Raleigh Convention Center and Martin Marietta Center Awarded 2025 Venue Excellence Awards
RALEIGH, N.C. – The International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM) has awarded both the Raleigh Convention Center and the Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts with the 2025 Venue Excellence Award. The Raleigh venues are two of five IAVM member venues receiving the honor at this year’s VenueConnect Conference in New Orleans, July 28-31.
Each year the association, whose mission is to educate, advocate for, and inspire public assembly venue professionals worldwide, recognizes five IAVM member venues which demonstrate distinction in operational excellence, safety and security, team building/professional development, and service to the community. Public assembly venues of any type within the IAVM membership which demonstrate excellence in venue management and operation are eligible to apply for the award annually. IAVM’s Awards and Recognition Committee select finalists and award winners are approved by the IAVM Board of Directors.
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 have 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 which 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.
As a premier location for cultural arts and entertainment, the Martin Marietta Center has placed a large focus on diversifying programming, while increasing revenue and community impact, and continues to introduce new cultural experiences for Raleigh residents and visitors. This past year, the center revamped additional lobby space into The Lounge, an elevated hospitality area available for all ticket holders, not just donors or subscribers, providing all guests an area to be able to experience elevated food and beverage options in a lush atmosphere, at an affordable price.
The Martin Marietta Center, which first opened in 1932, has also gone through expansions and dramatic renovations over the years and is comprised of four spaces— Raleigh Memorial Auditorium, Meymandi Concert Hall, A.J. Fletcher Opera Theater, and Kennedy Theatre. In August, the center is set to begin an exterior renovation to Lichtin Plaza, with a focus on accessibility enhancements and improvements to the overall guest arrival experience.
“These awards are incredibly special to receive during such an exciting time for The Complex,” said Executive Director, Kerry Painter. “It reflects the dedication of our entire team, who work tirelessly to create spaces where excellence, creativity, and community thrive. We’re proud to help make Raleigh a top-tier global destination, whether through world-class performances at our theaters or major events at the Convention Center, our focus is on making meaningful moments for our guests and bringing Raleigh together through unforgettable experiences.”
###
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.
www.raleighconvention.com/complex
Press Contact
Sarah McAlister
919-996-8719