Visit Raleigh Reaffirms Its Commitment to Position Greater Raleigh as a Regional Partner

Raleigh, N.C. (July 29, 2024) – History was made last Tuesday when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) voted unanimously to create the Olympic Esports Games during its 142nd Session in Paris, France. The first edition of these global video game competitions will be held in 2025 in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Work will begin immediately on selecting a city and venue for the inaugural edition of the Olympic Esports Games, the specific timing of the event, game titles included, the player qualification process and further details. The Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau (Visit Raleigh) and the Greater Raleigh Esports Local Organizing Committee (GRELOC) are committed to positioning Greater Raleigh as a leading candidate for any future Olympic Esports Games initiatives envisioned for the United States.

“We are thrilled by the IOC’s unanimous vote and commitment to incorporating esports into the Olympic brand, its values and global awareness,” said Loren Gold, executive vice president of Visit Raleigh. “Being globally recognized as a top five global esports event host destination by a recent industry study, we have already started facilitating the necessary conversations with worldwide industry leaders involved with these initiatives. We are already a trusted host destination for Olympic-bound athletes, and we are committed to further leveraging our leadership position and network in the global esports industry to present Greater Raleigh as a premier partner for hosting related esports initiatives that represent our nation.”

According to a recent statement, the IOC will create a new dedicated structure to address the specific nature of the Olympic Esports Games and will take a different approach to the financing and organization of these Games. The IOC emphasized that international federations that have already engaged in an e-version of their sport considered for inclusion in the Olympic Esports Games will be the IOC’s first go-to partners. The same will be true for National Olympic Committees that already include esports in their activities.

North Carolina is the first and only state to offer a specific financial incentive to major esports event producers, domestic and foreign. The Esports Incentive Grant Fund, championed by Rep. Jason Saine, was incorporated into the State’s budget by Governor Roy Cooper in November 2021 and has immediately proven to be economically impactful by attracting events to the state from all corners of our region and the world. These major esports events have supported hundreds of jobs and injected millions of dollars into the local and state economies. Global esports event producers have spoken highly of the financial incentive, along with the professionalism of the esports representatives of Greater Raleigh and the state of North Carolina.

“Greater Raleigh is in a respected position to further develop esports on a local, regional, national and international scale,” said Ed Tomasi, co-chair of the Greater Raleigh Esports Local Organizing Committee. “Our continued commitment to develop and support a strategy for hosting esports events and activities has earned Greater Raleigh (and North Carolina) the respect and admiration of global industry leaders. We have always been proactive in our approach and believe our efforts to position Greater Raleigh for future Olympic Esports Games initiatives in the United States will benefit our community, state and country in many ways.”

 

About the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau (Visit Raleigh):
As the official destination marketing organization for Wake County, the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau (Visit Raleigh), is responsible for promoting Wake County as an attractive travel destination and enhancing its public image as a dynamic place to live and work. Through the impact of travel, the organization strengthens the economic position of and provides opportunity for people throughout Wake County. Raleigh, N.C./Wake County welcomes nearly 18 million visitors annually whose spending tops $3 billion. The visitor economy supports over 24,500 local jobs in Wake County and generates $287 million in state and local tax revenues, saving each Wake County household $601 in taxes annually. visitRaleigh.com

About the Greater Raleigh Esports Local Organizing Committee (GRELOC):
The Greater Raleigh Esports Local Organizing Committee (GRELOC) is made up of the City of Raleigh, the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau (Visit Raleigh), the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance (GRSA) and PLAYHRDR Advisors. With esports and gaming being strong fabrics of our local community for decades, the LOC is dedicated to attracting local and global competitive video gaming events to the Greater Raleigh area. In addition to promoting Raleigh’s many world-class, esports-ready facilities and modern infrastructure, the LOC is positioned to offer leagues, publishers, event organizers and communities that host their events in the Greater Raleigh area with operational, promotional and measured economic support.

Media Contact:
Visit Raleigh
Jessica Holt
Director of Public Relations and International Tourism
jholt@visitRaleigh.com

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