| Weekly e-newsletter for VisitNC partners | February 20, 2019 |
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| IN THIS ISSUE: * Visit NC 365 promises intriguing break-out sessions
* N.C. golf promoted at Toronto show, golf radio * N.C. hotels, restaurants sparkle with AAA Diamonds
learn about travel to N.C.
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Visit NC 365 promises intriguing break-out sessions The schedule for this year's Visit NC 365 Conferenceis packed with exciting speakers, including the Aesthetics of Joy website founder, author and speaker Ingrid Fetell Lee. Lee kicks off the conference Monday morning, offering fascinating insights on finding joy. Following the annual Visit NC Winners Circle Awards Luncheon, there are back-to-back concurrent sessions exploring industry-interest topics, including Insider tips from Visitor Services; Maximizing Festivals; Event Impact Studies; a Look at the Forces shaping the N.C. Lodging Industry; How Music Builds Community and Boosts Cultural Tourism, with the N.C. Dept. of Natural & Cultural Resources and Come Hear NC; Crafting Your Message with Social and PR in mind; General Data Protection Regulation; and a look into how Location Managers choose sites for films.
This year's Visit NC 365 Conference is March 31-April 2 in Wilmington. The conference brings together more than 500 members of the tourism industry to discuss the latest trends and issues facing the industry and hear insights from other tourism industry professionals. Find out more details, including a schedule of events, at visitnc365.com. Register now through March 14 with a rate of $499/person. Tell Visit NC you've registered by tagging it using hashtag #VisitNC365 on Twitter @NCTourism and Facebook @NCarolinaTourism. For more information on the conference, contact Dana Grimstead at (919) 447-7761. Sponsorship opportunities are also available; to learn more, click here. |
N.C. golf promoted at Toronto golf show, golf radio
Earlier this year, Visit NC hosted a Canadian golf familiarization trip to Greensboro, Pinehurst, Sanford and Brunswick County. It was escorted by Foreword Business Consulting President and golf specialist Brad Kozak. Having been a long-time resident and fan of N.C. golf courses, Kozak escorted the fam. As a result, he promoted two new golf packages at the Toronto Golf & Travel Show earlier this month, distributing more than 200 package flyers. Kozak was also interviewed for a TSN radio segment, where he promoted North Carolina as a great spring golf destination for Canadians. The interview aired on Golf Talk Canada, the only national golf radio show in the country. |
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N.C. hotels, restaurants sparkle with AAA Diamonds
AAA has announced its 2019 Five and Four Diamond Award winners for Hotels and Restaurants. In North Carolina, Five Diamond Hotels are The Umstead Hotel in Cary, The Ritz-Carlton in Charlotte and the Fearrington House Inn in Pittsboro. Five Diamond hotels represent just 0.4 percent of the more than 27,000 AAA Inspected & Approved and Diamond Rated hotels Four Diamond Hotels include Asheville's 1889 WhiteGate Inn & Cottage, 1900 Inn on Montford, Abbington Green Bed & Breakfast, Albemarle Inn, Biltmore Village Inn, Grand Bohemian Hotel Asheville, Hilton Asheville Biltmore Park, The Inn on Biltmore Estate, and The Omni Grove Park Inn; Cashier's Innisfree Inn By-The-Lake; Chapel Hill's The Carolina Inn and The Siena Hotel; Charlotte's Marriott SouthPark, Kimpton Tryon Park, Omni Charlotte, Renaissance Charlotte SouthPark, The Ballantyne, and The Duke Mansion Historic Inn & Meeting Place; Duck's Sanderling Resort; Durham's 21c Museum Hotel, Arrowhead Inn Bed & Breakfast, JB Duke Hotel, The King's Daughters Inn, and The Washington Duke Inn; Greensboro's Grandover Resort, O. Henry Hotel and Proximity Hotel; Pinehurst's The Carolina Hotel and The Holly Inn; Raleigh's Renaissance Raleigh North Hills; Wilmington's Graystone Inn and The Verandas; and Winston-Salem's Kimpton Cardinal Hotel. In North Carolina, Five Diamond Restaurants are Heron's at The Umstead Hotel in Cary and the Fearrington House Restaurant in Pittsboro. 2019 Five Diamond Award restaurant list makes up just 0.2 percent of the nearly 32,000 AAA Inspected & Approved restaurants across the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. Four Diamond Restaurants include Asheville's Vue 1913; Boone's Gamekeeper Restaurant & Bar; Chapel Hill's Carolina Crossroads Restaurant and Bar and Il Palio Ristorante; Charlotte's McNinch House; Duck's Kimball's Kitchen; Durham's Fairview Dining Room; Gibsonville's Saint Jacques at the Burke Manor; Kinston's Chef and The Farmer; Pinehurst's 1895 Grille; Raleigh's Second Empire Restaurant & Tavern; and Wilmington's Manna. |
The value of a sustainability assessment
If a business hasn't had an environmental sustainability assessment, or if it has been a good while since it had one, it may be surprised at how much that business can save both the environment and the business' bank account by performing one right away. This can be done without sacrificing customer comfort either. The facility can save money on material costs and labor simply by knowing where to look for savings. For instance, selecting the right-sized trash containers and liners can reduce costs. Some offices have eliminated desk-side trash cans and have opted to install one communal receptacle in the office, which helps save money on liners and labor costs. Talking to employees about material and energy use is essential. These are the people who know what is being ordered and how much is being used. This is great information to have when a business wants to pare down expenses. NC GreenTravel Initiative is a great place to learn about low-cost and no-cost ways to cut waste and labor costs. Contact NC GreenTravel manager Tom Rhodes at (919) 707-8140 for further information about reducing an environmental footprint. |
| | For the week of Feb. 21 on North Carolina Weekend, explore the Scottish Tartans Museum and Heritage Center in Franklin. Experience the "Gallery Goes POP: Warhol" exhibit at the David McCune International Art Gallery at Methodist University in Fayetteville. Tour the Carolinas Aviation Museum in Charlotte. And the "House Special" samples the fare at the Riverview Cafe in Sneads Ferry. (Check local listings; segments are subject to change.) North Carolina Weekend is underwritten by Visit North Carolina. In addition, UNC-TV has recent editions of North Carolina Weekend available online. | The number of hotel/motel room nights available for rent (supply) increased in 2018 for the 12th consecutive year, with a 2 percent increase compared to 2017. Nearly 57 million room nights were available for rent last year. Room supply has increased 14 percent in the last decade. For more North Carolina visitor information, visit Lodging Reports, or contact Visit NC's Marlise Taylor at (919) 447-7748. |
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Upcoming Industry Meetings & Events
Feb. 28-March 1 - AENC Winter Conference, Durham March 5 - NC Civil War Trails Regional Meeting, Benson March 8-16 - SXSW Festival Conference, Austin, Texas March 19-21 - STS Connections / SETTRA Meeting, Daytona Beach, Fla. March 20 - NC Sports Assn. Quarterly Meeting, TBD April 2-5 - AFCI Week, Los Angeles |
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