Posted: November 25, 2011

By Danielle Walker

danielle.walker@insidebiz.com

It's been nearly 12 years since OpSail drifted through Hampton Roads, but business leaders in the region still remember the event vividly - and are hopeful for a repeat of its opportunities when the ships and visitors arrive again next summer.

OpSail, or Operation Sail, held for the first time in 1964, after being endorsed by President John F. Kennedy, entails a showcase of tall ships and naval vessels from around the world.

The showboating will hit the Norfolk shores, for the second time, in 2012 from June 1 through 12.

The opportunity is terrific for the business community, said John Hornbeck Jr., president and CEO of the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce.

"Given the event itself - the number of ships that will be here, and the number of events that will take place around the commemoration - it's a perfect opportunity for businesses," he said.

In 2000, when OpSail visited Norfolk's waterfront, about 2 million people attended over five days. The event's economic impact was estimated at more than $58 million for the region.

The Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce hopes the upcoming OpSail will generate up to $150 million in tourism and related spending, and draw 3 million people, Hornbeck said.

"You have to think of the economic impact being throughout the region. People come and visit all over," Hornbeck said. "This time there will be patriotic events tied into Virginia Beach with the air show at the Oceanfront."

To help prepare businesses for the opportunities that lie ahead, HRCC's Small Business Development Center will offer workshops next year.

Jim Carroll, executive director of the SBDC, said that details are still in the works but that HRCC hopes to schedule the workshops for February.

"Right now, we are looking to schedule them in the second and third week in February throughout the different cities in Hampton Roads," Carroll said.

The center plans to work with a counselor, contracted by the SBDC at the state level, who will train small businesses at the workshops.

"[It's] a program to make small retail businesses and restaurateurs aware of ways they can collaborate with localities for major events like OpSail," Carroll said.

The plan is to offer training on the Southside and Peninsula, and eventually on the Eastern Shore, he said.

Small businesses should already be thinking about how they can make their mark on the festivities.

"It takes time to prepare for something like this," Carroll said. "Whether it's inventory, or visual marketing and merchandising. It's also good to get an idea of what the region's plans are overall, so small businesses can take advantage of them." nib