Shell
06-24-2003, 05:56 PM
Tuesday, June 24, 2003 12:00AM EDT
Learning about hosting the draft
Raleigh group studies Nashville event
By LUKE DECOCK, Staff Writer
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- As the NHL's scouts scattered back to the far corners of the hockey world Monday, the NHL draft finally behind them and a new year of scouting ahead of them, a different team of scouts returned to Raleigh late Sunday.
A delegation from the Triangle attended the draft this weekend in preparation for next year, when the Carolina Hurricanes will host the event at the RBC Center on June 26-27, 2004.
"That's a major event for Raleigh, and not just in terms of the economic impact," said Scott Dupree, the director of sports marketing at the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau.
"This is a world event, and we want to put our best foot forward."
Dupree was part of a Triangle delegation that also included executives from the Hurricanes.
The Nashville Convention and Visitors Bureau estimated that the draft used 4,400 hotel-room nights and boosted the local economic by $3 million.
For the Raleigh visitors, the Nashville event was their last chance to get a look at the inner workings of the draft before it's their show.
"Obviously, it's a marquee event for the league, but the host team has a lot of responsibilities," said Ken Lehner, the Canes' vice president for marketing. "There are so many technical things behind the scenes -- the computers and the phones and whatnot. Our operations people are looking at that."
Dupree said the most important thing he learned is the importance of transportation, which is the responsibility of the NHL.
In Nashville, buses ran from the host hotels to the arena, which is located downtown in the center of the city's nightlife.
That isn't the case with the RBC Center, and Dupree said the Triangle would encourage the NHL to implement a much-expanded bus system to get visitors out of their hotels and into downtown Raleigh.
"The transportation system is critical to the perception of a successful event," Dupree said. "We have to make sure folks get not just to hotels and the arena but make sure places like Glenwood South are on the shuttle loop."
While most host cities don't make too big a deal of the draft, the Canes plan to make it the cornerstone of their promotional campaign this season.
Lehner said they plan to unveil the logo in August and use it throughout the year.
The draft is in many ways a dry run for the NHL All-Star Game, which has been promised to the Triangle. Although no announcement has been made, the Canes are expecting to host the game in 2007.
The NHL has not made any announcements about event sites beyond the World Cup in August and September 2004. There is talk of a possible work stoppage when the league's collective bargaining agreement expires on Sept. 15, 2004.
The 2004 All-Star Game will be held at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn.
Learning about hosting the draft
Raleigh group studies Nashville event
By LUKE DECOCK, Staff Writer
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- As the NHL's scouts scattered back to the far corners of the hockey world Monday, the NHL draft finally behind them and a new year of scouting ahead of them, a different team of scouts returned to Raleigh late Sunday.
A delegation from the Triangle attended the draft this weekend in preparation for next year, when the Carolina Hurricanes will host the event at the RBC Center on June 26-27, 2004.
"That's a major event for Raleigh, and not just in terms of the economic impact," said Scott Dupree, the director of sports marketing at the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau.
"This is a world event, and we want to put our best foot forward."
Dupree was part of a Triangle delegation that also included executives from the Hurricanes.
The Nashville Convention and Visitors Bureau estimated that the draft used 4,400 hotel-room nights and boosted the local economic by $3 million.
For the Raleigh visitors, the Nashville event was their last chance to get a look at the inner workings of the draft before it's their show.
"Obviously, it's a marquee event for the league, but the host team has a lot of responsibilities," said Ken Lehner, the Canes' vice president for marketing. "There are so many technical things behind the scenes -- the computers and the phones and whatnot. Our operations people are looking at that."
Dupree said the most important thing he learned is the importance of transportation, which is the responsibility of the NHL.
In Nashville, buses ran from the host hotels to the arena, which is located downtown in the center of the city's nightlife.
That isn't the case with the RBC Center, and Dupree said the Triangle would encourage the NHL to implement a much-expanded bus system to get visitors out of their hotels and into downtown Raleigh.
"The transportation system is critical to the perception of a successful event," Dupree said. "We have to make sure folks get not just to hotels and the arena but make sure places like Glenwood South are on the shuttle loop."
While most host cities don't make too big a deal of the draft, the Canes plan to make it the cornerstone of their promotional campaign this season.
Lehner said they plan to unveil the logo in August and use it throughout the year.
The draft is in many ways a dry run for the NHL All-Star Game, which has been promised to the Triangle. Although no announcement has been made, the Canes are expecting to host the game in 2007.
The NHL has not made any announcements about event sites beyond the World Cup in August and September 2004. There is talk of a possible work stoppage when the league's collective bargaining agreement expires on Sept. 15, 2004.
The 2004 All-Star Game will be held at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn.