Administration

• Worked with RDU International Airport to secure three new international airlines/flights, which include Lufthansa from Frankfurt, Copa Airlines from Panama City and Aeromexico from Mexico City. As a result, RDU now serves 10 international destinations and 69 nonstop cities on 18 airlines.
• Successfully hosted the EsportsTravel Summit, which welcomed over 300 esports event organizers from around the world.
• Worked with the City of Raleigh and Wake County to fund four priority projects included in the Destination Strategic Plan using interlocal funds, including $300 million for enhancements to the arena, $75 million to help support construction of a new 550-room Omni Hotel, $387.5 million for a new outdoor amphitheater and expansion of the Raleigh Convention Center and $75 million for a new indoor sports complex in Cary.
• Worked closely with the N.C. Restaurant and Lodging Association to create and execute a workforce development plan utilizing $5 million allocated from the general assembly. The campaign ran Oct. 2023-May 2024 and generated 187 million impressions, 2.7 million clicks and 687,084 applications for hotels and restaurants statewide.
• Successfully negotiated a long-term office lease in a new location, which involved major upgrades, enhancements and new fixtures and furniture.
• With the assistance of the Destination Data and Technology Department, launched a new enterprise resource planning system, NetSuite, which consolidated purchasing, accounts payable, expense reporting and financial statement reporting within one system.

Staff leadership

Encouraged and supported staff in taking community and industry leadership positions. As a result, GRCVB staff serves on 77 community and industry committees or boards locally, statewide and nationally.
 

Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI)

Created numerous opportunities for staff to become involved with and understand the importance of DEI. These opportunities included staff attendance at several local DEI-related events, hearing from DEI-focused speakers at staff meetings and education through The Diversity Movement. GRCVB also participated in a Destinations International organizational assessment of DEI best practices.
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Awards and honors

• GRCVB received the Meetings Today Best Of Award in the Best South CVBs/DMOs category (the award is given to the top CVBs in North America)
• The 2023 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series™ and the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance (GRSA) received the 2023 Champions of Economic Impact in Sports Tourism Award from Sports Destination Management magazine
• Malinda Harrell, CMP Fellow, CASE, was named a 2023 Catalyst Award Winner in the Amplitude Award category by Smart Meetings (this award celebrates the exceptionalism of supplier-partners who advance the entire industry, their communities and the individual meetings that come into their gravitational pull)
• GRCVB received a 2023 Convention South Annual Readers’ Choice Award as one of the top CVBs in the South
• Selected as a 2023 Smart Meetings Platinum Choice Award winner (the readers selected us as a CVB that exhibits the highest standards and amenities and has a commitment to excellence)
• Won four N.C. Travel Industry Association Achievement Awards at the Tourism Leadership Conference:
  • Best in Show for the “Jump In” campaign overall (this is one of the overall, major awards based on all submissions in every category—a big honor!)
  • Platinum for our “Jump In” leisure campaign video advertising in the "Leisure Marketing" category
  • Platinum for hosting and servicing of the NHL Stadium Series in the "Group Visitors" category 
  • Gold for our “Jump In” meetings and conventions campaign in the "Convention Marketing" category

• Loretta Yingling earned the Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) Fellow Designation (the purpose of the CMP Fellows Program is to recognize tenured CMPs who have made significant advancements in their careers, as well as significant contributions through service and education to the meetings and events industry)
• Regional sales manager Kathryn Short was selected as one of the 2024 Top Young Professionals by the Society of Government Meeting Professionals (SGMP)
• Hailey Post was selected by Destinations International as one of 30 destination marketing organization thought leaders under the age of 30 (Destinations International selects 30 under-30 thought leaders annually to gain valuable industry networking opportunities and increased professional development throughout the year)
• A recent report by PLAYHRDR Advisors concluded that Raleigh is among the top five destinations in the U.S. for hosting esports events
• GRSA was one of four finalists for the 2024 Sports Tourism Organization of the Year recognition at the recent Sports ETA Symposium
• GRCVB received the Corporate & Incentive Travel magazine Award of Excellence (meeting planners selected the CVB that best served their meeting needs)
• Nominated for the North America’s Leading City Destination Award as part of the World Travel Awards along with Chicago, New York, Orlando, Seattle, Las Vegas, Miami, New Orleans and Vancouver
• Won a Silver Telly Award in the “Non-Broadcast-Sports” category for our "Greater Raleigh: A Premier Sports Destination" video