Capital Business Development Associates

What Capital Business Development Associates does

Capital Business Development Associates (CBDA, DBA Central Business District Association) is a nonprofit membership-based business association founded in 1989 and headquartered at 1 Columbus Ctr, #611, Virginia Beach, Virginia. The organization functions as the self-described 'voice of the business community' for the Pembroke Strategic Growth Area (SGA), which is designated as Virginia Beach's urban core. CBDA serves businesses and organizations located in or interested in the Pembroke SGA, advocating on policy issues such as transit-oriented development, workforce housing, form-based code, cultural arts district formation, and infrastructure improvements, while maintaining formal seats on the SGA Advisory Committee and Design Review Committee.

CBDA's core products are organized around a unified membership offering rather than a technology platform. The membership program is priced at five tiered annual dues levels ranging from $300 (1-5 employees) to $1,200 (40+ employees), with benefits extending to all full-time employees of member companies; more than 100 member companies participate across financial services, real estate, hospitality, legal, healthcare, retail, construction, and professional services verticals. The organization delivers value through a recurring calendar of events (Summer Fest at Town Center, Pop-Up City, Golf Classic, Holiday Party, Last Night on the Town New Year's Eve celebration, luncheons, and happy hours), a weekly CBDA Connection newsletter, and two affiliated entities: CBDF, a 501(c)(3) supporting the X Scholarship fund for Princess Anne High School seniors, and CBDX, a wholly owned subsidiary operating the annual Internship Day program.

Revenue mechanics are straightforward and association-typical: annual membership dues assessed on the calendar year, invoiced in November/December with payment due in January and pro-rated by quarter for mid-year joiners. CBDA also generates ancillary income through event sponsorships (e.g., Summer Fest, Pop-Up City), a public member directory, and donations routed through CBDF. The go-to-market motion is direct and field-based: companies submit membership applications reviewed by a Membership Committee, with no third-party distribution channels. CBDA maintains close operational relationships with the City of Virginia Beach, the Strategic Growth Area Office, and Town Center of Virginia Beach, treating these government and quasi-government bodies as core partners in its advocacy and event-production model.

Name

Capital Business Development Associates

Legal name

Central Business District Association

Website

https://cbda.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Capital Business Development Associates (CBDA) is a nonprofit membership-based business association in Virginia Beach that advocates for and serves 100+ member companies within the Pembroke Strategic Growth Area via tiered annual dues, events, and government relations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Trade Association

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)

Keywords

• Business association membership
• Economic development advocacy
• Urban core networking
• Community event programming
• Government relations liaison

Headquarters

HQ city

Virginia Beach

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues assessed based on company size (number of employees). Five tiers ranging from $300 to $1,200 annually, invoiced in November/December with payment due in January. Pro-rated by quarter for mid-year joiners.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CBDA is a nonprofit, membership-based business association that sells tiered annual memberships ($300-$1,200 based on employee count) to businesses and organizations operating in or interested in the Pembroke Strategic Growth Area of Virginia Beach. Members receive bundled access to government-relations advocacy on urban development issues (transit-oriented development, workforce housing, form-based code, cultural arts district), networking through luncheons, internship programs, and signature events such as Summer Fest, Golf Classic, Holiday Party, and Last Night on the Town New Year's Eve celebration, and a weekly CBDA Connection newsletter.

Product overview

CBDA (Central Business District Association) is a membership-based business advocacy organization serving the Pembroke Strategic Growth Area of Virginia Beach. The organization operates as a unified membership program (not a platform-plus-modules architecture) offering advocacy services, event programming, and educational initiatives. Core offerings include membership services at tiered levels ($300-$1,200 annually), issue advocacy for urban development, an annual events program (Summer Fest, Golf Classic, Holiday Party, New Year's Eve celebration), the CBDX Internship Program connecting students with local businesses, the CBDF 501(c)(3) scholarship foundation, and the weekly CBDA Connection newsletter.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CBDF: Central Business District Foundation - 501(c)(3) entity supporting X Scholarship fund for Princess Anne High School seniors
• CBDX

Products and services

• CBDA Membership Tiered annual membership program for businesses and organizations supporting the growth and development of the Pembroke Strategic Growth Area; benefits extend to all full-time employees of the member company.
• Issue Advocacy Advocacy services for member companies focused on transit-oriented development, workforce housing policies, form-based code, cultural arts district establishment, and infrastructure improvements within the Pembroke Strategic Growth Area.
• CBDA Events Program Annual calendar of networking and community events including Summer Fest, Pop-Up City, Golf Classic, Holiday Party, Internship Day, and Last Night on the Town New Year's Eve Celebration at Town Center Fountain Plaza.

Named customers13 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• City of Virginia BeachcoreOthersCBDA works with the City of Virginia Beach on a regular basis (almost daily) to provide services and value to its members. Partnership involves city government departments including City Manager's Office, City Council, and Department of Economic Development.
• Strategic Growth Area (SGA) OfficecoreOthersCBDA collaborates with the Pembroke SGA Office to support the development and redevelopment of the Pembroke Strategic Growth Area as Virginia Beach's urban center.
• AIA Coastal VirginiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Pop-Up City 2026 event at Town Center Fountain Plaza - a cardboard building event celebrating architecture and inspiring kids through hands-on design activities.
• Town Center of Virginia BeachcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to promote Town Center businesses and events. CBDA produces events at Town Center including Summer Fest, Pop-Up City, and other community gatherings.
• Armada Hoffler PropertiesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner for Summer Fest at Town Center event series, providing entertainment and programming at Town Center Fountain Plaza.
• Astro EntertainmentminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent production partner for Summer Fest concert series featuring local musicians and specialty guest acts at Town Center Fountain Plaza.
• Princess Anne High SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCBDX internship day partnership providing work experience opportunities for PAHS seniors through the annual Internship Day program.
• Sandler Center for the Performing ArtsminorOthersCultural partner in the Town Center area, one of the key arts and cultural venues in the Pembroke SGA.
• Virginia Beach Convention and Visitors BureauminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTourism partner working to promote Virginia Beach Town Center as a destination for visitors and residents.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Virginia Beach Chamber of Commerce: Citywide chamber serving Virginia Beach businesses with advocacy, networking, and events. Directly overlaps CBDA's geography and member base, competing for the same local dues dollars.
• Downtown Denver Partnership: Denver's downtown membership and advocacy organization running events, issue advocacy, and stakeholder engagement for a defined urban core. Same operating playbook as CBDA, scaled to a larger city.
• Chicago Loop Alliance: Membership-funded organization representing Chicago's central business district with advocacy, events, and public-space programming. Closely mirrors CBDA's urban-core mandate and member-funded operating model.
• Tampa Downtown Partnership: Downtown-focused development and membership organization delivering advocacy, events, and stakeholder programming in Tampa's urban core. Highly comparable operating model to CBDA at a larger metro scale.
• Downtown DC BID (DowntownDC): Business Improvement District advocating for a defined urban-core submarket with membership funding, events, and government engagement. Closest structural analog to CBDA's Pembroke SGA mandate.
• Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership: Urban-core advocacy and membership organization running programming, events, and public-space activations in Pittsburgh's downtown. Mirrors CBDA's combination of advocacy, events, and member services for a defined downtown area.

Broad incumbents

• Main Street America: National network for commercial-district revitalization programs, with member organizations running advocacy and events in defined urban districts. Adjacent to CBDA's mission of promoting a specific commercial submarket.
• International Downtown Association (IDA): Industry association for downtown-centric BIDs, partnerships, and place-management organizations. Not a direct competitor, but the umbrella body that defines the category CBDA operates in and a source of best-practice benchmarking.

Regional players

• Greater Norfolk Chamber: Chamber of commerce for neighboring Norfolk, operating a similar membership-dues + events + advocacy model. Comparable in structure, but focused on Norfolk's urban core rather than Virginia Beach's.
• Hampton Roads Chamber: Regional chamber covering the broader Hampton Roads area including Virginia Beach. Competes for mid-sized and enterprise members in the same metro that CBDA serves, but at a wider geographic scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CentralBusinessDistrictAssociation
• Xx.com/cbdaconnection

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Capital Business Development Associates