Destination Services

Success by the numbers

• Serviced 494 events and sports groups
• Assisted 8,547 visitors in the Visitor Information Center (VIC)
• Fulfilled more than 4,500 visitor information requests
• Delivered nearly 42,000 visitors guides/maps through our delivery service, reaching more than 520 destination partners
• Destination Services staff executed seven attendance promotion activations, 24 planning visits and 43 facilitated pre- and post-conference meetings
• Conducted post-event surveys and received valuable feedback and overall satisfaction from convention and sports event groups; the value of feedback continues to help create even better destination experiences for the future
  • Total surveys sent: 142
  • Surveys received: 26
  • Response rate: 18.3%
  • Event ratings (on a scale of 1-5, 5 being the highest): 4.73 (up 0.8% from last year)
     

Partner engagement

• Hosted second annual Event Service Provider & Venue Summit on June 25, 2025, at Pin Point Indoor Pickleball & Golf, welcoming 71 industry professionals. The summit brought together local suppliers, meeting and sports venue partners and industry veteran panelists—featuring voices from the Raleigh Convention Center, Triangle Rock Club, Attended Events, Triangle Aquatic Center, Spark Photo Booth, House of Swank Clothing Company, Curated Events, The Maxwell, Artspace, Party Reflections and Pin Point—to discuss the current events industry landscape. Attendees engaged in collaborative networking and hands‑on fun, enjoying golf simulator sessions, chipping greens, pickleball matches and casual conversations in the dynamic, sports-focused setting.

• Hosted a See For Yourself Tour in Feb. 2025 showcasing the Cary meeting district, one of five distinct meeting districts in the Raleigh area. This immersive experience was designed for services teams and front-line staff of hotels, venues and attractions, providing them with the information and tools needed to become passionate advocates for the district. Through this tour, participants gained firsthand exposure to the district’s diverse venues and attractions, equipping them to better engage meeting attendees, elevate guest experiences and position Cary as a compelling place to extend stays in. Highlights included visits to Embassy Suites Raleigh-Durham/Research Triangle, The Umstead Hotel and Spa, Fenton and Downtown Cary Park.

• Hosted an Event Service Professionals Association's (ESPA’s) Celebrate Services Day event in recognition of ESPA’s National Celebrate Services Week (July 29-Aug. 2, 2024), gathering event service professionals at Drive Shack Raleigh to celebrate the exceptional work of professionals who “go the extra mile” in the event services industry. The day was filled with engaging activities, including golf skill challenges and opportunities to network and bond with industry peers while enjoying delicious food.​​

• Hosted nine ESPA webinars, live in-office or recorded, for destination customer service and event managers, as well as our internal sales and sports teams. These sessions emphasized ongoing industry education and heightened hospitality awareness of innovative offerings and best practices. Especially popular were "Serving Neurodiverse Attendees: A Guide for Event Professionals" and "Thriving in a Multigenerational Team."
• Continued hosting quarterly meetings with downtown campus hotels convention service and event managers from the Raleigh Convention Center to discuss servicing protocols and practices, planning and logistics for definite arrival groups.
   

More notables

• Coordinated the installation of street-pole "welcome" banners in downtown Raleigh for 32 incoming groups and events, including the International Bluegrass Music Association World of Bluegrass, Dreamville Festival and GalaxyCon Raleigh, as well as customized welcome signage at hotels and venues throughout Wake County.
• Revised the Destination Services Department's "Scope of Services,” outlining service-level resources across Tier 1-4 groups.
• Developed DIY kits alongside the Marketing and Communications Department to enable Tier 3 and 4 groups to easily discover and access event planning and attendance promotion tools offered by the Greater Raleigh CVB. Kits were created for reunion and wedding planners and planners of other small events.
• Hosted an activation at the VIC with Andia's Ice Cream where Destination Services and VIC staff, plus Andia's co-founders Andia and George Xouris, engaged with visitors. Visitors enjoyed Andia's award-winning ice cream, and the event was part of a "Chill Out at the VIC" series, aiming to feature local businesses and attract more foot traffic to the center. Hospitality partners were also invited to stop by and chat with Bureau staff.
• Installed giant wall art at the VIC displaying colorful icons of art, music and culture in Raleigh, N.C.
• Held an activation at Harmony: NC LGBT+ Allied Chamber of Commerce's PrideLife Business Expo at Raleigh Brewing Company, April, 25, 2025, where Greater Raleigh CVB staff engaged with attendees and represented and shared the destination's welcoming spirit.
• Completed minor updates and repairs to desk, cabinets and electronic monitors at the VIC.
• Hired Van Nguyen as a part-time visitor information assistant for the VIC in Jan. 2025.
   

Leadership positions

• International Bluegrass Music Association's Local Organization Committee Volunteer and Community Activation Committees
• ESPA board member (director of destination services Tammy Jeffries, CGSP^®)
• ESPA committees (leadership, planning, education and DEI)
• Meeting Professionals International (MPI) Carolinas Chapter Education Committee
• Women in Sports and Events (WISE) Mentorship Program (destination services manager Katie Clark, CGSP^®)
• MPI Membership Committee (Katie Clark)
• International Association of Venue Managers Local Organizing Committees (Katie Clark)
• NCAA Championship Local Organizing Committee (assistant director of destination and sports services Gray Henderson, CGSP^®, and Katie Clark)
• Raleigh Chamber Young Professionals Network (destination services manager Christina Laskorunsky, CGSP^®)
   

On the road

• Attended the ESPA 2025 Annual Conference in Louisville, Ky. (Jan. 31-Feb. 2). ESPA has been the leading voice for event service professionals across North America, and the gathering united CVB representatives, hotel and convention center managers, planners and students, offering sessions on crisis management, regional collaboration, sustainable events and the value of service roles.
  • Key takeaways:
    • Think regionally: Partnering with neighboring counties allows us to host larger events beyond our destination’s capacity.
    • Celebrate service roles: Our contribution is pivotal to event success—this conference reinforced its significance.
    • Sustainability and corporate social responsibility: Green initiatives were front and center, integrated into both programming and execution.
    • Invest in teams: Attending events like ESPA is vital for professional growth, best‑practice sharing and building industry networks.

• Attended the inspiring and impactful 2025 MPI World Education Congress (WEC) in St. Louis, June 18-20. The event welcomed approximately 1,900 in-person attendees, and the “Let’s Rally!” theme emphasized the resilience and innovation of the meetings and events industry, encouraging professionals to showcase their skills, elevate their thinking and forge meaningful connections. It featured over 113 educational sessions led by 165 speakers while offering attendees the opportunity to earn up to 13 continued education credits.

Certification

• Director of destination services Tammy Jeffries, CGSP^®, received the WEC Certified Meeting Planners Academy Course certification