We are a private non-profit [501 (c) 3] organization governed by a volunteer board of directors. The operating principles of the Neptune Festival focus entirely on serving the City of Virginia Beach in a holistically ambitious attempt to help the community strive for all aspects of greatness:

Mission Statement:
Provide a quality, safe and diverse mix of events and activities that will:

• Enhance family values and togetherness
• Provide a vehicle by which business organizations can return value to Virginia Beach through support and sponsorships while receiving promotional and marketing values
• Create a positive economic impact
• Allow an opportunity for non-profit, civic and charitable entities to enhance fund raising for their individual groups
• Showcase the unique location of Virginia Beach as a city by the sea

Purpose:
To create a venue which will:

• Engender a spirit of community pride, fellowship, camaraderie and cohesiveness for the diverse elements of the Virginia Beach citizenry
• Appeal to a wide ranging regional constituency
• Add to the quality of life
• Offer a diversity of enjoyment opportunities for the family unit
• Market Virginia Beach and Hampton Roads area, creating a significant economic impact

Organizational Structure:
The Neptune Festival is truly a community enterprise. A volunteer Board of Directors, consisting of 30 community leaders, oversees all activities, none of which would be possible without the help of its 1,200+ volunteers.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

STAFF

VOLUNTEERS

• Has evolved into one of the Country's Top 100 Festivals and Top 10 on the East Coast. It has become a major visitor draw, filling the hotels at the Oceanfront and bringing thousands of local visitors to the Boardwalk. Heralded as the city's largest and oldest event, it's also one of the largest events in the state of Virginia.
• Has a professional staff, but is truly a function of the community, with over 1,000 active volunteers and almost 30 separate event activity chairmen.
• There are 35+ events, which range from sporting activities such as golf, volleyball, tennis, Sandman Triathlon, 8K run and surfing competition to the art and craft show, which alone attracts almost 300 exhibitors. The Boardwalk Weekend also includes the ever-popular North American Sand Sculpting Championships, the Grand Parade, Youth Day and three stages of entertainment. Pre-Festival events encompass the Wine Festival, Senior Citizens activities, Earthshaker's Ball and the King's Grand Ball and Presentation, among others.
• The NAS Oceana Air Show takes place during Neptune Festival season and regularly hosts the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, or Canadian Snowbirds. This show annually draws thousands of visitors and includes an evening show complete with fireworks.

An economic impact survey conducted by the Bureau of Research, College of Business and Public Administration at Old Dominion University and a recent audit by the International Events Group revealed the following:

• Attracts more than 500,000 people each year to Boardwalk Weekend.
• Attracts approximately 300,000 to 350,000 people to the NAS Oceana Air Show
• Generates an economic impact of over $18 million to the City of Virginia Beach.
• Returns direct taxes of over $500,000 to the City of Virginia Beach.
• Draws 96% of its visitors from the Hampton Roads area, of whom 60% are from Virginia Beach and 40% from Greater Hampton Roads.
• One of every three Virginia Beach residents attends Neptune Festival events.
• Draws 4% of its visitors from outside the area, 80% of whom stay in area hotels and account for 60% of the economic impact of the Festival.
• Every hotel room in the Virginia Beach resort area is booked during the Neptune Festival with over 93% of these being repeat visitors.
• Festival monies are derived from sponsorships, ticket sales, concessions, beverage tents, T-shirt, poster and general merchandise sales. The Festival also makes available various opportunities for other non-profit organizations to earn monies for their own charitable endeavors. These amount to over $100,000 of net revenue each year.

• KING NEPTUNE is chosen by committee from nominations solicited from the general public. Criteria include many factors, including demonstrated involvement and contribution to the quality of life in Virginia Beach, active participation in the activities of community life, and an understanding of the spirit of the Neptune Festival. Many public relations activities take place throughout the year as the King becomes a good will ambassador for the city.
   
• TRITONS are men of the community selected by nomination who meet the same criteria applied to the selection of the King.
   
• PRINCESSES are chosen by open competition from the city's high schools. They are selected in the spring of their junior year. This group also includes daughters of past Kings and Tritons.