AFR Event Management, also known as Armed Forces Reunions, Inc., was founded in 1988 by Ted Dey after a five year stint directing the nation’s first military reunion marketing campaign for the City of Norfolk. Working on behalf of the Norfolk Convention & Visitors Bureau in 1984, Ted wrote and the Bureau published a manual on how to organize and plan a military reunion from start to finish. In a clever takeoff on the TV series “Mission Impossible,” the Norfolk CVB titled its campaign “Mission Possible: Opration Norfolk.” The effort was immediately successful, spawning the addition of another salesperson to help Ted book the dozens of groups suddenly heading to Norfolk.
Many of the groups Ted got to know well in those formative years followed him when he incorporated AFR in March, 1988. In 1989 AFR had 23 reunion clients on board; in 1990 the number grew to 51. The company has grown steadily since, and Norfolk today remains one of the most popular reunion destinations in the country.
AFR now has five levels of staffing to ensure a successful reunion for each of our groups. We have three departments of full-time, professional staff: Sales, Event Planning, and Administrative Support. There are two seasonal staffs: one for assembling registration packets and the other for on-site reunion management. Being fully staffed, there is always someone in our home office to assist you.
At AFR Event Management, we believe your event’s success is our success. Contact us today to learn more about how we can assist you.