Welcome...to
the December 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 January edition of Pulse,
please contact Ryan Smith at rsmith@visitRaleigh.com
In this issue...
Top of the Pack | Exhibition Excitement | Holiday Helper | Winners Chosen| What's New | Thank You | Stay Smart!
Top of the Pack
LM
Restaurants, owners of Carolina Ale House and Taverna Agora, can claim
#12 in the Triangle Business Journal’s 2009 Fast 50.
Triangle Business Journal recognized the 50 fastest-growing private
companies in the Triangle. The Raleigh-Cary area ranked #21 in Forbes.com’s
annual poll of Best Bang for Your Buck Cities in America.
Criteria included: solid housing markets, relatively stable employment,
enviable cost of living and quick commutes. Speaking of driving, Car
and Driver magazine ranked the Raleigh area as one of the nation’s “10
Most Drivable Cities.”
Back to top
Exhibition Excitement
Every
little girl loves Barbie, and now kids of all ages can see the N.C.
Museum of History’s newest exhibit dedicated to America’s original sweetheart, Barbie – Simply Fabulous at 50! The exhibit which runs through
July 5, 2010, traces the history and evolution of Barbie through outfits,
career highlights, stories by local North Carolinians and a video component
featuring five commercials dating back to 1959. The exhibition is free.
The N.C. Museum of Art has announced five special exhibitions beginning
next November. The blockbuster exhibit American Chronicles:
The Art of Norman Rockwell runs Nov. 7-Jan. 30 and includes
40 original works by this American icon. More
Back to top
Holiday Helper
Have
you finished your holiday shopping and are now looking for something
to do? Check out the holiday page on visitRaleigh.com for a complete
list of holiday events, special offers and discounts. More
Back to top
Winners Chosen
50 down - 50 to go. The second set of 25 winners in the
Get Off Your County Seat sweepstakes have been chosen. Each of the winners
will receive a personalized weekend to the Raleigh area complete with
accommodations, dining vouchers, event tickets and more. Even if your
county has a winner, you and your family/friends can still enter to
win the Grand Prize. The next set of 25 winners will be drawn in February.
More
Back to top
What's New
The
Bureau is consistently developing tools to help our Wake County hospitality
partners stay current on what’s new and upcoming in our area. The newest
tool on visitRaleigh.com is a comprehensive and up-to-date listing of
many of the developments making up our area’s $3 billion renaissance.
This compilation of quick facts on projects such as RDU’s new terminal,
the N.C. Museum of Art and the N.C. Museum of Natural Science’s Nature
Research Center is a perfect reference guide when asked by clients or
customers, “What’s happening in Greater Raleigh?”. More
Back to top
Thank You
The
Bureau’s Services Department recently held a Winter Ambassador Event
at Lake Wheeler Park. The event was a thank you to the more than 50
Tourism Ambassadors who volunteer at area sports tournaments, events,
festivals and at the Greater Raleigh Visitor Information Center (VIC)
throughout the year. Activities included a CVB update on strategic initiatives
and destination product update (including information on wayfinding,
the R-LINE, hotels, using the new online videos for training and Winterfest).
Ambassadors then had the opportunity to participate in three mini sessions:
preparing to service niche markets, the top five questions encountered
when working the VIC or sports and convention events, and tour product
updates. At the end of the day the 30 ambassadors in attendance enjoyed
great food, live jazz and networking.
The ambassador corps is gearing up for a busy 2010 with a number of
large groups due to arrive. If anyone is interested in becoming a GRCVB
Tourism Ambassador, he or she may express interest in person at the
VIC or may email Julie Brakenbury, director of convention services,
at jbrakenbury@visitRaleigh.com.
Back to top
Stay Smart!
In
this challenging economic climate for every industry, our area’s full-service
hotels and GRCVB have created meeting planner incentive packages urging
them to “Stay Smarter” in Greater Raleigh. These packages are available
to all groups that book and carry out meetings between November 1, 2009,
and December 31, 2010, and are designed to complement Raleigh’s four
greatest attributes: Dynamic, Celebratory, Smart and Unexpected. Some
incentives include: 50% attrition on room blocks, one per 25 comp rooms
and free Greater Raleigh SmartCards for attendees. Meetings must be
booked through GRCVB to qualify. More
Back to top
Photo courtesy Flickr Creative Commons/Beebo Wallace
