Welcome...to
the September 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 October edition of Pulse,
please contact Ryan Smith at rsmith@visitRaleigh.com
In this issue...
Bright
Ideas! | We
Couldn’t Do It Without You |Movers
and Shakers | First
25 Winners Chosen | Raleigh
Convention Center Celebrates One Year | Potpourri
Bright
Ideas!
More than 400 local hospitality partners
walked away with a few “Bright Ideas” after the Bureau’s Annual Meeting
held at the Raleigh Convention Center. The event followed a new format
offering breakout strategy sessions prior to the luncheon on topics
ranging from “Maximizing Your Media Exposure” to “What Planners are
Looking For.” The luncheon focused on the “Outlook of Travel and Tourism”
with a panel of experts discussing hotel, airline and North Carolina
tourism’s current situation and opportunities for future growth.
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We
Couldn’t Do It Without You
The Bureau handed out four annual awards to leaders
in Wake County tourism. Harvey Schmitt, president and CEO of the Greater
Raleigh Chamber of Commerce was awarded the John B. Ross Jr. Leadership
Award, while Dr. Steve Scott accepted the Thad Eure Jr. Memorial Award
for Wake Technical Community College. The Isaac Hunter Award, which
recognizes excellence in customer service, was given to Latonya Williams
of the Hilton North Raleigh and Quentin Blaise of Saint Jacques French
Cuisine. Steve Popson of the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences took home
the Horizon Award, a recognition of future leadership potential in the
tourism industry.
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ADVERTISEMENT:
Help The V Foundation Be Number 1
The V Foundation is in the running to receive $10,000 and we need your help! Christie Cookies is having a “$25,000 Charity Giveaway Contest.” The charity with the most votes receives $10,000. To vote is easy: Go to ilovechristiecookies.com and click on The V Foundation. The contest ends October 15; please vote today.
The V Foundation for Cancer Research was founded in 1993 by ESPN and the late Jim Valvano, legendary North Carolina State basketball coach and ESPN commentator. Since 1993, The Foundation has raised more than $90 million to fund cancer research grants nationwide. It awards 100 percent of all new direct cash donations and net proceeds of events directly to cancer research and related programs.
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Movers
and Shakers
Denny Edwards has been named one of Business Leader Magazine’s 2009 Movers and Shakers. This annual award recognizes business leaders in the Raleigh area with a ceremony to be held September 21. Well deserved, Denny! The Bureau’s Marketing and IT departments can add another trophy to the case with a designation of Outstanding Achievement in Web Development and a Travel Standard of Excellence WebAward from the Web Marketing Association.
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First
25 Winners Chosen
Bureau staff isn’t the only big winner. The first
25 “Get Off Your County Seat” sweepstakes winners were chosen and have
received a personalized weekend getaway to the Raleigh area complete
with accommodations, dining vouchers, event tickets and more. Winners
were chosen from the following counties: Anson, Brunswick, Buncombe,
Carteret, Craven, Durham, Franklin, Harnett, Haywood, Johnson, Lee,
McDowell, Moore, Onslow, Orange, Polk, Perquimans, Pitt, Randolph, Rockingham,
Rutherford, Surry, Transylvania, Union and Wake. The next set of 25
winners will be chosen in November.
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ADVERTISEMENT:
STS Continuing Education... for the
Tourism Professional
Since the Greater Raleigh CVB is a member of
Southeast Tourism Society, you are invited to attend the STS Professional
Outreach Program (POP) class, complimentary. This program brings timely
information right to your desktop with topics important to your organization’s
success. You can enjoy these classes from the comfort of your own office
by watching the presentation on your computer and listening over your
own phone – without leaving your desk! These classes are complimentary.
Our Next POP Class:
Date: Wednesday, October 7, 2009 at 10:00 AM ET
Subject: Travel Distribution Trends: 2009-2010
Speaker: Douglas Quinby, Senior Director, Research, PhoCusWright
If you are not on the class promotion notification list, please send
an email to darryl@southeasttourism.org and request to be added.
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Raleigh
Convention Center Celebrates One Year
The Raleigh Convention Center celebrates its one-year anniversary with a report that it has exceeded performance projections by 550%. The “Report Card” states that the RCC hosted 46 conventions and an additional 11 conventions with a tradeshow component. Three sporting competitions and 113 additional miscellaneous events ranging from graduations to board meetings made up a total of 273 events at the RCC, an overage of six percent based on original HVS projections. Total attendance for these events exceeded 353,000 people. Fifty-six future conventions are already on the books.
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Potpourri
Shoppers take note – a 109-room Courtyard by Marriott is being built at Triangle Town Center, one of the area’s largest shopping destinations. The hotel is scheduled to open in late 2010. Haven’t had the chance to check out the new Raleigh Convention Center? Explore before you go with a new video clip produced by Triangle Blvd and found at video.visitraleigh.com. RDU’s Terminal 2 continues to expand with the frame almost complete. The project which will add an additional 17 gates and 15 shops and restaurants will be complete in 2011. The N.C. Museum of Art has officially closed until its grand opening in April. The outdoor areas, park and greenways will remain open throughout the construction.
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