insights!

Next Week, VBDED will be attending the 2023 London Tech Week! During this global celebration, our team will explore how technology is transforming society and business and engage in thought-provoking conversations around diversity, innovation, and transformation. Connect with Paige Fox, Charles Macdowell, or Chuck Rigney Monday, 12th June or Tuesday, 13th June to learn how the City of Virginia Beach is helping UK companies expand to the US: https://www.yesvirginiabeach.com/

VBDED is a proud sponsor of VaDDRx 2023: From Discovery to Development taking place next week on June 8-9! We are also happy to share that it is taking place right here at Town Center in Virginia Beach. To learn more visit their site: https://vaddc.org/vaddrx-2023-discovery-to-development/

VBDED looks forward to attending this year's 4th Annual Area Development Consultants Forum Workshop in Dearborn, Michigan next week. Here our team will engage face-to-face with 18 leading site consultants and corporate real estate advisors, featuring multiple boardroom presentations and roundtable discussions. Please contact Charles J. Bauman III at [email protected] if you would like to schedule a time to meet with us there!

Virginia Beach Economic Development will be back at RenewableUK’s Global Offshore Wind, London (14-15 June) to meet anyone who wants to grow their US business. Find us on the Business Network For Offshore Wind’s US Pavilion, or get in touch with Charles Macdowell or Paige Fox to schedule a meeting.

Paige will also be a panelist at the Leveraging US Offshore Wind Ambitions session, taking place on 14 June from 13:00-14:00 BST.

We're looking forward to catching up with all our UK and European friends!

East of England Energy Group - EEEGR, OrbisEnergy, NOF, Energi Coast, and Humber Marine and Renewables

VBDED’s Kate Philleo is abroad in Germany on a mission with the Hampton Roads Alliance and City of Chesapeake Virginia Economic Development! Yesterday, they attended the Battery Show Europe 2023 to learn about the latest innovative battery systems and electric vehicles as well as meet with companies interested in expanding to the Hampton Roads area.

VBDED is in Denver, CO this week attending and sponsoring this year’s Next-Gen Talks Conference! Yesterday, alongside our partners, we kicked off with networking and a welcome reception. Today, we're hitting up various sessions, listening to the keynote speaker, and attending consultant breakouts.

Representing VB at the conference: Laura Hayes Chalk and Paige Fox from VBDED, Jared Chalk with the Hampton Roads Alliance, and Russell Young with The Port of Virginia.

Thank you to everyone who joined the Mayor's Manufacturing Roundtable last night! Great conversation was had and it provided our team valuable insight into how we can continue to support this industry. And thank you to Legal Sea Foods right here in Town Center of Virginia Beach, where we hosted the event- great food and great atmosphere, check it out if you haven't yet!

If you are in the manufacturing industry and were unable to attend last night, please see our website for more information on how we help this industry and to reach out: https://www.yesvirginiabeach.com/

Thanks to Central Business District Association for helping us organize this event!

Virginia Beach made it’s presence known at the annual gathering known as International Telecoms Week - ITW in Washington D.C. over the dates of May 14-17th. The gathering is viewed as one of the important venues in which to participate and interface with global businesses involved in the telecommunications and subsea cable industries.

With the growing prominence of Virginia Beach in these industries, our Economic Development team, represented by Charles Bauman, Business Development Coordinator, Virginia Beach was able to solidify and position the community for growth in this important business sector.

Thank you to our local partners, Globalinx, PointOne, Assured Communications Advisors, and Telxius for also representing Virginia Beach at ITW this week!

Next week, we will be in Denver, Colorado at the NextGen Talks 2023 Conference as proud sponsors of this event! We look forward to connecting, learning, and growing with the next generation of economic development consultants!

We had a great time last week at Cambridge Tech Week! It was great to connect with new people and businesses and share the success of the tech industry, especially the success of tech businesses here in Virginia Beach!

Below is a photo from Left to Right; Neil Chivers / CEO of Chrous Intelligence, Paige Fox / VBDED, & Charles Macdowell / UK Consultant for VBDED.

The City of Virginia Beach participated in the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) Xponential Conference this week! This was an excellent opportunity to explore Unmanned Systems and position us as a leader in this arena.

We are very happy to announce a new initiative, Thrive @ The HIVE, that provides workspace and resources to existing Virginia Beach startups, home-based businesses, and military spouse entrepreneurs! Ihsane Mouak, from the Virginia Beach Department of Economic Development, says “By celebrating small businesses, their tireless efforts, and their positive economic influence on the community, the City hopes to empower and inspire more entrepreneurs to succeed.”

Visit https://www.yesvirginiabeach.com/key-industries/thrive-the-hive for more information about this program and to apply!

Virginia Beach Department of Economic Development Virginia Beach Department of Economic Development

We’re here in Charleston at this year’s Leadership Exchange! We are working with our fellow Virginia Beach community members and businesses to create innovative ideas and solutions on how to further enhance and improve our community!

Hampton Roads Workforce Council iFLY Virginia Natural Gas Dominion Energy Sentara Health Optima Health Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce

Next week, we will be at International Telecoms Week 2023 (ITW). We’re looking forward to tuning into the live sessions on thought leadership, learning from exhibitors, and networking with industry professionals! Hope to see you there!

We’re at the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) Xponential Conference this week! We’re having a great time learning more about innovative resources that will help our Virginia Beach business community evolve and networking with professionals in this space!

AUVSI

We were a proud sponsor of this year's State of the Port! It was a great success and we're happy to report that The Port of Virginia is poised to remain a leading player in global trade, providing a gateway for businesses to access new markets and fuel economic growth throughout the City and beyond. In the words of CEO and Executive Director of the Virginia Port Authority, Stephen A. Edwards, "several hundred influential decision makers from across the maritime industry were here to learn about The Port of Virginia and in doing so they had an opportunity to see just some of what this city has to offer." Thank you to all who came out to support The Port of Virginia!

We look forward to attending the 2023 Leadership Exchange along with local partners of the 757 - from May 10 through May 13 in Charleston, SC! Hope to see you there!

Hampton Roads Workforce Council iFLY Indoor Skydiving Virginia Natural Gas Dominion Energy Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital Optima Health Hampton Roads Chamber

We are a proud sponsor of Cambridge Tech Week! Join us Tuesday, May 9th at 3 PM for real conversations with Neil Chivers and Paige Fox as we share our experience and how we are helping UK tech companies enter the US market through R&D and university partnerships.

Visit our booth or connect with us on the conference app to discuss how we could help your company!