Roanoke Valley Convention & Visitors Bureau’s Annual Meeting
touts economic impact of tourism in Virginia’s Blue Ridge

David Baldacci, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author with Bart Wilner, Board President,
Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling and First Lady of Virginia Maureen McDonnell (photos left to right)

Industry leaders and local and state officials celebrated the economic impact of tourism and film production in the region at the Roanoke Valley Convention & Visitors Bureau’s (CVB) Annual Meeting yesterday at The Hotel Roanoke.

"We were delighted to have an extraordinary lineup of great speakers to highlight National Tourism Week, to celebrate the recent launch of the new "Virginia’s Blue Ridge" destination brand, and to showcase the unique partnership between tourism and Virginia’s film industry," said Landon Howard, Executive Director of the Roanoke Valley CVB.

The event featured keynote speaker and #1 New York Times bestselling author David Baldacci, whose novel "Wish You Well" is slated to become the next film produced in the region. He expressed how this novel has a unique tie with his family roots in Virginia.  In an interview David said, "Virginia was always where this movie was going to be filmed, it was where it was set and Virginia is a character in this book.  So, if we didn't make it in Virginia, it wouldn't be worth making."  The economic impact of films produced in Virginia generated $344 million in 2010.

Click above to see David Baldacci's thoughts on the Roanoke Valley.	Click above to see David Baldacci's thoughts on Virginia's Blue Ridge.

Local tourism industry professionals honored at the Annual Meeting, 
awards presented by Landon Howard, Executive Director, and Bart Wilner, Board President 

Trixie Averill, Roanoke Valley CVB, Marketing Advisory Chair received the Tourism Ambassador Award for outstanding efforts, dedication and support toward the promotion of the region and its many tourism attributes

Roanoke City Manager, Chris Morrill, Roanoke County Administrator, Clay Goodman, and Salem City Manager, Kevin Boggess (not pictured) – each received the Golden Star Award for their outstanding commitment to facilitating economic growth in the tourism industry

Granger Macfarlane, Former Virginia State Senator, received the Presidents’ Tourism Excellence Award in recognition of his lifetime achievements in developing and promoting the tourism industry in Virginia’s Blue Ridge and the Commonwealth of Virginia.