Key Industry Conferences in Technology, Life Sciences, Cleantech/Smart Grid and Advanced Manufacturing Bring Global Talent and Economic Growth to the Research Triangle

Raleigh, N.C. (January 30, 2025) – Raleigh is an exceptional destination for meetings and conventions, offering numerous attractions, a vibrant food scene, an abundance of parks and outdoor activities, and its reputation as the “Smithsonian of the South” due to its free, world-class museums. Raleigh was also recently ranked the best performing city in the U.S. from an economic growth perspective. However, the city’s primary draw for many key industries is its highly educated and innovative workforce. Raleigh fosters a collaborative environment that bridges local academic institutions, government entities and private entities, creating a hub for innovation and growth.

Several events taking place in February this year highlight Raleigh’s key industry clusters – Cleantech/Smart Grid, Advanced Manufacturing, Technology and Life Sciences – and showcase the substantial developments happening here, demonstrating the continued growth of these sectors. These industry clusters are vital economic drivers and position the region as a hub for cutting-edge advancements and sustainable development.

NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association is a non-profit trade association that provides a unified voice for companies in tower and communications infrastructure construction, service and maintenance sectors. This February, approximately 1,500 of these skilled professionals will gather at the Raleigh Convention Center for the NATE UNITE conference. The event will feature committee meetings, educational sessions, networking opportunities and a 5K fun run. Communications infrastructure is integral to many of Raleigh’s key industries. NATE continuously monitors emerging technologies and sustainability; communications infrastructure contractors take part in advanced manufacturing and make almost all technology possible. Returning to Raleigh after five years, the conference highlights the region’s continuous growth and the increasing demand for skilled infrastructure technologists in the workforce.

The Research Triangle Region, encompassing Raleigh, is home to leading technological companies such as IBM, Lenovo and Red Hat. The area is also developing a robust Financial Technology, or “Fintech”, ecosystem driven by its proximity to the Research Triangle and major banking hubs like Charlotte and New York. Durham-based Avalara, a leading provider of cloud-based tax compliance automation, will host both its annual company meeting and sales kickoff in Raleigh, providing educational opportunities for its global workforce, including hundreds of local professionals from the Triangle area who will be in attendance.

Raleigh will also soon host the 28th Annual Quantum Information Processing (QIP) Conference organized by Raleigh’s own NC State University Quantum Initiative and the Duke Quantum Center. This prestigious event will attract 1,000 global attendees to present and discuss cutting-edge research in quantum information processing. Previous QIP conferences have taken place in renowned locations such as Taiwan, Belgium, Germany and China. Raleigh’s highly educated workforce and NC State’s strong connections with local technology giants make it an ideal host city for this event.

Raleigh is strategically positioned within one of the world’s largest life sciences clusters, which includes over 600 companies and more than 38,000 skilled professionals. The International Society of Pharmaceutical Engineers (ISPE) Carolina-South Atlantic Chapter Tech Show is set to bring 2,800 attendees to Raleigh this February. The event, which grows in attendance every year in Raleigh, will feature professionals, students and emerging leaders in the life sciences field, showcasing the area’s depth of talent and innovation.

This February, Raleigh’s key industry clusters will shine through a series of conferences, collectively generating an estimated economic impact of over $5.7 million. These events underscore why Raleigh’s reputation extends beyond being a great place to visit – it is also a thriving hub for learning, working and advancing towards a brighter future.
 

About the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau (Visit Raleigh):
As the official destination marketing organization for Wake County, 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 industry and community's economic position and provides opportunities for people throughout Wake County. Raleigh, N.C./Wake County welcomes 18.5 million visitors annually, whose spending tops $3.2 billion. The visitor economy supports nearly 26,000 local jobs in Wake County and generates $307 million in state and local tax revenues, saving each Wake County household $712 in taxes annually. visitRaleigh.com

Media Contact:
Visit Raleigh
Veronica Clark
Public Relations Manager
919.819.8292
vclark@visitraleigh.com

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