NHL All-Star Weekend a Huge Win for Raleigh Area
Wednesday, February 02, 2011, 7pm
NHL All-Star Weekend a Huge Win for Raleigh Area
Area proves why hospitality and customer service are a winning combination
RALEIGH (February 3, 2011) -- The NHL All-Star Weekend (Jan. 28-30) has come and gone, but the
Raleigh area has proven that it was the undisputed MVP of a weekend that welcomed more than
130,000 fans and spectators, not to mention more than 320 members of national and international
media, to North Carolina's Capital City.
Venues throughout Raleigh, including the Raleigh Convention Center (RCC), Raleigh Amphitheater,
Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts, City Plaza and the RBC Center worked in perfect
harmony to feature an "all-star" line-up of free and ticketed events. The Raleigh Convention Center was
the epicenter of the weekend hosting NHL Fan Fair, a 150,000-square-foot hockey fan festival complete
with interactive games and attractions, special appearances and dozens of other dynamic activities;
while the adjacent Downtown Raleigh Amphitheater and City Plaza entertained thousands with free
concerts, family-friendly entertainment, food and ice skating during NHL All-Star Wide Open.
"The Raleigh Convention Center has always been about great meetings AND even more," says RCC
Director of Marketing Laurie Okun. "When customers come, we offer the possibility of expanded events
into our dynamic downtown -from our new public square to our new amphitheater to the famed
Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts."
"It isn't just area venues that deserve credit for pulling off an event of this magnitude," said Denny
Edwards, president and CEO of the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau. "The entire Wake
County hospitality community, from transportation operators to our area's hotels, restaurants and
numerous volunteers, approached this weekend with an enthusiasm that didn't go unnoticed."
Here's a sample of the praise the Raleigh area received on hosting the NHL All-Star Weekend and
Game.
"Broadcasters, players and fans hadn't even left Wake County before they began piling praise on the
community's hospitality, with kind words for everything from the Fan Fair in the Raleigh Convention
Center to the atmosphere on downtown streets and the boisterous crowds inside and out of the arena."
News & Observer
"The NHL All Star game wraps up a weekend of events that has proven Raleigh should no longer get
unfairly labeled a "non-traditional" market. ... Overall, from a personal standpoint, this weekend has
been a massive success." 1040 Radio Tampa Bay
"I've been going to All-Star Games since 1990 and this is the best weekend I've ever attended. A big
reason why - not just the players on both teams, not just the NHL and their great ideas, it is because the
people of North Carolina and the City of Raleigh and the great corporate communication they had all
over." The Sports Network (TSN)
"Raleigh will go down as the biggest star of NHL's All-Star Weekend - three weeks from now you likely
will have not the faintest idea who played for the eponymous teams -- the clear winner was Raleigh."
Sports Illustrated Online
"This All-Star Game was a great one. The game was great because of the genuinely friendly people here,
and the first-class way the event has been presented by all involved. I know I sound like a member of the Raleigh Chamber of Commerce here, but it's true: Raleigh is officially a real hockey town now in my
book." Versus
"The city is a buzz of activity, and the NHL is front and center. There are All Star billboards and banners
everywhere you turn, and the convention center looks impressive ... from the customs officer at the
airport yesterday, to the shuttle bus driver, to the hotel's check-in staff - everyone wants to talk hockey
here! The city is excited and so is the NHL staff." ESPN America
The Raleigh area has a commitment to sustainability, and hosting an event like the NHL All-Star
Weekend proved that no matter the size of event, staying environmentally-friendly remains a
priority and that it can be accomplished successfully.
As part of its multi-faceted sustainability initiative NHL Green, the National Hockey League partnered
with the Carolina Hurricanes, the City of Raleigh, the Natural Resources Defense Council, Rock and Wrap
It Up! and North Carolina State University to minimize the environmental impact from the various All-
Star Weekend festivities. The RBC Center, site of the NHL All-Star Game, maintained its green recycling
practices, at All-Star Wide Open sustainability booths were set up and unused concessions throughout
various events during NHL All-Star Weekend were donated to the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle.