Meeting Planner Questions
What is the largest meeting or event Durham can hold?
Durham can accommodate 80–85% of the nation's conventions and meetings. The community can host meetings of up to 2,200 people theatre-style and banquets of up to 1,425. Conventions and meetings for 1,000 can be accommodated when both meeting and banquet facilities are needed simultaneously. With more than 7,000 guest rooms in a very compact community, Durham is ideal for groups in this range.
Are City-wide events feasible?
Durham is very compact, with Research Triangle Park (RTP) and Duke University just four and two miles from Downtown, respectively. Major hotels and meeting facilities are conveniently clustered in two areas—around Downtown Durham/Duke University and around RTP/Southeast Durham. Durham CVB has prearranged City-wide shuttle schedules for the Downtown/Duke and RTP/Southeast Durham clusters. All arrangements provide for a maximum ride time of 15 minutes and departure/returns every 10 minutes at peak. It is not really feasible to hold a convention spread over several cities in the Triangle.
How far is Durham from the airport?
RDU or Raleigh-Durham International Airport is only two miles from the Durham city limits and the closest Durham hotels and just 13 miles from Downtown Durham by freeway. The airport is co-owned by the City of Durham and Durham County and their counterparts, Raleigh and Wake County.
How much convention business does Durham host?
Durham hosts more than 4,100 conventions and meetings each year with more than 140,000 delegates in attendance. Over 23% of the conventions and meetings held in Durham are international, national, or Southeast regional in scope.
Does Marriott own the Durham Civic Center?
No, the Durham Marriott At The Civic Center is simply located atop the Durham Civic Center in Downtown Durham. The hotel is privately owned in the air space above the publicly owned Civic Center. On contract, Marriott manages Durham's Civic Center.
Can I hold a convention in Raleigh-Durham?
Actually Raleigh-Durham is only the name of the jointly owned airport. There aren't any meeting properties really located at the airport, but some of Durham’s major convention facilities are within two miles. It isn't feasible to hold a meeting spread over both cities, Raleigh and Durham. It would be like a meeting spread from Los Angeles to Anaheim or from Baltimore to Washington or from Miami to Fort Lauderdale. There would be too much commuting involved.
What are the compelling reasons to hold a meeting in Durham?
It is compact, convenient to 54% of the nation's population, and able to serve 80–85% of the market. It has the resources of experts at Research Triangle Park and at Duke and North Carolina Central universities. The community is diverse, textured, genuine, and authentic. There is a wide range of things to see and do for spouses, partners, children, and guests. Dozens of Durham restaurants are nationally and regionally recognized.
Are the hotels in Durham exceptional?
Diamond ratings from the American Automobile Association (AAA) confirm Durham as tops among similarly sized North Carolina destinations. Durham, a single-city county, has the highest percentage of Three- and Four-Diamond-rated guest rooms (53%) among statewide peers. In 2004, 23 Durham lodging properties earned Three Diamonds, and two earned the prestigious Four Diamond award.
How does the Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau serve as a clearinghouse?
A meeting planner can use the Durham CVB to gather and clear open dates, gather rate proposals and qualifications on lodging properties and meeting facilities, gather shuttle options, and put them in a convenient proposal. Click here to fill out a Request For Proposal (RFP) online.
What theme possibilities are unique opportunities for a meeting in Durham?
Themes can be related to the "Bull City" or "City of Medicine." They also can pick up on science with the Magic Wings Butterfly House, the Museum of Life and Science itself, or Research Triangle Park. Educational and sports themes related to Duke and North Carolina Central universities are also options. History provides a lot of opportunities for theme from the place where the Civil War ended to "Black Wall Street" and more.
