Richmond Region Tourism Welcomes New Leader

Richmond Region Tourism is pleased to welcome Matt Robinette to the role of Director of Convention and Sports Services. In this newly-developed position, Robinette 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 Richmond Region Tourism President and CEO Jack Berry. “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.”

In this new role, 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 Richmond Region Tourism Director of Convention and Sports Services Matt 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. Robinette 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. 

Richmond Region Tourism, the official destination marketing and tourism organization for the Richmond Region, is a private, not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting the Region to meeting, convention and sports event planners, tour operators and leisure travelers. Richmond Region Tourism operates three Visitor Centers located at the Greater Richmond Convention Center downtown, the Richmond International Airport and Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World in Hanover County, and a Mobile Visitor Center.