Visit Virginia's Blue Ridge 39th Annual Meeting

Let's cheer for an incredible year for local tourism! Join us for the Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge 39th Annual Meeting to celebrate the region! Visit Virginia's Blue Ridge invites you to our 39th Annual Meeting, where we'll celebrate an incredible year of tourism, showcase our robust arts and culture community, and share a special preview of our 2027 branding initiative, "The Mountain Way." Guests will enjoy a cocktail hour with special gallery viewing access, along with music from Roanoke Symphony Orchestra, followed by a sit-down dinner and presentation hosted by emcee John Carlin of WSLS10. This year's keynote speaker is Chris Fair, President & CEO of Resonance, the global place strategy advisory firm behind the influential World's Best Cities rankings. Chris will share insights on the trends shaping the future of destinations, tourism, and placemaking, offering valuable perspectives for our community to thrive in an increasingly competitive landscape. Dress Code: Business Attire. Tickets are limited, so be sure to secure yours today! Table sponsorships ($600 for 8 seats) are available! If you'd like to support this event as a sponsor, please reach out to Landon Howard at [email protected] or Liz Long at [email protected]. About Our Keynote: Chris Fair is President & CEO of Resonance, a global place strategy advisory firm and creator of the World's Best Cities rankings. He leads a global team of advisors on placemaking, branding, and marketing for destinations, cities, districts, and developments across the U.S. and around the world, drawing on nearly two decades of research into what makes places prosperous, livable, and loved. Chris holds a Master's degree in Studies of the Future and is a past Chairman of the Urban Land Institute's Travel Experience & Trends Council, a member of the Project for Public Spaces Leadership Council, and an instructor in Placemaking at New York University. He is a frequent keynote speaker on the forces shaping the future of travel and tourism, and his research, including Resonance's annual America's Best Cities report, is regularly cited by destination and economic development leaders worldwide.