Welcome...to
the February 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 March edition of Pulse,
please contact Ryan Smith at rsmith@visitRaleigh.com
In this issue...
R-LINE
Rolls into Downtown Raleigh | Super
Shuttle Grand Opening | Sports
Award | Big
Bookings | Rally
in Raleigh! | New
Board Members | Visitors
Guide | Channel
Surfing
R-LINE Rolls into Downtown Raleigh
Greater Raleigh CVB President and CEO Denny Edwards was a speaker at the launch of the City of Raleigh’s newest transit option, the R-LINE. By now, you’ve probably heard of (or even ridden) the R-LINE, a FREE shuttle service connecting downtown Raleigh’s five entertainment districts, including: Glenwood South, Capital District, Warehouse District, Fayetteville Street and the Warehouse District. The R-LINE circulator route is supported by three eco-friendly hybrid electric busses, which run every 15-20 minutes to connect downtowners to a total of 20 stops. The service operates from 7 a.m. – 11 p.m. on Monday – Wednesday, 7 a.m. – 2:15 a.m. on Thursday – Saturday and 1 – 6 p.m. on Sundays. The launch of the R-LINE is a benefit to the more than 10.4 million visitors who visit Greater Raleigh each year. The service will allow leisure visitors, convention and meeting attendees and sports groups the ability to park downtown and use the service to shuttle to the area’s premier attractions, restaurants and performing arts venues.
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Super
Shuttle Grand Opening
Getting from RDU International Airport to hotels throughout Wake County has just gotten easier and more cost-effective. Super Shuttle, a shared-ride service, had its official ribbon-cutting on February 5 where Denny Edwards, Bureau president and CEO, spoke on how this new service, found in 28 airports nationwide, will benefit both leisure and business travelers by offering an affordable, convenient and dependable option for round-trip service to hotels in our area.
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Sports
Award
In the January 2009 issue of SportsEvents
Magazine (both the print and online versions), the Greater Raleigh
area and its official destination marketing organization, the Greater
Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau, were recognized as one of the
“Places to Watch in 2009.” Readers of the magazine
were asked to nominate the best sports-friendly destinations and venues
for the magazine’s inaugural “Readers’ Choice Awards.” Along with being
included in the “Places to Watch in 2009,” the Greater Raleigh CVB received
an “Award of Excellence” certificate that recognized
the organization for “exhibiting outstanding professionalism, creativity
and dedication in the sports event planning industry.”
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Big
Bookings
The GRCVB Sports Marketing Department announced
the booking of the Big Rock Sports Annual Dealer Show,
to be held in the Raleigh Convention Center in Januarys for three consecutive
years beginning in 2010. Each Big Rock show will generate more than
7,000 hotel room-nights and $3.1 million in economic impact. The
Great American Cross Country Festival, one of largest and most
prestigious events of its kind in the U.S., will return to WakeMed Soccer
Park in Cary in October 2009. More than 2,500 runners are expected.
This festival will be the first of two major cross country races held
at WakeMed next fall, as the Nike Cross Nationals Southeast
Regionals will take place there during Thanksgiving weekend.
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Rally
in Raleigh!
Today (2/20) is your last chance to register
and join hospitality and tourism leaders from across the state during
the N.C. Governor’s Conference on Hospitality & Tourism’s “Rally in
Raleigh” March 1-3, and take home valuable insights into what’s on tap
in 2009. This year’s theme pays homage to North Carolina’s sporting
heritage, so don your favorite sports team apparel for the opening “Tailgate
Party” and get ready for chalk talk and coaches’ tips from an impressive
lineup of speakers, panelists and topics. To register, Click
here.
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New Board Members
The Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau
gives a special thanks to three outstanding individuals who have helped
positively promote tourism in Wake County by serving on the Bureau’s
Board of Directors. Russ Smith, general manager of Embassy Suites Raleigh-Durham/Research
Triangle, has served on the Board since 2002; Debbie Behnke, account
sales manager for American Airlines and Betsy Bennett, Ph.D., director
of the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences have both served since 2003.
Thank you for your dedication and service throughout your terms!
Incoming members of the Bureau’s Board of Directors include: Phil Zachary,
president and COO of Raleigh-based Curtis Media Group; Bill Gant, general
manager of Renaissance Raleigh North Hills; and, Steven Bauld, senior
vice president of Capital Style Luxury Transportation. These new members
will serve two-year terms.
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Visitors Guide
Hitting the shelves in March, Visit Raleigh,
the Official Visitors Guide to Raleigh, Cary and Wake County, will provide
readers with updated travel information for planning a getaway to the
Raleigh area. This premier resource for making the most of each visit
to North Carolina’s Capital City highlights the many aspects of Raleigh
and its 11 neighboring cities and towns through vivid editorial, detailed
listings and stunning photographs.
The guide is available to all business and leisure travelers across North Carolina through Welcome Centers, Raleigh-Durham International Airport, the Greater Raleigh Visitor Information Center, and most area attractions and hotels or by calling the GRCVB at (919) 834-5900.
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Channel Surfing
Flipping through the channels or the radio dial,
you may just see or hear images that look very familiar. That’s because
the Raleigh area has been the backdrop for numerous national television
and radio programs in the past month. NBC’s “Today”
Show featured downtown Raleigh, filming a segment on Valentine’s Day
and featuring local authors and travel writers Kathy and Fletcher Newbern;
while the Food Network’s Man vs. Food filmed at The
Pit and the Roast Grill. Home Made Simple, a weekly
home improvement program on TLC, is filming its entire season in homes
throughout the Raleigh area, and Bravo’s Top Chef will
be making a stop in Raleigh on its cross-country tour. The nationally
syndicated Travel Show with Erik Hastings on WABC in
New York had Ryan Smith, director of communications, as a guest, and
Lucinda Hughes, a.k.a. the Frugal Socialite, appeared on a travel segment
on WUSA, Washington, D.C.’s ABC affiliate.
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