Downtown Raleigh Meeting District
Anchored by the LEED Silver-certified, 500,000-square-foot Raleigh Convention Center, the downtown Raleigh meeting district is full of energy and vibrant, Southern culture. Major meeting hotels and other unique meeting spaces sit just steps from James Beard Award-winning restaurants, rooftop bars and underground cocktail spots, performing arts productions and retail storefronts that are home to local makers.
Downtown Raleigh's Sip n' Stroll Downtown social district
Visitors to downtown Raleigh can drink beer, wine or cocktails as they walk through a defined area of downtown Raleigh, seven days a week from 10am-10pm! See the district boundaries and participating businesses (and their level of participation) here!
Convention campus
Five major meeting properties—Raleigh Marriott City Center (400 rooms), Sheraton Raleigh Hotel (353 rooms), Homewood Suites by Hilton Raleigh Downtown (134 rooms), Tempo by Hilton Raleigh Downtown (127 rooms) and the Residence Inn Raleigh Downtown (175 rooms)—sit on the convention campus with the Raleigh Convention Center and provide meeting planners and attendees with convenient, modern and upscale accommodations. Raleigh’s cutting-edge Southern cuisine, handcrafted brews and spirits, toe-tapping music and warm, friendly welcomes—all cultivated by smart and savvy locals—create an energizing combination promising to elevate the experience of meeting delegates and help meetings and conventions thrive.
Since opening in Sept. 2008, the Raleigh Convention Center has been a remarkable resource for groups from 5 to 100,000. The... View More
Located in the center of Raleigh's revitalized downtown and connected to the Raleigh Convention Center, the hotel boasts 400... View More
Located in the heart of downtown Raleigh, within walking distance to over 40 restaurants, nightlife, the State Capitol, museums,... View More
Make yourself right at home. Homewood Suites studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom suites offer distinct spaces designed to flex to... View More
Relax and recharge in The Tempo by Hilton Wellness Rooms with Peloton. Designed with everything you need to power up, prep for... View More
Residence Inn by Marriott® Raleigh Downtown is proud to be a Silver LEED Certified hotel which provides the ideal place to stay... View More
Another major meeting facility and meeting hotel
The Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts—where the North Carolina Symphony, Carolina Ballet and others arts groups wow crowds—is another venue where you can you let your imagination run wild. Four unique spaces, totaling 80,000-square-feet of versatile meeting space, sit at the southern end of downtown.
And another meeting hotel: The 126-room Hampton Inn and Suites Raleigh Downtown/Glenwood South sits in the heart of what many consider Raleigh’s trendiest entertainment district, Glenwood South, burgeoning with an eclectic mix of restaurants and bars, a group that includes the world-record-setting Raleigh Beer Garden (a unique meeting venue of its own with space for up to 2,000 people).
Unique meeting sites galore
Downtown Raleigh has more than 50 unique meeting sites for off-site events, receptions, engagements and more, ranging from museums to live music venues to award winning chefs' restaurants to historic buildings full of stories and personality.
Have a group that’s into museums and such? Combine your meeting with sightseeing at downtown museums: North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, where dancing among dinosaurs and meeting among whales is a reality; and Marbles Kids Museum, boasting 84,000 square feet of interactive meeting space that can be setup to be as playful as you’d like.
Dining and drinks
Looking for eats and drinks? For starters, check out Poole’s Diner (from James Beard Award winner chef Ashley Christensen, who also owns Beasley’s Chicken + Honey, Death & Taxes and Fox Liquor Bar in downtown Raleigh). Don’t forget about the previously-mentioned Raleigh Beer Garden (a Guinness World Record 350+ beers on tap), as well as Watts & Ward, an underground speakeasy teeming with a 1920s feel. The Pit, serving an elevated version of whole-hog barbecue, is perfect for groups, and those looking for local beer will want to swing by Crank Arm Brewing, just a short walk from the convention center, or other breweries downtown.
Downtown Raleigh is where world-class museums, Southern diners, outdoor green spaces, performing arts and live music venues, breweries and underground cocktail spots all mesh together to create one incredible cultural hotspot. With ample parking in and around downtown, plus so many extracurricular amenities at the fingertips of your attendees, hosting events in downtown Raleigh is a home run for everyone involved.