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Located at the pinnacle of the vast Research Triangle Region of North Carolina, Durham is truly a place where great things happen. Characterized by its eclectic and diverse cultural identity, Durham is creating an atmosphere of unity and pride in the contributions of others toward the betterment of the community. It’s a colorful, creative community that visitors, residents, students, and businesses find enriching, accepting, and engaging. Durham offers a multitude of annual cultural festivals, museums, historical sites and is home to fabulous cuisine, celebrated restaurants, scenic getaways, and miles of nature trails.
Durham may be the gay community’s best-kept secret! The openness and community spirit of our citizens has helped create successful festivals with statewide draw and fostered Durham-based organizations such as: the Pride Committee of North Carolina, Southerners on New Ground, North Carolina Gay and Lesbian Attorneys (NC GALA), North Carolina Lambda Youth Network (NCLYN), the Triangle Gay Men’s Chorus, and the Triangle Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN).
Meeting and Conference Facilities
There are 300,000 square feet of meeting space and 7,100 guest rooms at your disposal for conferences, meetings, or seminars, with a professional and diverse sales staff dedicated to help planners save time and plan a successful event.
Durham offers a multitude of traditional locations to accommodate large meetings and conventions, with adjacent lodging, as well as unique locations for those special events that are outside of the box. There are 4 accredited conference centers, 10 convention hotels, dozens of properties with mid-size or more intimate meeting space, and a plethora of alternative venues, such as private clubs, private banquet space, theaters, and auditoriums, providing the planner with numerous options to find the perfect fit for their event. To view Durham’s complete selection of meeting locations, click here.
Located in the heart of Durham is the Durham Civic Center Complex, including a 189-room hotel (Durham Marriott At The Civic Center) adjoining the meeting space, in a location that is in the middle of everything. For a novel downtown venue, Durham offers the spacious multipurpose ballroom of the Durham Armory for large group presentations; the Durham Arts Council Building and Carolina Theatre are equipped with theater seating ensuring visibility for all participants.
Durham’s major convention hotels provide a one-stop-shop for any and all meetings and conventions. Looking for a little more recreational time after your conference? The Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club may be what you need. But a golf course need not take away from the gracious amenities and locations of other major convention hotels like the Hilton Durham near Duke University, Hilton Garden Inn/SouthPoint, Hilton Raleigh-Durham Airport at Research Triangle Park, Millennium Hotel Durham, Radisson Hotel Research Triangle Park, or Sheraton Imperial Hotel & Convention Center. The Durham CVB will help make your meeting planning experience as smooth as possible, and we encourage you to submit a Request for Proposal so that Durham’s professional sales staff can better match your needs with local facilities
Getting Here
Scheduling a meeting or a conference in Durham means easy access to the community and great facilities. Durham is within an hour’s flight or days drive from 54% of the nation’s population and is intersected by two major Interstate highways I-40, I-85, and three US Highways. It’s a short drive from RDU International Airport, where 9 major airlines and 8 commuter carriers serve Durham visitors. Flying not your cup of tea, our Amtrak and Greyhound stations are right downtown.
Durham has everything a planner needs to create a perfect event, from a large selection of venues to Durham’s easy access for travelers. We also have what you need to relax after the meetings are finished.
Where Great Dining Happens! A food aficionado’s paradise – Durham has over 300 locales for fine dining, representing regional, national, and international cuisines. Durham has just about everything your palate has a taste for and more, with over 35 nationally-known, celebrated restaurants according to The New York Times, Food and Wine, and Bon Appétit.
Where Great Art Happens! For the art lover, whether it’s performances, sculptures, paintings, or photography, Durham has enough to quench your artistic thirst. Durham is home to more than 100 working artists and two university art museums (Nasher Museum of Art on the campus of Duke University and North Carolina Central University Art Museum). More than a dozen performing arts venues host award-winning plays and performers from musicians to comedians.
Where Great Festivals Happen! Durham is proud of its diverse, cultural heritage and celebrates it with over 42 festivals annually. Here is a taste of Durham’s signature festivals:
Where Great Shopping Happens! With a super-regional and a regional mall, distinctive shopping districts, and a host of shopping centers, Durham has the fuel to feed your shopping desire. In Durham, you are never too far away from a place to shop.
The Streets at Southpoint is Durham’s newest mall that includes an outdoor, cityscape shopping and dining experience, totaling 140 shops and restaurants, 41 which are unique to the area. A Durham staple for over 40 years, the newly renovated, 165-store Northgate has all the trimmings of a traditional mall.
Brightleaf and Ninth Street shopping districts encompass an open-air and eclectic sense of shopping with novelty and mainstream stores.
Nightlife
Steel Blue, Durham’s newest after-hours club, joins well-established Visions nightclub in catering to a predominantly LGBT clientele there for dancing and cocktails. Perhaps some spoken word or a cultural event is even more to your liking. The easily searchable and user-friendly Durham Event Calendar details the happenings in the city, with over 50 nightlife events each week.
Food for the eyes, fun for the body and spirit
Durham is decorated with over 80 phenomenal parks, nature trails, lakes, and golf courses. Once you’ve filled your mind and body with all that Durham has, we offer you an opportunity to fill your spirit as well. Our inclusive community atmosphere offers an abundance of diverse places of worship that can accommodate any and all beliefs. Durham is a place where great things can happen to YOU!
For a comprehensive list of the events and things to see & do in Durham, visit www.durham-nc.com. For personal assistance with planning a meeting or conference, visit www.durham-nc.com/planners.
