Leadership and Outreach • Bureau staff partnered with Raleigh Convention Center Staff to develop a comprehensive marketing plan and budget to promote business for the new convention center. The Raleigh City Council and Wake County Commissioners agreed to spend up to $200 million on the project due to open Spring 2008. • Scott Dupree chairs the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance, a coalition of 20 local sports business officials who take a leadership role in developing strategy and long-term plans for sports development, and was recently elected to a three-year board term for the National Association of Sports Commissions. • Dave Heinl is on the Board of Directors of the North Carolina Travel and Tourism Coalition, the North Carolina Travel Industry Association, the Capitol City Club Board of Directors and the North Carolina Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus. Heinl also participates on the Chamber of Commerce Leadership Roundtable and the Chamber of Commerce Leadership Dinners. • Dave Heinl and Shawn Braden serve on various committees of NCACVB, while Martin Armes assists with the public relations activities of the organization. Among their contributions was a Time Warner Television partnership. • As co-chair of the North Carolina Golf Marketing Alliance, Martin Armes organized the 5th Annual North Carolina Golf Challenge that brought 25 top-notch travel journalists and tour operators to the area for the U.S. Open. The four previous events generated more than $600,000 of editorial exposure about North Carolina golf and various destinations like Greater Raleigh. • Heidi Walters serves as president of the MPI-Carolinas Chapter as well as being a member of AENC Annual Meeting Task Force, member of the NC TIA board and hospitality chair for the MPI Professional Education Conference coming to Charlotte in January 2006. Walters has been elected to the AENC Board of Directors for 2005 - 2006. • Shawn Braden conducted seasonal presentations to Capital Area Visitors Center, NC Welcome Centers, Wake County Chambers of Commerce, RDU International Airport Volunteer Ambassadors, Raleigh museums staff, Crabtree Valley Mall and Triangle Town Center Volunteers and the NC Military Bases to build alliances that can support bureau promotions financially or through in-kind support, and to educate visitor service area representatives on leisure promotions and how to sell them. • The Conference Table, an executive advocacy group for the visitor sector of our economy, met four times at unique venues with topical speakers. • Approximately 400 people attended the July 2005 Annual Luncheon where recognition was given to local leaders in the hospitality industry, an annual report distributed and comments delivered by John K. Smith, retired general manager of the Georgia World Congress Center. • GRCVB participated in a special National Tourism Day event in May in cooperation with the N.C. Division of Tourism, Film and Sports Development and NASCAR with a booth at the NASCAR Nextel Cup. • The Bureau's Board of Directors held its board meeting in three different municipalities during this fiscal year to maintain strong outreach to all areas.
|