Meetings and Gatherings
Best Coffee Meeting Location
Gold
Starving Artist Café
The former art studio-turned-cafe is one of Norfolk’s hidden gems. The walls of the funky coffee shop are lined with works by local artists while whimsical top hats hang from the cafe’s ceiling. Starving Artist serves art-inspired omelets, burritos and more for breakfast and lunch six days a week, making it the perfect meeting spot for a social morning coffee or afternoon meeting of the minds.
4408 Colley Ave., Norfolk, 757-305-9290
StarvingArtistNorfolk.com
Silver
Bad Ass Coffee
BadAssCoffee.com
Bronze
Three Ships Coffee Roasters
ThreeShipsCoffee.com
Best Lunch Meeting Location
Gold
The Swan Terrace*
The Swan Terrace is an upscale American grill specializing in fresh, locally sourced cuisine with a dash of Southern sophistication. The restaurant offers both indoor and outdoor seating options and a handful of signature eats including appetizers, meat-centered entrees, desserts and an all-you-can-eat lunch buffet complete with a salad bar, fresh fruits, cheese selections, freshly baked breads, soups and hot plates. The restaurant is also ideal for closing business deals and for business dinners as well.
5641 Indian River Rd., Virginia Beach, 757-366-5700
FoundersInn.com/Dining/Virginia-Beach-Restaurants
Silver
219 An American Bistro
219Bistro.com
Bronze
Leone’s
LeonesItalian.com
Best Delivered Lunch
Gold
Gourmet Gang
With nearly 30 years of experience in the catering industry and seven locations across Coastal Virginia, Gourmet Gang is the go-to place for handcrafted eats. All of Gourmet Gang’s bistro-style sandwiches, salads, hot entrees, desserts and signature boxed lunches can be delivered straight to your home, office space or corporate event.
6000 Robin Hood Rd., Virginia Beach, 757-857-6100
GourmetGang.com
Silver
TASTE
Taste.Online
Bronze
Sweetwater Cuisine
SweetWaterCuisine.com
Best Restaurant for Business Dinners
Gold
The Swan Terrace*
5641 Indian River Rd., Virginia Beach, 757-366-5700
FoundersInn.com/Dining/Virginia-Beach-Restaurants
Silver
456 Fish
456Fish.com
Bronze
219 An American Bistro
219Bistro.com
Best After-Work Happy Hour
Gold
219 An American Bistro
219 pairs elegance with tradition in its homey, Downtown Norfolk dining room. The bistro’s weeknight happy hour offers great rotating discounts on beer, wine and handcrafted cocktails. Several of the restaurant’s American-style dishes are featured as happy hour specials as well, including discounted lobster tails every Monday night.
219 Granby St., Norfolk, 757-416-6219
219Bistro.com
Silver
Waterman’s Surfside Grille
Watermans.com
Bronze
Grain, Hilton Norfolk The Main
GrainNorfolk.com
Best Corporate Event Center
Gold
The Founders Inn and Spa*
The Founders Inn and Spa is celebrated for its sophisticated cuisine, world-class conference spaces and luxury accommodations. The inn’s hospitality team strives to provide excellence to all resort visitors from weekend vacationers to international business executives. Look to The Founders Inn and Spa’s top-notch services and accommodations, from corporate event catering and event planning to hosting guests for business travel or meetings and conferences.
5641 Indian River Rd., Virginia Beach, 757-424-5511
FoundersInn.com
Silver
Norfolk Seafood Company & Big Easy Oyster Bar
NorfolkSeafoodCo.com
Bronze
Delta Hotels by Marriott Chesapeake
Marriott.com
Best Place for Business Meetings/Conferences
Gold
The Founders Inn and Spa*
5641 Indian River Rd., Virginia Beach, 757-424-5511
FoundersInn.com
Silver
Delta Hotels by Marriott Chesapeake
Marriott.com
Bronze
The Annex – Collaborative Studio
TheAnnexVB.com
Best Event Planner
Gold
The Founders Inn and Spa*
5641 Indian River Rd., Virginia Beach, 757-424-5511
FoundersInn.com
Silver
The Happy Hour Hostess
TheHappyHourHostess.com
Bronze
VIBEvents Group
PlanMyVibe.com
Best Small Venue for Meetings and Events
Gold
The Founders Inn and Spa*
5641 Indian River Rd., Virginia Beach, 757-424-5511
FoundersInn.com
Silver
The Annex Collaborative Studio
TheAnnexVB.com
Bronze
Delta Hotels by Marriott Chesapeake
Marriott.com
Best Corporate Event Caterer
Gold
The Founders Inn and Spa*
5641 Indian River Rd., Virginia Beach, 757-424-5511
FoundersInn.com
Silver
Norfolk Seafood Company & Big Easy Oyster Bar
NorfolkSeafoodCo.com
Bronze
Delta Hotels by Marriott Chesapeake
Marriott.com
Best Place to Close a Deal
Gold
The Swan Terrace*
5641 Indian River Rd., Virginia Beach, 757-366-5700
FoundersInn.com/Dining/Virginia-Beach-Restaurants
Silver
Byrd & Baldwin Brothers Steak House
ByrdBaldwin.com
Bronze
1701 Virginia Beach Coworking
1701VB.com
Best Golf Course for Business Outings
Gold
Cavalier Golf and Yacht Club
The sprawling greens of the par-69 golf course are nestled among the picturesque homes of Virginia Beach’s Birdneck neighborhood and offer stunning views of the sparkling Linkhorn Bay. After completing 18 holes beneath the Cavalier’s towering pines, golf course guests can cool off with an afternoon beer in The Banks Grill or enjoy a casual dinner on the outdoor Redan Deck complete with firepits and soft seating.
1052 Cardinal Rd., Virginia Beach, 757-428-3131
CavalierGYC.com
Silver
Greenbrier Country Club
ClubCorp.com/Clubs/Greenbrier-Country-Club
Bronze
Kiln Creek Golf Club and Resort
KilnCreekGolf.com
Best Hotel for Business Travel
Gold
The Founders Inn and Spa*
5641 Indian River Rd., Virginia Beach, 757-424-5511
FoundersInn.com
Silver
Delta Hotels by Marriott Chesapeake
Marriott.com
Bronze
Norfolk Hilton The Main
TheMainNorfolk.com
Best Local Teambuilding Experience
Gold
Topgolf
Topgolf’s private bays are ideal for social outings. Each climate-controlled bay is equipped with individual flat screen TVs and communal seating perfect for cocktails, bar bites and teambuilding exercises. For larger parties, Topgolf offers special meeting spaces and packages ranging from the conference room and lower level lounge to the private, rooftop terrace and full venue buyout.
5444 Greenwich Rd., Virginia Beach, 757-544-9217
TopGolf.com/US/Virginia-Beach
Silver
Escape Room
EscapeRoomVirginiaBeach.com
Bronze
TIE
The Adventure Park at Virginia Aquarium
VirginiaBeachAdventurePark.com
Bronze
iFLY Virginia Beach, Indoor Skydiving
IFlyWorld.com
Best Sporting Event to Take Clients To
Gold
Norfolk Tides
Harbor Park is more than just a baseball venue. The Norfolk stadium boasts baseline seats and luxury skyboxes for high-profile guests as well as a full-service restaurant, Hits at the Park, that overlooks the entire field. Clients can also imbibe local beers on the stadium’s O’Connor Brewing Co. Party Deck and watch the Friday night fireworks extravaganza.
150 Park Ave., Norfolk, 75-664-6464
MILB.com/Norfolk
Silver
ODU Football Games
ODUSports.com
Bronze
Monsters on the Beach
BeachStreetUSA.com
Best Networking Event
Gold
BizConnect Hampton Roads
BizConnect Hampton Roads helps small businesses and entrepreneurs grow their personal brands, increase their local presence and improve networking skills by hosting professional networking series across Norfolk and Virginia Beach. BizConnect groups foster quality relationships between business men and women from all fields and help one another obtain referrals, develop their skills and boost their brand.
318 W. 21st St., Norfolk, 757-927-5200
BizConnectHR.com
Silver
BNI Southeastern VA
BNI-SEVA.com
Bronze
Hampton Roads Chamber State of the City Series
HamptonRoadsChamber.com
Best Young Professionals Network
Gold
tHRive, The Young Professionals of the Hampton Roads Chamber
tHRive strives to give a voice to the outstanding young professionals of Coastal Virginia. The professional networking group allows members to work together to promote regional awareness and further develop the future of their respective communities. tHRive hosts both monthly meetings and signature annual events for current and prospective members.
500 E. Main St., Suite 700, Norfolk, 757-622-2312
YPThrive.com
Silver
LEAD Hampton Roads
LeadHamptonRoads.net
Bronze
CBDX
TheCBDX.com
Professional Development
Best Business School
Gold
Regent University*
The Regent University School of Business & Leadership is tailored for today’s professionals and entrepreneurs and teaches practical skills with both biblical and global perspectives for its students to implement immediately in the workplace. Regent’s business school offers several business degrees, including its Master of Business Administration, which offers career development skills with classes available online and on campus on a full-time or part-time basis.
1000 Regent University Dr., Virginia Beach, 757-352-4127
Regent.edu
Silver
Strome College of Business, Old Dominion University
ODU.edu/Business
Bronze
Raymond A. Mason School of Business, William & Mary
Mason.WM.edu
Best Executive Training
Gold
LEAD Hampton Roads
A program of the Hampton Roads Chamber, LEAD Hampton Roads identifies, educates and supports leaders dedicated to the region through programs, events and community projects. LEAD Hampton Roads has developed leaders for 30 years and has a network of over 1,500 graduates representing private, public and nonprofit sectors that are committed to implementing positive changes to the region.
LEADHamptonRoads.net
Silver
John W. Mullins
Bronze
Tanyag & Company
Tanyag.net
Best MBA Program
Gold
Regent University*
1000 Regent University Dr., Virginia Beach, 757-352-4127
Regent.edu
Silver
Old Dominion University
ODU.edu
Bronze
College of William & Mary
WM.edu
Best Professional Development Workshop
Gold
Tidewater Community College, Academy for Nonprofit Excellence
The Academy for Nonprofit Excellence provides course topics on nonprofit management and leadership, and develops its content for practical application. Those that join this professional development program at Tidewater Community College can expect to expand their skills and knowledge to increase effectiveness, build capacity and enhance the mission of their nonprofit organization.
7000 College Dr., Suffolk; 350 Granby St., Norfolk; 4525 Main St., Suite 706, Virginia Beach, 757-822-1234
Academy.TCC.edu
Silver
LEAD Hampton Roads
LEADHamptonRoads.net
Bronze
Julie Woodard, Woodard & Associates, LLC
Woodard-Associates.com
