Welcome...to the November 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 December edition of Pulse, please contact Ryan Smith at rsmith@visitRaleigh.com

In this issue...
Be part of Pulse | Restaurant Briefs | Ground Breaking | Sports | RDU Opens Terminal 2 | Staff News | Greater Raleigh Awards | ’Tis the Season | City of Lights | SuperShuttle Comes to RDU

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Become a Part of the Greater Raleigh’s Pulse
Pulse, a monthly newsletter designed to inform Wake County’s hospitality community about issues, news and events taking place is offering local businesses the chance to advertise in each issue. The rate for advertorial copy (125 words) and one image is $499 per month. The space reservation deadline is the 15th of the month preceding publication date. For more information, click here.

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Restaurant Briefs
The AAA Four Diamond award-winning Second Empire Restaurant and Tavern has opened for lunch Monday-Friday. Local favorite Bloomsbury Bistro has been renovated, extending the bar and adding several new tables. In celebration of the new look, Chef John Toler is offering for a limited time a three-course menu for $50 per couple. Has your holiday planning begun? If so, Ruth’s Chris Steak House is offering budget-friendly, all-inclusive menus beginning at $50 per person. Flavors from around the globe dominate the culinary scene this month with new restaurants opening throughout Wake County. Brio Tuscan Grill and Flemings Steak House open at Crabtree Valley Mall, while the Urban Food Group opens the Triangle’s only brasserie, Coquette in North Hills, and Mawa’s Taste of Africa serves traditional African cuisine.

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Ground Breaking
It’s official… ground has been broken on the future site of City Plaza in downtown Raleigh. The $14.8 million project will include glass retail pavilions, light towers and water fountains, offering a gathering place for local residents and a space for public concerts and other events. Watch the video

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Sports
Capital City BMX, in partnership with the City of Raleigh and GRCVB, has recently been awarded the 2009 ABA BMX East Coast Nationals Tour Stop. This event will take place August 14-16, 2009, and is expected to bring in more than 2,000 participants and spectators.

Loren Gold, Tori Collins, and Jason Philbeck represented the GRCVB at the recent TEAMS Conference in Pittsburgh, the leading conference and expo in the sports event and travel industry. The GRCVB partnered with other destinations through North Carolina to represent the state as a premiere sports and tourism destination. Information was gathered from personal appointments with more than 75 sports organizations and event rights-holders.

More than 3,800 runners participated in the 2008 City of Oaks Marathon, which took place on November 2. The race started and finished on NC State University’s Centennial Campus, and the course showcased various parts of downtown Raleigh. The event kicked off with the visitRaleigh.com Health and Fitness Expo at McKimmon Center, which showcased fitness products and healthy living tips.

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RDU Officially Opens Phase 1 of New Terminal 2
Raleigh-Durham International Airport's Terminal 2 officially opened for business October 26 when the first flight departed just before 6 a.m. The new terminal features a modern design that guides passengers easily from the curb to the gate. Passenger amenities include a variety of specialty retail shops and restaurants, including local favorites, and a new processing area for international travelers.

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Sponsored message
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The next time your travels take you to the skies know that you can still count on Southwest Airlines to provide high quality air travel at a low fare, with a lot of extra fees. We look forward to seeing you (and your luggage!) onboard very soon. For more details, please visit www.southwest.com/nohiddenfees.

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Staff News
Bureau President and CEO Denny Edwards has been elected to serve on the Professional Convention Management Association Foundation Board of Trustees, beginning in January 2009. Denny also has been appointed to serve on several boards throughout the state, including: East Carolina University Department of Hospitality Management Advisory Board., North Carolina Travel Industry Association Legislative Committee and the Executive Board of the Destination Marketing Association of North Carolina.

Reggi Powell has been promoted to Visitor Center Manager. Reggi and her team of volunteers and part-time staff assisted more than 500 walk-in visitors last month alone.

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Greater Raleigh Awards
Greater Raleigh has been recognized time and again as the best of the best. From where you stay to where you play, our area is home to many award-winning businesses. Cameron Park Inn was honored in the “Best of the Southeast” category by BedandBreakfast.com, the leading online bed and breakfast directory and reservation network worldwide. The Research Triangle Regional Partnership became the first recipient of a new IEDC award for Excellence in Regionalism and Cross-Border Collaboration for organizations serving areas with populations exceeding 200,000. River Ridge now has been rated four and a half stars by Golfers Digest for the past 11 years, and the Triangle Aquatic Center was named one of the Best Indoor Aquatic Facilities in the country by Aquatics International, one of the leading sources for aquatic facility management, products and services.

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’Tis the Season
Register to win a Winter Wonderland Weekend on visitRaleigh.com. The holiday package includes accommodations at an area property, dinner reservations for two, theatre tickets and a shopping spree at an area mall. For more information, or to enter for your chance to win, go to visitRaleigh.com/holidays.

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City of Lights
Dig out your passports! Delta Airlines has announced a direct flight from Raleigh-Durham International Airport to Paris, beginning in June. The flight will take off five days per week and, once in Paris, will connect with over 80 destinations throughout Europe. GRCVB will partner with Delta, the NC Division of Tourism, and other DMOs to aggressively market the service to European visitors. For more information or to book tickets, visit www.rdu.com.

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SuperShuttle International Inc. Comes to Raleigh-Durham International Airport
SuperShuttle International, Inc., has announced it will begin shared-ride van service to/from Raleigh-Durham International Airport and surrounding areas January 3, 2009.

SuperShuttle was granted a contract by the Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority to serve the Research Triangle Region. SuperShuttle is a service that provides customers with a less expensive option than traditional forms of transportation to and from the airport by sharing a ride with other customers in close proximity. Its state-of-the-art GPS mapping system allows SuperShuttle to be the most efficient shared-ride service in the country, serving over 28 airports nationwide. For more information call 919-278-0506 or www.supershuttle.com.

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