Web Site Aims to Serve As Portal to Regional Entertainment Events

By DEBBIE MESSINA

By Debbie Messina

The Virginian-Pilot

NORFOLK

Local arts and business leaders launched a new Web site Thursday – Your757.com – that offers comprehensive listings of arts, entertainment and sports events in the region.

Its slogan: “Every event. Every day.”

“One of our challenges has been how to make it easy for someone to find out what’s going on in the arts community here … since we’re so spread out geographically,” said Rob Cross, executive director of the Virginia Arts Festival.

Local entertainment outlets built a nonprofit organization, Arts & Entertainment Marketing Partnership of Hampton Roads, to oversee the site. The Downtown Norfolk Council initiated the effort.

Your757.com is a member of the Artsopolis Network, which hosts similar sites in 13 other metropolises.

Start-up money came from a $75,000 grant from the Norfolk Foundation and from $5,000 donations from 11 charter members: the Downtown Norfolk Council, the Virginia Arts Festival, the Virginia Opera, the Virginia Symphony, the Chrysler Museum, the Virginia Stage Company, Seven Venues, the Ferguson Center for the Arts, the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts, WHRO and the Contemporary Art Center of Virginia.

Cathy Coleman, president and CEO of the Downtown Norfolk Council, said the site should appeal to local residents and visitors and is a “one-stop location to find all that the region has to offer.”

Coleman said the council formed a committee that worked for about 18 months to find ways to support and grow the local arts.

“We think building audiences is the best route to financial success and community vitality,” said Angelica Light, president and CEO of the Norfolk Foundation.

While all events on Your757.com are listed for free, the Web site is selling memberships to nonprofits and commercial organizations that carry such benefits as discounted advertising, multimedia clips and links to home Web sites and ticket purchasing outlets. Membership fees range from $250 to $5,000 based on annual ticket sales and operating budgets.

Debbie Messina, (757) 446-2588, debbie.messina@pilotonline.com

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