罗利会展与旅游局任命洛伦·戈尔德新任总裁兼CEO

Ahead of the huge IMEX America show in Las Vegas in mid-October, the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau (Visit Raleigh) announced that Loren Gold will be promoted from executive vice president to president and CEO effective January 1, 2027. 

The bureau’s board of directors voted unanimously to promote Gold after Dennis Edwards, longtime president and CEO, announced his retirement in September.

Gold has worked in the hospitality industry for nearly 40 years. He joined Visit Raleigh in 2005 as the director of sales and has served as executive vice president since 2007. He’s led the development of strategic sales and marketing programs, including brand management, market research, marketing communications, advertising, destination data and technology and public relations.

Before joining Visit Raleigh, Gold held positions in the Washington, D.C., area as director of national sales in Wyndham International's national sales office and as national sales manager for Marriott Hotels and Resorts. Gold also founded City Reps Inc., the nation's first company dedicated exclusively to multiple CVB representation. He generated meeting and tradeshow business leads for bureaus in Cincinnati, Houston, Long Beach, Memphis, Minneapolis, Providence and San Jose.

“Working alongside Denny Edwards for nearly 20 years, Gold has the right combination of experience, leadership and vision to help the county maximize opportunities as a premier destination in the meetings and conventions, sports and leisure markets,” said Melissa Chunn, general manager at Renaissance Raleigh North Hills Hotel and chair of the GRCVB Board of Directors. “Gold has tremendous relationships with local partners and stakeholders and is extremely well respected throughout the tourism industry. His knowledge and understanding of the industry and our community make him the perfect person for the position.”

Furthermore, with more than $2 billion in new tourism infrastructure under development in Wake County, it’s important that the bureau has stability and continuity to ensure the area continues to thrive and successfully execute the county’s 10-year Destination Strategic Plan 2028, according to Chunn.

“A tourism career is not defined by titles, but by the opportunity to create meaningful community impact, build strategic relationships and help all our destination partners succeed,” Gold said in a media release. “As I begin this new role, I am reminded that growth is driven by embracing new opportunities, staying a lifelong learner, pursuing innovation and consistently finding ways to add value. … My sincere thanks to Denny Edwards for his exceptional leadership and mentorship. … I am equally grateful to our incredible Visit Raleigh team, whose passion and dedication inspire me every day, and to our board of directors for their confidence in me and their unwavering support of Wake County tourism.”

Gold will oversee a staff of 35 with a $12.5 million budget and carry out the remaining implementation of the DSP 2028 priorities. He will also continue to serve on the Atlantic Union Bank Convention Center Commission and the Wake County Hospitality Alliance.

Read More Southern U.S. Destination News From Meetings Today

About the author

Rob Carey serves as content manager, news and features for Meetings Today, where he leads coverage of the latest trends, issues, data and insights related to corporate meetings and incentives as well as association conventions and exhibitions.

Carey has been covering the business-events industry since 1992, when he was hired as an intern at Successful Meetings magazine in New York while still a student at Columbia University. During his 15 years at SM’s parent company Nielsen, Carey moved steadily through the ranks to become editorial director for Successful Meetings, Meeting News and the Meeting World conference and exhibition. SM and MN won several FOLIO: Eddie Awards for editorial coverage during his tenure.  

Carey then spent 11 years as principal of Meetings & Hospitality Insight, covering not just the MICE market for various industry publications but also writing about business disciplines such as hotel management, golf-facility management, small-business operations, middle-market leadership and others. And for several years he wrote the annual trends white paper for the International Association of Conference Centers.  

In 2018, Carey became a senior content producer for MeetingsNet, an Informa media brand, and a panel moderator for Informa’s Pharma Forum annual event. 

Come September 2025, he moved to Meetings Today.  

A native of New York,  Carey now resides in the Phoenix/Scottsdale metro area with his wife Kelley and their dog Ziggy.