Bree Nidds VBR Sports/G. Marrano photo WFIR

Attracting major amateur sports tournaments is very competitive and is all about building relationships. That’s a major reason Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge has launched the VBR Sports brand, which had its public debut at the Countryside Sportsplex today. Bree Nidds was hired as the director of development last September. An advisory board consisting of representatives from all the local governments in Virginia’s Blue Ridge will work with Nidds. The amateur sports market is now worth more than 11 billion dollars nationally in direct spending according to an Ohio University survey.