Charleston CVB

Fishers of Men National Tournament Trail went to Charleston West Virginia in October of 2010 for our East Regional Championship. This was a bass tournament with 121 boats held on the Kanawha River. The facilities were more than adequate for the size of tournament we had. And, in fact, could handle quite a few more. We were very pleased with the way our staff and competitors were treated. From the hotel staff and restaurant employees to the Mayor and the CVB, everyone in Charleston made our staff and competitors feel like honored guests.Samantha and the rest of the CVB staff were extremely helpful throughout the process of planning and running the event, going far above and beyond what most host communities are willing to do. We are looking forward to the next time we get the opportunity to work with the good folks at Charleston.

James F. Riley, Jr., Fishers of Men Eastern Regional Bass Tournament
I was the gentleman (first arrival) who you met at the entrance to the boat ramp on day one of the tournament. I just wanted to take the opportunity to give credit where credit is due. Your team did an outstanding job of welcoming all of us "out-of-towners" in to Charleston and coordinating the Civic Center activities for the tournament. Fishing the Kanawha for a tournament is a difficult task. Your efforts made it a very positive experience for us and I would return for another tournament in the future. Thanks again and have a great day!

Ed Ballard - Union Carbide Retirees Reunion
I want to thank the Charleston Convention & Visitors Bureau for the help and support given to me and the reunion committee for what I consider a very successful event. I will and have recommended you to folks planning an event. As a matter of fact, a friend called this week to ask for advice in planning a convention next year. I told him to contact you as starters and how helpful the CVB had been. Thanks again.

Terry Roach, Professor for Business Communication - Arkansas State University
Jennifer Brown helped me to pre-plan a possible convention in Charleston, West Virginia. She and the staff provided excellent service. They prepared appropriate venues (hotels) for viewing, provided the meeting planning with those hotels, and provided entertainment for me while touring and visiting Charleston. I recommend Jennifer to you should your convention plans take you to Charleston, West Virginia.

Jessie Tackett, Yellow Ribbon Program Supervisor - West Virginia Army National Guard
I would like to thank the staff of the CVB for the outstanding service that was provided to the West Virginia Army National Guard Yellow Ribbon Program. I was so impressed with how the staff was able to arrange things on such a short notice, and when I say short notice I mean the day before the event. Dee was able to schedule three coach buses the day before the event.CVB went above and beyond to make sure our soldiers and families were taken care of and felt welcome. I will have to say this was one of our best events thanks to the staff of the CVB. I look forward to working with the CVB in the future. Thank You for a successful event.

Jonathan Dow, Executive Director - Aldersgate Renewal Ministries
Dear Todd and Dee - What can I say? You have bent over backwards to make Aldersgate 2010 a great experience in working with the CVB. Thank you for all that you have done. Every gesture of service and hospitality from your consistent and visible presence on-site to sending a cookie to one of my staff to honor her birthday are expressions of your commitment to hospitality and a reflection of your hearts to serve the needs of others. Thank you for the consistency of your care to our guests, to my staff and to me personally. It has been a joy to work with you.

Jaclyn Riedel, Event Coordinator/Media Relations; On Target Communications, Inc.
The Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge is truly pleased with the triumph of the 2009 event held in Charleston, West Virginia. Due to the vision of the Charleston CVB, the 2010 Challenge will be held in conjunction with SportsFest-a festival celebrating athletes from across the nation. We are fortunate to have signed a three-year contract with the Charleston CVB; a professional, organized, and friendly team one can rely upon. Through the coordination between the Charleston CVB and Charleston Fire Department, we have the assurance that every event will be a great success.

Aaron Wood - Quantum Soccer
The city of Charleston is slowly becoming a destination location and vacation spot for many because of the festivals and sporting contests that are becoming annual events. This means that people near and far are starting to put Charleston events on their calendars each year, and the Charleston CVB has been a part of the team that is making this possible. Charleston is not only the Capitol of West Virginia, but it is full of capital people that want to make our city great to live in and visit! Thank you Charleston CVB for all that you do for our city!

Edgar N (Eddie) Sutton, Director of Meeting Arrangements; American Baptist Association
The 85th annual session of the American Baptist Association just met in beautiful Charleston, WV. Our messengers and visitors were warmly welcomed to Charleston. The Convention and Visitors Bureau was a great help to me with all arrangements. A special thanks to Patricia Bradley, Todd Morris, Dee Bird, and Rekko Patton for all their assistance in making our meeting a great success. It was such a help to have the CVB office in the Civic Center. The staff at the Charleston Civic Center were great to work with. All our banquet meals were at the Civic Center and we were offered very affordable prices and delicious food. As a result some of our banquet meals doubled in attendance. The Charleston Marriott Town Center served as our headquarters hotel. We also used Holiday Inn Express, Charleston Hampton Inn, and Holiday Inn Charleston House. We used about 1800 room nights from June 19-25, 2010. Charleston had worked for 12 years to get our meeting and I can recommend Charleston, WV as a great meeting city for faith based meetings.

Jack Rice, President - West Virginia Blues Society, Inc.
I would like to take a moment of your time to say, Thank You. You and your entire staff have went the extra mile in assisting the West Virginia Blues Society in putting on the Third Annual Charlie West Blues Festival. At what seemed like our darkest hour you and your staff stepped up and came through. We very much look forward to having a long term relationship with the Charleston CVB. It is so refreshing to work with professionals.

Carol Hancock, CEO - International Chili Society
Jennifer, what can I say? You were terrific through the entire World's Champion Chili Cookoff prior and during. Thanks for your pursuit of the cookoff. The ICS members really liked West Virginia - who wouldn't? I feel like I made a friend. Thanks for everything.

Jeffrey L. Purdy, Scout Executive - Buckskin Council #617 Boy Scouts of America
To Samantha Carney and the Charleston Convention & Visitors Bureau - The Buckskin Council Centennial Camporee and Fun Day was a huge success! Your support made a direct and lasting impression on the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts that participated. Thank you for your generous help in delivering a quality program to the youth of our council.

Charles Young, WV Police Canine Association
I am one of the state evaluators for the West Virginia Police Canine Association WVPCA and we held our K-9 conference in Charleston, WV this year and thanks to Jennifer Brown and the Charleston Visitor and Convention Bureau, our seminar went much smoother. Jennifer's knowledge and hospitality that she gave was such an enormous help, I know without a doubt, I will be calling on her again for future seminars in Charleston. Thank you Jennifer. Charles Young Cpl Charles Young

Michelle L. Frame, Transportation Engineering Technician Geospatial Transportation Information Highway Data Services Unit; WVDOT Division of Highways Program Planning & Administration Division
On behalf of the WVDOT, the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHTO), and the GIS-T Planning Committee, I would like to extend immense gratitude for your services throughout the GIS-T 2010 Conference. Our guests were impressed with the state of West Virginia and its people at the moment they arrived at Yeager Airport. The CVB's generous hospitality offered to our guests was extraordinary and greatly appreciated. Thank you and we hope to have the opportunity to work with you again in the near future.

Rusty Flowers, Regional Organized Crime Information Center; 18th Annual Homicide Conference
I would like to very much thank you, Jennifer Brown and your whole staff for doing such a great job not only for this conference but for all of the things your office is doing. I would also like for you to know that Brock Hammat of ROCIC reiterated that the Charleston CVB was one of the reasons that Charleston was picked for this conference venue. One could describe this event as a home run. In fact, every one of the product vendors was happy! The conference attracted 412 attendees from 16 states.

Charles W. Morris III, Director of Collections and Exhibitions - West Virginia State Museum
I would like to thank each of you for your assistance with the SEMC event. It went extremely well and the conference was a huge success. Several of the members said that they had never been treated as well as they were here and that the experience was wonderful. They also mentioned how friendly the people were in the hotel, mall and on the street. Several talked about coming back again to visit. Also from what I understand sales were great for all the shops involved including the ones associated with the Art Walk. When I ask about the evening events members had difficulty finding the right words. The evening events were incredible serving as shining examples of how when the community comes together it sets an example that others try to follow. Again, thank you for all your help.

Alexis Thompson, Southeastern Museums Councilmember; Historic Columbia Foundation
Thank you very much for your wonderful hospitality and putting together the Art Walk for our SEMC conference. It really was a wonderful event and a great way to see the city. I hope to visit again soon.

Helen L. Jackson-Gillison, President - WV All Black Schools Sports & Academic Hall of Fame
On behalf of the Dunbar School Dr. A.J. Major Historical Museum, Inc., I thank you for your generous contribution to the West Virginia All Black Schools Sports and Academic Hall of Fame (ABSSA). The mission of the preservation of the history of the All Black Schools is a worthy mission. Your commitment is greatly appreciated. May God continue to bless us and may we continue to grow as one. Once again, Thank you so very much!

Bishop T.D. Jakes - The Potter's House; 2009 Birthing Place Conference
I would like to express my sincere thanks to you and your team for the wonderful job you did during The Birthing Place conference. It was obvious to all who attended that you and your team invested great time and effort into making this event a big success. The attendees were delighted with the conference and especially appreciated your hospitality. I am sure there are thousands of people who would like to join me in saying "thank you" for a terrific job. Again, Mrs. Pitrolo, I appreciate the hard work, dedication and level of professionalism displayed by all. Your services to The Potter's House staff and the West Virginian community are truly valued.

Lisa Dooley, West Virginia Municipal League Executive Director - 2009 Municipal League Conference
I can't begin to tell you how much you and your staff added to the conference. Thanks for all you do.

Jehovah's Witnesses Convention - 2009 Keep on the Watch Spanish Convention
Thank you for extraordinary cooperation. We cannot express in words our sincerest appreciation for the kindness we have received throughout our stay here in Charleston. We are fascinated with your beautiful city and even more with your hospitable people. Among the many reasons we have to express our deepest gratitude are the thousands of printed brochures of local businesses that you so considerately provided us. This allowed our attendees to purchase needed items as well as obtain directions to various local points of interest. Thank you also for providing a Spanish-speaking representative for those of us who needed help. You truly went above and beyond to assist us in making our Spanish convention Keep on the Watch a success. You have left us with a keen desire to return to your city and re-live the wonderful memories that we have accumulated in the few brief but unforgettable days that we have spent here.

Selina Midkiff, Appalachian Children's Chorus Founding and Artistic Director - 2009 Appalachian Festival of Young Voices
We at the Appalachian Children's Chorus (ACC) are extremely grateful for the Charleston CVB's support of our Appalachian Festival of Young Voices. Without your support, we could not have conducted our event at one of Charleston's finest hotels Embassy Suites. This year's festival was a resounding success. Two hundred children from Charleston, Logan, Cheyenne, and Washington D.C. spent the weekend immersed in Appalachian music, culture and heritage. Our visitors raved about the beauty of our state and their desire to return in the future. Ms. Pitrolo, our festival would not have been nearly as successful without your support.

Jerry Booth, Rally Coordinator - 2009 WV State HOG Rally
The WV State HOG Rally Committee would like to thank you and your team for a great site visit to Charleston on May 7th! We felt the meeting went well and the hospitality displayed at each hotel showed that the cooperation between the CVB, the City of Charleston (Mayor Jones) and the hotels is exactly what our rally needs to move to the next level. Not all of the members of my committee were convinced that a rally in the city would be a good thing going into the meeting, but after meeting with Samantha and your team and Mayor Jones, they quickly changed their minds. I wanted to let you know that I feel this is due in large part to Samantha’s positive attitude. One of my committee members said it in perfect WV dialect. “Boy, that girl Samantha is a go getter, isn’t she?! I believe if anyone can help us get this done, she can! So having said that, we look forward to working closely with Samantha and your team for the next couple of weeks to finalize the presentation and our hopes are very high that the votes go our way and we have a great 2010 WV State HOG Rally right in the heartbeat of the state….. Charleston! Kudos to Samantha and your team for a job well done!

Kathy Knighton, Coordinator - Office of Special Programs, Extended and Early Learning; West Virginia Department of Education
On behalf of the conference planning committee, I want to express my appreciation to the Charleston Convention & Visitors Bureau for their help with our annual Celebrating Connections Conference. The focus of our conference is early childhood programs for young children in WV and was attended by almost 2000 participants this year. This interagency conference has been designed to provide relevant information about practices, policies, planning and research that enhance community partnerships and quality in early care and education. We really appreciate your assistance with blocking hotel rooms, developing posters and providing coupons and other 'goodies' for our convention packets. It was our most successful year…looking forward to working with the Convention Bureau on Celebration Connections 2010.

Delores S. Barber, Conference Co-Chair - 2011 International Master Gardener Conference
The recent trip for promotion of the 2011 IMGC Conference was very successful and we thank the CVB, you [Patty] and Dee for the hard work you contributed to make it so. The Charleston flag display set our booth apart and drew folks in to see what we were about. The time you [Patty] and Dee spent in the booth to help promote gave folks a lot of information about Charleston and the giveaway items were wonderful. We thank you for the support, time and talents dedicated to this event. We look forward to working with the CVB staff during the next two and one-half years to ensure a successful event and to showcase Charleston to our attendees.

Dr. Jeffrey Poland, President - West Virginia American Choral Directors Association
I am grateful to Todd Morris for helping me with the application process and steering the paperwork in the right direction. Todd has also provided group rates for our organization from the Charleston area hotels which represent considerable cost savings to the hundreds of young people, parents, and teachers who will attend the conference. Todd has been a punctual, considerate, and cheerful representative of the Charleston CVB. It is a pleasure to do business with him.

R. Wayne Peters - Bradley Free Will Baptist Church; 72nd National Convention of Free Will Baptist
Ms. Bird - In our community there are some people who are absolutely essential to our well-being. You are truly one of those special people. We are writing this letter to say a heartfelt “Thank You!” The assistance provided by You, Ashlee Burgess and Todd Morris was invaluable. You certainly rolled out the red carpet for our 72nd National Convention of Free Will Baptist. Many of the nearly 6,000 participants expressed their gratitude for the friendly atmosphere from welcome signs everywhere, bus shuttles provided free of charge by the city for transportation to and from hotels, durable tote bags, visitor’s guides, maps, and even coupons to make their trip to Charleston an enjoyable and memorable one. From our team, the Hospitality Committee, your assistance during the planning stages was very much appreciated. You saved us many hours of work and lightened our stress levels.