Welcome...to the April issue of Pulse, the official newsletter of the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau. If you have questions, or would like to be included in the May edition of Pulse, please contact Ryan Smith at rsmith@visitRaleigh.com
In this issue...
The Puck Stops Here | Celebrating Art | Staff News | STS Continuing Education | Another One for the Trophy Case | Destination Coverage | Planning Toolkit | Awesome April
The Puck Stops Here
Local hockey fans, rejoice! The National Hockey League and the Carolina Hurricanes have announced that the Hurricanes and the city of Raleigh will host the 2011 NHL All-Star Celebration. The 58th NHL All-Star Game will take place on Sunday, January 30, at the RBC Center, and the Honda NHL SuperSkills competition will be held on Saturday, January 29. The fun-filled, fan-centric weekend will consist of various hockey-themed events, entertainment and activities. Information on tickets and schedule of events will be released in the coming months. This is a huge event for the Raleigh area, with an estimated economic impact of $10-20 million. Stay tuned for information on promotional packages and opportunities offered by the Bureau for the weekend of the All-Star Game.
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Celebrating Art
In case you haven’t heard, the transformed N.C. Museum of Art will open its doors to the public on April 24 during a weekend celebration featuring tours of the new building, music, dance, family activities and fireworks. In promoting the new museum, as well as the many other arts opportunities throughout Wake County, the Bureau has created a microsite dedicated to visual arts. The microsite, accessible from the homepage of visitRaleigh.com, highlights arts events, special exhibitions, attractions and itineraries. Check it out here.
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Staff News
The Bureau is proud to announce Kumi Anzalone, CASE, Regional Director of National Accounts, Washington, D.C., Area Office, has been named President Elect of the Potomac Chapter of Meeting Professionals International (PMPI). She will serve a one-year term for 2010-2011 as President Elect and begin her term as President for the 2011-2012 calendar year. Kumi has a strong history with PMPI; she has been a member since 2005 and most recently served as Board Director for Professional Development. In previous years she has served as a committee member and co-chair for the Membership Committee and in 2007 was awarded the PMPI Star Award for Service to the Potomac Chapter. Congratulations, Kumi! For the full press release, click here.
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SPONSORED MESSAGE
STS Continuing Education... for the Tourism Professional
Since the Greater Raleigh CVB is a member of Southeast Tourism Society (STS), you are invited to attend the STS Professional Outreach Program (POP) class, complimentary. This program brings timely information right to your desktop with topics important to your organization’s success. You can enjoy these classes from the comfort of your own office by watching the presentation on your computer and listening over your own phone–without leaving your desk! These classes are complimentary.
Our Next Class:
Title: Measure and Manage: Making Sense of Analytics and Online Reporting
Date: Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Time: 10am ET
Speaker: Chris Adams, Director of Online Marketing, Miles Media
For more information and to register, go to: http://eeroko.notlong.com.
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Another One for the Trophy Case
Regardless of whether it’s an award praising quality of life, the caliber of our hotel and restaurant community or certification of a GRCVB employee, Raleigh and Wake County never have a shortage of recognition. Forbes.com, a leading online source for business and economic news, has named the Raleigh metro as America’s Most Wired City. The annual poll ranks metros on three main technological measures: broadband penetration, broadband access and plentiful wi‐fi hotspots. Raleigh jumped from Number 15 in the 2009 rankings to Number 1 in 2010, upsetting Seattle, which fell to Number 3 from the top spot. Hotwire.com ranked the Raleigh area eighth on its list of Top 10 Best Value Cities for 2010 Travel. The Annual Travel Value Index rates the Top 10 Destinations where travelers planning their next trip can find the best value and entertainment options.
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Destination Coverage
The March and April editions of many national publications, as well as widely read online news sources, covered the Raleigh area’s new visitor attractions, awards and the Raleigh Convention Center. Here’s a sampling of the coverage: The April issue of Southern Living featured a two-page story on the grand opening of the N.C. Museum of Art, and MSNBC.com travel writer Rob Lovitt wrote a follow-up story on the Hotwire Value Index and included Raleigh in the article. A photo taken by Ryan Smith, director of communications, was used by Sue Stock in her News & Observer online column highlighting the opening of the new H&M store at Crabtree Valley Mall. The Omega Psi Phi Conclave, which will be in the Raleigh area in July, was featured in an article titled, “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” in Essence Magazine. The Raleigh Convention Center was featured in an article in the national meeting trade publication Meetings Focus, which highlighted facilities throughout the country that rely on sustainable products for their culinary offerings.
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Planning Toolkit
Are you looking for ways to publicize your meeting or convention to local media but not sure where to begin? The Communications Department has created an easy-to-use media relations toolkit that will assist groups in maximizing media exposure while in Wake County. The in-depth guide provides a detailed media list, press release tips and examples, Public Relations 101 tips and things to help in pitching a story to the media. The Greater Raleigh Media Tool Kit is available for download on the Convention Services and Partners sections of visitRaleigh.com. Click here to see the manual.
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Awesome April
April is a big month for basketball and tennis in Greater Raleigh. Highlights include the 10th annual Deep South Classic (April 16-18), which is expected to generate nearly 8,000 room-nights as more than 200 elite girls basketball teams from around the country are expected to attend. The ACC Men’s and Women’s Tennis Championships return to Cary Tennis Park from April 22-25, and this month wraps up with the ACIS Club/Intramural National Basketball Championships (April 30-May 2) on the campus of N.C. State University.
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