Author: Karen DeSollar

Karen DeSollar is creative director at the Greater Raleigh CVB and has worked for over 15 years in the tourism sector. She started her career as an editor and earned a bachelor's degree in speech communications and English and a master's in journalism. She added graphic design to her bag of tricks when she spent 13 years as director of communications at a university in San Diego.

GRCVB Debuts New Trade Show Booth

Friday, August 11, 2023, 4pm by Karen DeSollar

We thought you might be interested to see the new trade show booth design that we debuted at the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) Annual Meeting & Exposition in Atlanta the first week of August. The new 10' x 20' booth was a shared project with the co-op partners who...
We’re past the midway point of 2023 and, this year as always, have sent a few of our stable of photographers around the area to capture shots of attractions and hospitality businesses, festivals and events, striking vantages from around the county and much more. Photos in this collection of...
We have been working recently on a project that is unique for us, but we hope will be of value to our partners and to our youngest visitors. GRCVB's marketing staff recently teamed with Beeloo, a company with local ties that creates free printables for kids. There are hundreds of options...

George Hage and the VIC Windows

Friday, March 18, 2022, 12pm by Karen DeSollar

If you haven't visited the official Visitor Information Center (VIC) in downtown Raleigh recently, stop by and take a look. The walls are sporting a vibrant red which gives the space a new energy. Kessa Stevens, CGSP ® , GRCVB's VIC manager, is on hand to answer questions and provide...

Jump Back In

Friday, March 11, 2022, 12pm by Karen DeSollar

It's as if we were prescient. About two and a half years ago at this time, we in GRCVB's Marketing Department had started working with our advertising and creative agency, Avenir Bold, to develop a new theme for destination advertising and promotion. We were looking for an idea and...
One of the best parts of my job at GRCVB is curating the Bureau's photo collection. Earlier in 2021, we told you about Visit Raleigh Studio, our online asset library that is available to any of our area hospitality partners and stakeholders. (If you would like to create an account at the...

Still Saying Thanks

Thursday, November 19, 2020, 12pm by Karen DeSollar

About this time every year (at least for the last three years), we have published a “Reasons to be Thankful for Visitors” Tourism Talk blog. (It is the season, after all.) In 2019, we noted 700+ reasons to be grateful for visitors and what they bring to Wake County. Within that number...