Richmond Region Tourism, a destination marketing and tourism organization for the Virginian city, welcomed a new director of convention and sports services.
In this newly developed position is Matt Robinette, who will be responsible for managing the services provided to convention, meetings and sports event clients. He comes to Richmond Region Tourism from the Virginia Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau where he served as sports sales manager.
“While a tremendous amount of effort from our staff is devoted to attracting events to the Richmond Region, it is equally as important to ensure that groups have a top-notch experience once they’re here,” said Jack Berry, president and CEO, Richmond Region Tourism. “Whether it’s a sports tournament, government meeting, association convention, or even a family reunion, our clients deserve the best possible Richmond Region experience, so they’ll bring their business back here again and again. Matt’s experience on both the sales and services sides of the tourism industry puts him in an excellent position to oversee our services program.”
Robinette will supervise two convention services managers as well as volunteers to address the needs of client events. He will serve as a liaison between meeting planners, hotels, vendors and regional partners and will develop strategic plans for servicing future events.
“We operate in a highly competitive environment, particularly with regard to the sports market,” said Robinette. “Providing valuable services to our clients is crucial to retaining and growing business. The region has some of the best meeting and playing spaces in the Mid-Atlantic, and I’m excited to share our attributes with visitors from around the country and the world.”
Robinette’s background includes 15 years of experience overseeing various types of events. Prior to his work as sports sales manager for the Virginia Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau, he worked as an event supervisor for the City of Virginia Beach. In 2012, he was awarded the VA Beach CVB’s National Tourism Week Customer Service Award.
He is a graduate of Old Dominion University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Recreation and Leisure Studies. Robinette is also a veteran having served in the U.S. Navy aboard the USS Saratoga.
