A leader in innovation and intellectual capital, Raleigh, North Carolina, is a compelling Southern meetings destination with a fast-growing slate of new hotels and venues, Michelin-recognized restaurants, a state-of-the-art convention center and access to the booming business and brainpower of the Research Triangle. That global hub for technology, biotech, life sciences and research comprises NC State University in Raleigh, Duke University in Durham, UNC-Chapel Hill and the 7,000-acre Research Triangle Park.
Raleigh’s compact convention district is anchored by the Raleigh Convention Center (RCC)—which is undergoing a $387.5 million expansion and reopened in mid-January following an HVAC fire on its roof in December. The convention district is surrounded by a pipeline of other projects, too, including the highly anticipated Omni Raleigh Hotel.
These big-city developments and innovative initiatives continue to attract new group business to the destination, but Raleigh’s ability to remind groups they’re in the welcoming heart of North Carolina proves that, above all, warm hospitality and authenticity is what keeps business events coming back.
“We’re fast-growing. We have a lot of innovation. We are a Southern capital with a lot of major developments underway, and we are always described as a vibrant city when we are competing nationally for other meetings, events and things of that sort,” said Malinda Harrell, director of sales, Visit Raleigh. “But one thing about Raleigh that makes us different is you get all the big-city vibes, but you don’t have to have the big-city everything else.
“And on top of it all,” she continued, “you get that nice North Carolina welcome when you come to Raleigh.”
Planners, here are five reasons why Raleigh should be on your radar.
1. Raleigh’s Convention Center Is Expanding
Construction on the Raleigh Convention Center’s $387.5 million expansion is scheduled to begin this year, with an anticipated opening in 2028. An additional 298,100 square feet of space will bring the RCC’s total footprint to 798,100 square feet and introduce 50,000 square feet of divisible flex halls, an 18,000-square-foot ballroom and 13 new meeting rooms with additional prefunction space.
The project also includes the relocation of the 6,000-capacity Red Hat Amphitheater one block south of its current site, offering an upgraded, purpose-built venue for concerts and other events that’s expected to open in 2027. Construction on the new location began last April, while the current Red Hat Amphitheater remains open during the process.
“We’re very close with our partners at the Raleigh Convention Center. We probably interact almost every day, sometimes on the weekends as well, and things are really coming together [at RCC],” Harrell said. “The building is open, the events are happening and we are really looking forward to being a city that continues to evolve and innovate.”
The RCC expansion will ideally keep Raleigh top of mind for meeting planners considering the destination for the first time while offering meeting planners who are already familiar with the destination something different.
“I just went to a pre-convention meeting [at RCC], and it was with a group that’s been meeting with us for the last 20 years,” Harrell said. “We’re very excited because there’s a lot of loyalty with groups that come to our area, and now we have something that feels familiar but still provides a new experience.”
The RCC may be undergoing a makeover, but the team that keeps it up and running stays true to the Southern hospitality that groups meeting in Raleigh have come to know and love.
“[Groups] realize they can go anywhere to meet, eat and sleep,” Harrell said. “But what’s important is how they feel, how they’re treated, and this is a place where people come together, and when they leave, they leave better than they were then they arrived.”
[Related: Raleigh’s Expanding Group Menu Includes a Dynamic Dining Scene]
2. Hotels Are in the Hopper
“There are quite a few [hotels] that are coming up right now, and one is a Curio Collection by Hilton—the Oberlin Hotel, which sounds fancy itself, right?” Harrell said. “It’s named after a neighborhood in an area that we call our Village District, which is not too far from Downtown.”
The property will offer 150 guest rooms including some presidential suites, a rooftop bar and intentional decor that honors the neighborhood’s Black history and leaders who influenced the area, and Raleigh as a whole.
“It’s a very unique property that tells a story about Raleigh,” Harrell said. “We have a good blend of history and forward thinking for the future, and as we grow, we don’t lose from either one of them because they complement each other.”
Another future-focused hotel development in the city, the forthcoming Omni Raleigh Hotel, will serve as the anchor property for the RCC expansion. Omni Hotels & Resorts broke ground on the 29-story hotel in February with a goal to open in late 2028.
The property will offer 600 guest rooms, 61,000 square feet of meeting space including a 20,000-square-foot ballroom, a rooftop pool, resort-style wellness facility and several restaurants including the first Bob’s Steak & Chop House in North Carolina, a rooftop poolside restaurant and a sports bar with a golf simulator.
“It’s in very close proximity to the Raleigh Convention Center, of course,” Harrell said. “And the Martin Marietta Center [for the Performing Arts] is right across the street.”
3. Offsite Opportunities
“A lot of our meeting partners outside of the hotels and conventions space have a deep understanding of the meetings industry and how it impacts [Raleigh as a destination],” Harrell said. “So, when groups are outside of their conference and they’re ready to meet in the pub or wherever they want to go, we have a lot of great people and partners.”
One of those partners is Trophy Five Points, a downtown Raleigh restaurant and bar in the historic Five Points neighborhood that offers private dining space for 50 seated or 70 standing as well as a banquet area for 28 seated or 40 standing.
[Related: Raleigh Rallies: Convention Center Reopens After December Fire]
“Another great offsite option that blends meet and play is RushHour Karting, which is a little bit outside of Raleigh, but it’s great for children and adults who still have that child inside,” Harrell said. “It’s complete with upscale restaurants as well.”
RushHour Karting’s newly renovated Garner location now features an indoor, gas-powered multilevel track and brand-new high-tech gas karts. Large groups and corporate events from 20 to 200-plus guests can organize outings and teambuilding activities including racing, axe throwing, a rock-climbing wall and an entire-track rental option.
4. Dining Is Worth Drooling Over
“One thing we like to boast about is our 14 area restaurants that were recently recognized by Michelin in the first-ever Michelin Guide to the American South,” Harrell said.
Earning Michelin’s Bib Gourmand honor, Mala Pata is an heirloom, masa-driven Mexican restaurant from chef Angela Salamanca that celebrates Latin American traditions with modern flair and offers catering for events.
A second Michelin Bib Gourmand award-winner, Sam Jones BBQ opened its doors in 2015, but it was founded on Eastern North Carolina’s whole-hog barbecue tradition from way before then and is committed to continuing the legacy. The Dewberry Room at Sam Jones BBQ’s Downtown Raleigh location comfortably hosts up to 45 guests.
[Related: 3 Booming North Carolina Cities That Boast Interesting Meetings Offsite Options]
5. Innovation and Intellectual Capital Inspire
“With three major universities in the Research Triangle area—NC State University, Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill—the innovation and intellectual capital in the area benefits all of us,” Harrell said. “Groups take advantage of this by tapping into [Research Triangle] expertise. They use speakers from the universities. We attract a lot of life-science and technology investment, and we have a lot of groups who will enhance programs with innovation tours and collaborative sessions.”
In Wake County, within the Research Triangle area, North Carolina Children’s Health chose the town of Apex for its campus, which will include the only freestanding, independent children’s hospital in the Carolinas. NC Children’s, a partnership between UNC Health and Duke Health, will be built on nearly 230 acres of land and bring approximately 8,000 jobs to Wake County, as well as more opportunities for groups to take advantage of the area’s intellectual capital.
