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...
One
Year of Free Rides | On
the Road | Doughnut
Delight | Volleyball
Takeover | Awards
Season | Area
Awards | Raleigh
Right Now
One Year of Free Rides
The R-LINE, a FREE circulator service connecting downtown Raleigh’s five
entertainment districts, including Glenwood South, Capital District, Warehouse District, Fayetteville Street and the Warehouse District, celebrates one year of service this month. The service allows 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. At last count more than 150,000 people have ridden the R-LINE!
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On the Road
Ryan Smith traveled to New York City for a media event hosted by the
N.C. Division of Tourism. The event, held at the MPE Penthouse, was
attended by more than 35 print, online, television and radio journalists.
While in NYC, Smith held individual desk-side visits with numerous freelance
journalists and national publications such as: Saveur, Country Living,
Successful Meetings and Facilities & Destinations. Jana
Rae Oliver and sales staff from the Raleigh Convention Center and the
Raleigh Marriott City Center attended the 58th annual Religious Conference
Management Association tradeshow in Fort Worth, Texas. More than 400
meeting planners attended the event.
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Doughnut Delight
Quiz: How many doughnuts did the Krispy Kreme Challenge use? The answer: 72,000 – that’s a dozen doughnuts for each of the record-breaking 6,000 participants. One of Raleigh’s most unique and popular events has participants running two miles from the N.C. State campus (at the Bell Tower on Hillsborough Street) to the Krispy Kreme store on Peace Street, attempting to eat a dozen doughnuts, then racing the two miles back to campus... while not “losing” any doughnuts along the way. This event has experienced incredible growth since its inception in 2005, and it has been a magnet for national media coverage, having been featured on ESPN, espn.com, CNN, Sports Illustrated, Southern Living and Keith Olbermann’s “Countdown” on MSNBC. All proceeds from the Krispy Kreme Challenge benefit the N.C. Children’s Hospital. The Greater Raleigh CVB is an official event sponsor.
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Volleyball Takeover
While doughnuts were the theme of the day in West Raleigh on February 6, volleyballs were the center of attention in downtown Raleigh. That’s because the Mid-Atlantic Power League (MAPL) Volleyball Tournament was held at the Raleigh Convention Center. Hosted by the Triangle Volleyball Club, the tournament welcomed 96 teams, most of them traveling to Raleigh from Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, South Carolina and Georgia. The event generated more than 1,100 hotel room-nights and more than $330,000 in direct visitor spending. This is MAPL’s second year in Raleigh, and it has grown significantly, nearly doubling in size. Last year’s tournament needed 12 courts for 51 teams.
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Awards Season
The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) recognized the GRCVB with a Bronze Award for the Official Visitors Guide to Raleigh, Cary and Wake County in the 53rd annual Adrian Awards Competition. This is the second time the Bureau has won an Adrian Award—the first being in 2007 for the French Experience campaign in conjunction with the N.C. Museum of Art’s Monet in Normandy exhibition. SportsEvents Magazine (January 2010 issue) named the Greater Raleigh CVB as one of the “Places to Watch” in 2010 in its annual Reader’s Choice Awards. The magazine described the winners as “the best of the sports-friendly destinations and venues.” There were a total of 56 winners (CVBs, sports commissions, destinations, venues, etc.) ... but Greater Raleigh CVB was the only winner from the state of North Carolina. Congratulations to the entire GRCVB Sports Marketing team!
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Area Awards
It isn’t just the GRCVB winning awards; area restaurants are receiving high praise in the state and nation as well. Congratulations to the Angus Barn, which was chosen by Nation’s Restaurant News as one of 50 All-American Icon restaurants around the country that “stole our hearts and stood the test of time.” Opentable.com named Rey’s Restaurant as one of the Top 50 Most Romantic Restaurants in America, and Busy Bee Café was named one of America’s Top 150 Beer Bars by DRAFT Magazine. Also congratulations to Brad Hurley of 42nd Street Oyster Bar for receiving the Griff and June Glover Award for Distinguished Service during the 2010 NCRLA Taste of Carolina Awards Banquet. Finally, the Wake Forest Downtown Revitalization Corporation was recognized for its excellence and received top honors in the 2009 N.C. Main Street Awards competition. Kudos to all of our area hospitality partners!
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Raleigh Right Now
Several Raleigh area businesses were featured
in an article titled "Raleigh Right Now" in the February issue
of Southern Living. Stitch, Boylan Bridge Brewpub, Yates Mill
Historic County Park, the Krispy Kreme Challenge and Escazu Artisanal
Chocolates were all highlighted. In other media news, the Raleigh Convention
Center’s Silver LEED Certification was featured in the January print
and online editions of Meetings South magazine.
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Luggage photo courtesy Flickr Creative Commons/nhanusek
Krispy Kreme photo courtesy Flickr Creative Commons/barbara.keyworth
Busy Bee photo courtesy Flickr Creative Commons/digitalpapercuts
