美国北卡罗来纳州会奖旅游动态：夏洛特、罗利、达勒姆、阿什维尔新酒店与场馆扩建进展

With an economy and population that are U.S. growth leaders, North Carolina is a success story that is still unfolding.

The third-fastest-growing state in the U.S. by total population, according to the 2020 U.S. Census, North Carolina is seeing migration from other states in terms of population as well as businesses, with the North Carolina Department of Commerce identifying biotech, pharmaceuticals, advanced manufacturing and aerospace as leaders.

In turn, all of this growth is attracting meetings and conventions groups and infrastructure. Following are some updates in that regard from the state’s major destinations.

Charlotte

The state’s largest city, with a population of nearly 1 million, Charlotte is grabbing the spotlight next year by hosting the “Super Bowl of Meetings,” the ASAE Annual Meeting, August 7-10.

“It’s going to be a great opportunity to showcase the city,” said TK Knight, vice president of sales and executive director of Visit Charlotte. “We’re going to have some great entertainment; it’s going to be a lot about bringing our neighborhoods to life. We’re utilizing the convention center and we’re going to activate a lot of the spaces outside of the convention center too. And they’re doing their closing event at NASCAR Hall of Fame, so that’s going to be exciting.”

A renovation of one of Charlotte’s most popular offsite venues—if you can call something directly connected to the convention center offsite—the NASCAR Hall of Fame is looking to complete a renovation next summer in time for ASAE, with its hall open in the interim. Another renovation feature that speaks to Charlotte’s vision is an expanded STEM lab at the Hall of Fame that will further educational programming in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines.

The renovation is modernizing the venue’s entrance and other areas, including reconfiguring its public spaces to accommodate a broader range of corporate events and other gatherings.

Meanwhile, Bank of America Stadium is expanding to the tune of $1.3 billion—a $500 million increase from previous plans—adding a 4,400-capacity entertainment venue and a patio with views up Uptown Charlotte. Completion is slated for 2030.

Knight said many other major meeting and event venues are also making improvements, including:

The Beckworth Hotel, a Curio Collection by Hilton 240-room boutique hotel in Uptown’s historic Johnson building, is set to open by the end of 2026 and will offer 10,000 square feet of meeting and event space, including a 3,500-square-foot ballroom.
Construction is underway on a 14-story, 295-room Marriott Autograph Collection hotel in the South End and eyeing a 2028 opening. Features will include an open fifth-floor pool deck and a public steam sauna with cold and hot plunges.

Raleigh

Two hospitality upgrades are in the works in Raleigh, the state capital:

The Gables, photo of two chairs, a table and a piano. — *The Gables*

The Gables, which opened in mid-September, is an 18-room historic hotel dating to 1928 in a building that has sat vacant for more than a decade. It is co-owned by Grammy-nominated musician and North Carolina native Tift Merritt. Located in the Mordecai neighborhood just north of downtown, the hotel will feature the cozy Alcove bar but does not offer traditional meeting space.
Downtown Raleigh’s Hotel Indigo is set to reopen in October following a $36 million renovation. The iconic, round 204-room boutique hotel’s interior architecture pays homage to its original 1960s design and offers more than 4,000 square feet of event space.

*Rendering of Hotel Indigo bar. Credit: Sage Hospitality.*

Dennis Edwards, standing with his arms crossed. — *Dennis "Denny" Edwards*

In other Raleigh meetings and conventions news, Visit Raleigh announced in mid-September the coming retirement of 44-year hospitality industry veteran Dennis "Denny" Edwards, the DMO’s president and CEO.

Edwards will retire at the end of 2026, after leading the bureau since April 2007 and, before that, holding leadership roles at other DMOs including Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Houston; Palm Springs, California; Culver City, California; and Sioux City, Iowa.

Durham

Located just west of Raleigh and sharing the major Research Triangle technology hub with Raleigh and Chapel Hill, Durham is also the home of Duke University.

Major updates in Durham include the following:

The Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club, located on the campus of Duke University, completed renovations that brought a new entryway, redesigned front lobby and improvements to its conference center and dining rooms.
The 226-room Marriott Raleigh-Durham Research Triangle Park completed an $11 million renovation that features refreshed guest rooms, the addition of an M Club lounge, an expanded meeting area created by converting a pool space, and enhancements to its fitness center.

*Marriott Raleigh-Durham Research Triangle Park. Credit: Marriott Raleigh-Durham.*

The 331-room Sheraton Imperial Hotel Raleigh-Durham Airport wrapped a $10 million renovation that included updates to its guest rooms, public spaces and lobby. The property’s 31,500 square feet of meeting space includes 12 meeting rooms, 26 breakout rooms and the nearly15,000-square-foot Imperial Convention Center, which can accommodate up to 2,000.
The mixed-use HUB RTP destination in Research Triangle Park (RTP) is expanding with new dining, retail, public spaces and meeting venues, including a 279-room Marriott-branded Renaissance hotel with more than 13,000 square feet of meeting space.

Asheville

The big news in the Blue Ridge Mountains destination of Asheville is a multiyear commitment from the PGA Tour, which teed off with the inaugural event September 14-20.

“A four-year commitment from the PGA Tour is a statement about this deeply rooted community in the Blue Ridge Mountains,” said Vic Isley, president & CEO of Explore Asheville and the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority. “Explore Asheville and Biltmore are committed partners and co-title sponsors of the Biltmore Championship Asheville. From corporate hospitality to volunteer opportunities, people have embraced this event with open arms.”

Held at The Cliffs at the Jack Nicklaus-designed Walnut Cove golf course, just outside of Asheville in Arden, the inaugural Biltmore Championship was the first time Asheville has held a PGA Tour event since 1942.

Other Asheville happenings include a new Hyatt Place Asheville Airport, scheduled to open in fall 2026 with 108 rooms and a 765-square-foot function space; and the new 27-room Artful Way hotel in the River Arts District.

Wilmington and the Beaches

An up-and-coming meetings destination on the coast, Wilmington and its beaches are a favorite for North Carolinians wanting some sun and sand time at top nearby destinations such as Kure, Wrightsville and Carolina beaches.

Some of the major meetings news in the destination includes the reflagging of The Blockade Runner Beach Resort under the Marriott flag as the Trailborn Surf & Sound, a 151-room beachfront resort in Wrightsville Beach that has an events lawn, its own boat and a private island with watersports equipment.

Another property with an events lawn is Lumina by Holiday Inn, which reopened in 2022 following the renovation of the Wrightsville Holiday Inn. The 184-room hotel with just under 8,500 square feet of meeting space across five rooms is named after the 1905 Lumina pavilion.

*Lumina on Wrightsville Beach, a Holiday Inn Resort*

The destination is also in the midst of a $65 million renovation of the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher, located near Kure Beach. The project is expected to last about two years and add outdoor space and a 4,000-square-foot rooftop sky deck.

Wilmington proper has the 100,000-square-foot Wilmington Convention Center with a 30,000-square foot expo hall, along with the 272-room Hotel Ballast Wilmington, Tapestry Collection by Hilton, which offers 20,000 square feet of its own space. Connected to the convention center is the 186-room Embassy Suites by Hilton Wilmington Riverfront.

Wilson Center at Cape Fear Community College, with a capacity for more than 1,500 in its main performance hall, is a popular offsite venue for entertainment or major presentations. It can accommodate up to 2,200 for a standing reception in its lobby and also offers 10,000 square feet of dedicated meeting space across four rooms.

An interesting accommodations option adjacent to the convention center can provide quite a memorable option for groups.

“Right next door to our center we have a houseboat community that’s run like a hotel,” said Molly Johnson, vice president of sales and services for Wilmington and Beaches CVB. “They started out with about 30 units, but…they were so successful that they’ve added a whole other row. So, they have almost 50 units now, and it’s a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom options.”

Other Wilmington updates include:

Carolina Beaches Golden Sands Resort, which renovated and joined the Tapestry collection by Hilton last summer. The 116-room property offers 1,200 square feet of meeting space.
The 144-room Courtyard Marriott Carolina Beach Oceanfront completed a full renovation that included its ballroom, lobby and restaurant, and offers three meeting rooms that can accommodate up to 300 theater-style.
A soft goods renovation of guest rooms and public spaces at the 186-room Embassy Suites by Hilton Wilmington Riverfront, located by the Riverwalk on the Cape Fear River.

Greensboro

Set in the north-central Piedmont Triad, Greensboro is a rising economic star in a state that is a U.S. growth leader. With the buzz about Greensboro's ongoing success story resonating both in the Old North State and in the U.S. as a whole, interest in its meetings and conventions offering is surging as well.

“Greensboro’s growth story is one of the most compelling in North Carolina today,” said Anthony Cordo, president and CEO of the Guilford County/Greensboro Tourism Development Authority. “As companies continue investing across advanced manufacturing, logistics, aviation and technology, the meetings industry benefits directly.

“What makes Greensboro especially attractive to meeting planners is the combination of scale and accessibility,” Cordo added. “We offer convention-center capacity and a diverse collection of venues, but attendees still experience a welcoming, easy-to-navigate destination.”

Greensboro recently welcomed The Pyrle, a downtown live music and event venue. Rental spaces include the main venue, a private upstairs party room, backstage artist suites and the lobby bar.

Greensboro, North Carolina, skyline — *Greensboro, with First National Bank Field in the foreground*

Q&A: The PGA Plays Asheville

Nate Goldsnider, Event Director, Biltmore Championship Asheville, PGA Tour

biltmorechampionship.com

Tyler Davidson: What was the name of your event and how many attendees were accommodated?

Nate Goldsnider: The Biltmore Championship Asheville, a PGA TOUR FedExCup event. As an inaugural event, we welcomed tens of thousands of fans, volunteers, sponsors, media and community members throughout tournament week

When, where and for how long was your event?

September 17-20, 2026, at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove in Arden, North Carolina, just outside Asheville.

What offsite facilities did you use, especially for sponsor, invite-only or public events?

One of the signature offsite events during tournament week was the Pro-Am Pairings Party, hosted at the Diana venue on Biltmore Estate. The event brought together celebrities, sponsors, athletes and guests ahead of competition week

What social events did you hold in conjunction with the event, and where?

The championship featured a significant hospitality footprint onsite at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove. Premium hospitality venues surrounding the 18th green included more than 5,600 square feet of hospitality space, while the tournament constructed more than 21,500 square feet of hospitality and event infrastructure throughout the course. These venues served as gathering spaces for corporate partners, client entertainment, sponsor engagement and networking opportunities throughout championship week. Local food and beverage partners were incorporated into the hospitality experience.

Why did you select Asheville and the host property for the event?

We were drawn to Asheville because it combines a world-class hospitality community, stunning natural beauty and a passionate fan base. The Cliffs at Walnut Cove provided a championship-caliber venue capable of hosting a PGA TOUR event, while the broader Asheville region offered a destination experience that resonates with fans, sponsors and corporate partners alike. The Biltmore Championship Asheville also presented a unique opportunity to bring PGA TOUR competition to a market that had not hosted a TOUR event in more than 80 years.

What were some interesting activations you included during the event?

We wanted the championship to feel authentically Asheville, so we partnered with several local businesses and brands throughout tournament week. Highlights included a custom popcorn flavor created by Poppy's Popcorn exclusively for the tournament, a family-focused Kids Zone presented in partnership with Mast General Store, an Asheville Beer Hall featuring local breweries alongside Wicked Weed, and a custom canned transfusion developed by Friend of the Devil specifically for the championship.

Any major challenges you overcame?

As an inaugural event, one of our biggest challenges was coordinating the many moving pieces required to host a PGA TOUR tournament in a new market. Bringing together transportation providers, local government, tourism leaders, volunteers, sponsors and tournament operations teams required extensive planning and communication. Ultimately, success depended on strong partnerships and close collaboration across the community.

What advice do you have for fellow meeting planners when planning a golf event or major citywide event?

Start early and lean on local partnerships. Hosting a successful large-scale event requires collaboration among transportation providers, tourism leaders, local businesses, sponsors and community stakeholders. We also recommend embracing what makes your destination unique, as those local touches often become the experiences attendees remember most.

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