The Event of the Season
Jana Rae Oliver, Bureau director of sales, participated in the Association Forum Holiday Showcase Chicago where she sold the Raleigh area’s appeal as a meeting destination to regional meeting planners. During the week of Showcase, the Bureau partnered with Visit Charlotte and two local hotel partners to host a holiday reception in Trump International Hotel & Tower, where more than 50 Chicago-based meeting planners mingled overlooking the historic downtown Chicago skyline. Local hotel partners participating in “The Event of the Season” included the Hilton North Raleigh/Midtown and Raleigh Marriott City Center. Ryan Smith, director of communications, was also in Chicago pitching the Raleigh area to leisure and meeting trade journalists during one-on-one desk visits.
In this issue...
The Event of the Season | Tourism Means Big Business | Holiday Helper | Sports Overload | All-Star Update | Staff Notes | Are You Ready?
Tourism Means Big Business
The Bureau’s Marketing Department has published a new, one-page summary of the Impact of Tourism and Visitor Expenditures in Wake County. The printable PDF has the best bulleted talking points for explaining and understanding the overall value of tourism to Greater Raleigh. Click here to view this valuable conversational tool.
Holiday Helper
Have you finished your holiday shopping and are now looking for something fun to do? Check out the holiday page on visitRaleigh.com for a complete list of holiday events, special offers and discounts. With more than 100 events taking place throughout December, one shouldn’t be bored waiting for Santa! Also, take time to register for a New Year’s Weekend getaway package that includes: a two-night stay at the Embassy Suites Hotel Raleigh/Crabtree and tickets to their Las Vegas-style New Year’s Eve celebration, two passes to Sparians Bowling Boutique & Bistro, two ice skating passes to downtown Raleigh’s Winterfest and two passes to the N.C. Museum of Art’s blockbuster exhibition American Chronicles: The Art of Norman Rockwell. Click here to see the holiday calendar of events and register to win.
Sports Overload
November was a huge month for soccer in Greater Raleigh. The CASL visitRaleigh.com National Soccer Series got underway, and before it was over, more than 1,100 youth soccer teams from throughout the U.S. visited Wake County, generating more than 31,500 hotel room-nights and $8.2 million in direct visitor spending. In addition, WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary hosted the ACC Women’s Soccer Championship and the ACC Men’s Soccer Championship on consecutive weekends. Plus N.C. State hosted the N.C. High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) state volleyball championship games on its campus, and the Raleigh Convention Center hosted the NCHSAA state cheerleading championships.
All-Star Update
Plans are being finalized for one of the biggest celebrations the Raleigh area has seen in quite some time, and hockey fans from across the country will have a weekend full of music, events, activities and more during the NHL All-Star Wide Open, January 28-30. On the roster: NHL Fan Fair, NHL All-Star 5K presented by visitRaleigh, All-Star Live @ The Amphitheater featuring 3 Doors Down, All-Star Streets Street Party, Super Skills Competition and the grand finale--the NHL All-Star Game. Mark your calendars for a “can’t miss” weekend. Click here for a sampling of events during the weekend.
Staff Notes
Michael Robson has joined the Bureau’s Marketing Department as destination database coordinator. In this role, he is the primary contact for entering events in the visitRaleigh.com calendar and database, making changes to your organization’s listings in terms of staff changes and/or facility changes and assisting when you need to order additional Visitors Guides for your front desks. Michael is a native of Winston-Salem but is a recent graduate of N.C. State University’s Parks, Recreation and Tourism Department. Please add mrobson@visitRaleigh.com and 919.645.2683 to your contact lists.
Are You Ready?
All eyes will be on the Raleigh area in January when we host the NHL All-Star Weekend! Help the region make the best possible impression by sending your staff to a special session of Customer Care for the Hospitality Industry. The award-winning training, presented in partnership with the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau, will take place at 1:30pm on Thursday, Jan. 6, 2011, at the RBC Center.
The all-star customer service class is open to all front-line hospitality staff, including managers and employees of hotels and restaurants, as well as small business owners and area retailers. The class includes sessions on teamwork, guest challenges, telephone techniques and more. The cost is $35 per person, which includes all materials. To register, click here or call 919.645.2661.
