submitted by the Raleigh Convention Center
RALEIGH, N.C. – The Raleigh Convention Center is the recipient of the 2025 Venue Excellence Award from the International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM). The award recognizes five IAVM venues of any type within the membership that demonstrate excellence in the management and operation of public assembly venues.
“We’re thrilled to be recognized by our peers as an industry-leading venue. The Raleigh Convention Center team is full of exceptional people who care about making everyone who comes through our doors feel special,” said General Manager Mara Craft. “This award embodies what we’ve worked toward for the more than 20 years I’ve been here, creating a venue where excellent moments happen.”
The Raleigh Convention Center has welcomed over 6.5 million guests and generated over $963 million in economic impact since opening in 2008. In the past year, the Center hosted 163 events over 332 event days, with 379,431 guests. In addition to providing highly rated hospitality to so many guests, the award-winning team at the Raleigh Convention Center has consistently worked to be industry leaders in security, sustainability, and accessibility. Staff are trained in crowd safety, accessibility for neurodiversity, and the facility is LEED Silver certified.
The Raleigh Convention Center continues to pursue excellence, adding exceptional amenities. The Center’s signature coffee shop opened in 2023 and has been a hit with guests since, offering themed drinks for events. The facility is currently entering a new chapter, an additional 350,000 sq. ft. will provide clients and guests of the Raleigh Convention Center an enhanced event experience, allowing the venue to host more and larger events.
“This is so special during what’s already such an exciting time for the Raleigh Convention Center,” said Kerry Painter, Executive Director of the Raleigh Convention and Performing Arts Complex. “We’re committed to making excellent moments here, and to making Raleigh recognized as a top- tier global destination. Receiving the Venue Excellence Award from the International Association of Venue Managers means that all the hard work of our great team is paying off, and the industry is taking notice of Raleigh internationally. We can’t wait to continue that with our upcoming 350,000 sq. ft. expansion that will take our already excellent venue to new heights.”
The Venue Excellence Award will be presented at IAVM’s VenueConnect event in New Orleans, July 28-31.
About The Complex
The Raleigh Convention and Performing Arts Complex (“The Complex”) encompasses four city- owned and managed facilities that bring together residents, out-of-town visitors and a host of performing artists from around the country and the world.
In the heart of North Carolina’s vibrant capitol city, three of the four venues welcome some 1 million visitors to downtown Raleigh each year. The award-winning, 500,000-square-foot Raleigh Convention Center is a leader in innovation, sustainability and guest experience. Next door sits the city’s signature open-air music venue, Red Hat Amphitheater, with 6,000 seats and a buzzworthy schedule of musical performances.
A short walk away, the Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts offers four unique theaters, seating from 150 to 2,369, and is home to resident companies Carolina Ballet, North Carolina Symphony, North Carolina Opera and PineCone. Beyond Downtown Raleigh, Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek boasts a 20,000-person capacity amphitheater on 77 rolling green acres and regularly packs the house with big-name acts.
