2024 Tourism Day at the Legislature

Yes – registered partners will be permitted to access the Capitol Building, and go through security starting at 3:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, January 21.

Beginning at 3:00 p.m., partners are invited to drop off materials for their table at the Capitol Complex. Tourism Staff will be on hand to help partners check-in and locate their tables.

Parking will be free on the Capitol grounds on Sunday only for unloading. Read ‘Where Can I Park?’ below for more information about parking at Laidley Field on Monday morning.

On Sunday, make your way through security and check in with Department of Tourism staff, who will be located in the hallway as you make your way from the West Wing to the Lower Rotunda.

Please Note: The West Wing is the side of the Capitol facing the Culture Center and the Governor’s Mansion.

Materials on tables may be left overnight. Tourism staff and security personnel will be present on Sunday afternoon until the Capitol Building closes to the public, promptly at 5:30 p.m.

The building will reopen to the public at 7:45 a.m. on Monday.

While the building will be monitored by Tourism staff and Capitol Police at all times when it is open, no high-value items should be left out on tables unattended.

Partners can access the Capitol Building and go through security starting at 7:45 a.m.

Beginning at 7:30 a.m., partners are invited to drop off materials for their table at the bus turnaround lane located off of Greenbrier Street beside the Culture Center before parking at metered spaces or Laidley Field. Maps will be circulated to those who register in advance, and Dept. of Tourism staff will be on-hand to help.
Read ‘Where Can I Park?’ below for more information on parking.

Make your way through security and check in with Department of Tourism staff at the East or West Wing public entrances. The East Wing entrance is facing California Avenue and the West Wing is facing the Culture Center.

All partners are encouraged to be in the Capitol and at their respective stations by 8:15 a.m. to ensure enough time to be completely set up by 9 a.m.

The Department of Tourism will be providing 6-foot tables, 2 chairs, and nametags for each registered partner. Industry partners are responsible for providing their own tablecloths and extension cords as well as tape to sure cords if power is needed. Partners are more than welcome to bring regional items and collateral materials to give away. If you plan to bring a food item, we strongly encourage individually wrapped snacks.

Please note: Power access is limited. If you need access, please let us know in advance. This will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Tourism Day 2024 is packed with options for partners to participate.

• Represent Your Travel Region and Tourism Site at Your Exhibit Table – All partners will be organized by travel region, and we will provide signage showcasing each region. Making your table set-ups engaging for legislators and other partners who stop by is up it you!
• Take a Shift Greeting Legislators – We will have special tables set up on both East and West Wing entrances and are looking for partners to volunteer to staff these tables and greet legislators and dignitaries as they come and go throughout the day. Partners can sign up for shifts and are not required to stay in one location all day.
• Attend House or Senate Floor Sessions – At the start of each house and senate floor sessions, we’re looking for tourism partners to fill the galleries and be recognized by members of the Legislature.
• Visit Your Legislators – Partners are encouraged to connect and schedule meetings with your local legislators throughout the day to keep them in the loop with all you are doing!
  Please see “How do I schedule time with my legislators?” below for more information

Industry partners may park at Laidley Field or in metered parking on the Capitol grounds. If parking at Laidley, shuttle service will be available throughout the day and runs approximately every 10-15 minutes during the morning run and every 30 minutes during mid-day and afternoon runs.

The shuttle schedule is as follows:

• Morning: 6:00 a.m. to 9:15 a.m.
• Mid-Day: 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
• Afternoon: 3:00 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.

The shuttle route is as follows:
Laidley Field – Elizabeth Street
Laidley Field – Piedmont Road
Sydney/McClung St. Parking – 3-way stop at Piedmont Rd.
Capitol Parking Garage
Building 3 – Parking lot side MID-DAY & AFTERNOON RUN BEGINS HERE
Building 5 – Piedmont Road
Building 6 – California Avenue
Capitol Building – East Wing, California Avenue
Cultural Center/Bus Turnaround
Back to Laidley Field

For more information regarding the shuttle schedule, please call the Parking
Section at (304) 558-9093 or Piedmont Guard House at (304) 558-0248.

1. Find the legislative districts you are located in here, if needed.
2. Contact your legislators’ offices by email or phone to let them know that you will be attending Tourism Day on January 22, 2024 and would like to schedule time to meet with them in the afternoon.
3. Having trouble finding their contact information? Call the toll-free number of West Virginia’s Legislative Information Office at 1-877-565-3447 for the officials’ Charleston telephone numbers.