Destination 2028 Accomplishments in Fiscal Year 2024–2025

During the 2024-2025 fiscal year (implementation year six for the Wake County Destination Strategic Plan), GRCVB leadership and staff logged many accomplishments across the eight priorities. A summary of strategic recommendations that were gotten underway or were completed last year follows. The planned implementation of recommendations for the fiscal year ahead is also summarized in the Destination 2028 subsection of visitRaleigh.com.

Meetings and Conventions Priority

• GRCVB participated with the City of Raleigh, client focus groups and stakeholder review for the schematic design process for the $387.5 million future Raleigh Convention Center (RCC) expansion and relocation of Red Hat Amphitheater. Final construction design, initial site utility work and final construction timelines to be completed by fall 2025. 
• GRCVB participated with the City of Raleigh and hotel consultant in the final negotiations with Omni Hotels & Resorts to build a 600-room, full-service hotel adjacent to the RCC expansion. Provided interlocal funding for this project, Omni has finalized financing for the project that includes a required City booking agreement between the operator and municipality. Groundbreaking is scheduled for quarter three of fiscal year 2026.
• GRCVB Marketing and Communications Department extended partner engagement around destination assets/CVB resources available to the meeting district remaining in final rotation this year (Cary). (In past fiscal years, other meeting districts were engaged and re-oriented on Bureau resources specific to their areas.) The Sales and Destination Services Departments continued to reaffirm their support for all meeting districts countywide through such initiatives as targeted engagement for our full-service meeting hotels countywide and another district-based See For Yourself FAM Tour (Cary) for front-line staff and any partner interested in learning more about attractions, dining and more nearby meeting hotels.
• Prioritization five-year glide-path goals continue to be met by the GRCVB and RCC sales teams specific to citywide conventions, meetings and competitions.
   

Sports Priority

• Lenovo Center finalized and launched a $300 million, three-year enhancement project that will lead to an additional $800 million mixed-use expansion project encompassing the surrounding arena and Carter-Finley Stadium sites.
• GRCVB/GRSA worked closely with Town of Cary staff on all aspects of The Soccer Tournament (TST) and the inaugural Cary Cup, both as an event sponsor and a host partner. TST’s third year saw record attendance of more than 52,000 at WakeMed Soccer Park.
• GRCVB/GRSA supported North Carolina State University (NCSU) and led the Local Organizing Committee in successfully hosting the 2025 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament First and Second Rounds at Lenovo Center. The event was a smashing success by any measure, generating $16.4 million in direct economic impact and more than 20,800 hotel room-nights, with all six games being televised nationally. Up next: Raleigh and NCSU will host the 2028 NCAA Men’s Basketball East Regional (Sweet 16/Elite Eight), marking the first time that our community will host a Regional at Lenovo Center.
• GRCVB/GRSA has worked in partnership with Visit North Carolina and the N.C. Department of Commerce to successfully host two international esports competitions that received post-event production grants of more than $1 million.
• GRCVB/GRSA provided consistent input on the qualifications and distribution of the Major Events, Games and Attractions Fund from the State of North Carolina’s sports wagering income, authorized by the General Assembly.
• GRCVB/GRSA continued to work with municipalities, the private sector and sports event rights-holders on identifying funding, sites and development of proposed major sports venues throughout Wake County.
   

Events Priority

• GRCVB Signature Event Funds were used to support the return of the Dreamville Music Festival for a fifth year and the launch of the Raleigh Wide Open Music Festival along with bringing the Rocket League Championship Series, an international esports event, to Lenovo Center.
• With a continued focus on signature events for Raleigh and Wake County, the GRCVB began plans to serve on a City of Raleigh music and festival task force to evaluate current special event guidelines and develop strategic plans to attract future signature events.
   

Key Attractors Priority

• GRCVB continues to align with Dorothea Dix Park leadership on the opening of the Gipson Play Plaza, a major Phase 1 milestone, and provides ongoing measurement resources to City of Raleigh Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources for economic impact analysis.
• The North Carolina Museum of History is temporarily closed for three years to go through a major renovation and enhancement of this key attractor. GRCVB continued to communicate with museum leaders on timelines and major development announcements, keeping plans in mind for future communications and promotions about the reopening.
• GRCVB continued to partner with Marbles Kids Museum on their future expansion and enhancement plans for marketing alignment and event curation.
   

Individual Leisure Priority

• GRCVB and contracted ally People-First Tourism (P1t) Inc. continued to scale up the already successful program of prescheduled experiences as well as custom/group bookables, adding to the inventory of supply especially in Apex, Fuquay-Varina, Knightdale, Wake Forest and Wendell.
• GRCVB worked with unique Wake County culinary and retail partners to successfully host an inaugural summit exploring and refining visitor-targeted content and promotions of related experiences as well as reviewing future opportunities for collaboration, growth, media outreach and sustained business growth.
• GRCVB partnered with Travel South and Visit North Carolina in the creation of MICHELIN Guide: American South, a comprehensive guide including Raleigh, Wake County and North Carolina culinary offerings and that will elevate both domestic and international awareness around our top restaurants and culinary talent.
• GRCVB partnered with the N.C. Restaurant and Lodging Association and the N.C. Travel and Tourism Coalition and worked with the State of North Carolina General Assembly to ensure the Visit North Carolina budget maintains or increases its budget allocation.
   

Destination Development Priority

• Worked closely with City of Raleigh and RCC staff on the measurement, positioning and closing of W. South St. to relocate the Red Hat Amphitheater and move the Raleigh Convention Center expansion forward.
• GRCVB Administration Department successfully met with town managers countywide to understand updates to town master plans that may have tourism uses and development opportunities along with updates on the future interlocal RFP process.
   

Regional Demand Drivers Priority

• GRCVB partnered with RDU Airport Authority and Regional Transportation Alliance leaders in successfully launching four additional international nonstop flights to RDU International Airport via Air Canada and BermudAir.
   

Quality of Place Priority

• GRCVB provided input with the Regional Transportation Alliance on several regional transportation initiatives, including tolling of Capital Blvd. and Bus Rapid Transit service to RDU.
• GRCVB refreshed brand strategy will continue to guide and reinforce well-aligned marketing, messaging, content and communication across all Bureau departments, in collaboration with municipalities, key attractions and hospitality partners.
• GRCVB continued to partner with Wake County Parks to promote and align on the overall Wake County Comprehensive Parks, Recreation and Open Space Master Plan and promote new assets such as Beech Bluff County Park, a $26 million, 300-acre park located in the southeast corner of Wake County, adjacent to the towns of Garner and Fuquay-Varina.