FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Martin Armes, 645-2654 (work), 270-8345 (cell)
marmes@visitraleigh.com

Greater Raleigh CVB Reports $24.3 Million Economic Impact from Monet in Normandy Blockbuster Exhibition; Twice the Original Projection

RALEIGH, N.C. (January 23, 2007) -- The Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau (GRCVB) reported today that the Monet in Normandy exhibition at the North Carolina Museum of Art injected almost $24.3 million dollars into the Wake County economy - more than double the initial projection of $12 million and some 2.5 times the $9.5 million generated by the 2004 Matisse, Picasso and the School of Paris exhibition.

The exhibition's 214,177 attendees were from all 50 states and all 100 North Carolina counties, plus Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Serbia and Malaysia. The Top 10 states of attendance origin were North Carolina, Virginia, South Carolina, Florida, New York, Georgia, California, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Maryland.

Some 58 percent of the exhibition attendees came from outside the Triangle with the Top 10 North Carolina cities being Greensboro, Charlotte, Wilmington, Winston-Salem, Fayetteville, Greenville, New Bern, Burlington, Sanford and Asheville. The Top 5 non-North Carolina areas were Richmond, Va., Washington, D.C., Norfolk/Virginia Beach, Va., Charleston, S.C., and Myrtle Beach, S.C.

"The Monet in Normandy exhibition was not only Raleigh's biggest cultural event of the year, but it was a transforming experience for the Museum and for the City of Raleigh as the community came together to support an event of this scope and scale," said N.C. Museum of Art Director Lawrence J. Wheeler. "The success of Monet in Normandy proves that this area is truly a great place for the arts."

"Without question, Monet in Normandy was one of the region's largest and most significant events on many fronts," said Martin Armes, director of communications and marketing for the GRCVB. "Besides the positive economic stimulus, the exhibition further cemented Raleigh 's reputation as one of the Southeast's top cultural and visitor destinations."

Businesses throughout Raleigh hosted a series of French Getaway Experiences that visitors and residents enjoyed during the run of the show. These experiences included a variety of French-inspired events such as chef's tables and tasting menus at local award-winning restaurants, cooking classes, wine tastings, shopping, special hotel offers, and even a sweepstakes for visitors to win a trip to Paris.

"In my 10-plus years in the Raleigh area, I have never seen the restaurants, and the entire community for that matter, get so excited over an event," said John Toler, Chef/Proprietor of Bloomsbury Bistro. "Without question, I can account for a 20-percent jump in my business during the Monet exhibition. I served about 2,000 additional customers from all across the country, plus Canada, during that time."

"Our six hotels saw increased business as the result of the Monet exhibition," said Sandra Benton, Area Director of Sales and Marketing for Summit Hospitality Group. "We benefited especially during the weekends and the final month of the exhibition - a traditionally slow period for area hotels - and saw a noticeable increase in the number of guests compared to the same time period over the past two years. Given all the positive comments that we received, I'm sure that many of the visitors will be returning to Raleigh in the near future."

Monet in Normandy benefited from an extensive marketing partnership between the GRCVB and the N.C. Museum of Art. Statewide and regional advertising in magazines and newspapers, along with an aggressive East Coast online campaign, reached more than 20 million targeted potential visitors.

In addition, Raleigh, the Museum and the exhibition received exposure from a national public relations effort that generated almost 500 stories in media outlets throughout the country, plus Canada, France, Germany and Taiwan. The GRCVB's special Monet web site received 300,000 total page views and more than 15,000 entries in a Paris travel sweepstakes, while the Museum's web site activity tripled in comparison to the same period during the previous year.

The GRCVB, as the official destination marketing organization of Raleigh and Wake County, accelerates sustainable growth and development by increasing visitor and convention business. Through its website, VisitRaleigh.com and other tools, the GRCVB assists visitors to the Greater Raleigh area in a variety of ways.