City of Greenville Secures First Donors For Major Conference

Two businesses are starting off the new year as the first to step up to the plate to help the upcoming North Carolina League of Municipalities (NCLM) Conference.  HDR Engineering and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) were the first companies to commit to become sponsors of the October 2009 event.

“We believe that investing in the ongoing education and efforts of municipality leaders will help improve the quality of life for North Carolina residents,” said Bob Greczyn, president and CEO of BCBSNC. “Greenville is an important epicenter for the eastern half of the state and in these uncertain economic times, conferences like this one will be crucial to finding solutions that work for our communities.” 

City officials recently mailed letters to businesses across the state asking for their support to host the Conference.  “Hosting on a conference of this profile is a major undertaking and can become costly if you want to do it correctly,” said Thom Moton, Greenville Assistant City Manager and Host City Co-Chair.  “This is a big opportunity for us to show about 1,500 elected officials and community leaders what a great region this is.  These companies understand that and also they understand the value this can mean to the region.”

The Conference is expected to bring more than $800,000 to Greenville and the surrounding communities in the form of things like overnight stays in hotels, transportation, shopping, and restaurant visits.  According to the State’s Department of Tourism, those dollars then roll over at least 2.5 times, so the economic impact for the region would end up being more than $2 Million. There are also long-term benefits as well.

“When these leaders see all we have to offer, and that we can successfully host a complex event like this,” said Debbie Vargas, CEO of the Convention & Visitors Authority and Host City Co-Chair, “it opens doors with other event planners to bring more visitors, conferences, and conventions to Greenville.  For example, in 2010, Pitt County will host the North Carolina Association of Counties here in Greenville, in part because of us hosting the NCLM.  We could even end up in the regular rotation for this event and host it every seven years.”

The NCLM Conference will be held October 24 – 27, 2009 at the Greenville Convention Center and the Greenville Hilton.  This is the first time in the association’s 100 year history that the Conference will be held east of I-95.  For more information, or if you would like to help sponsor the event, please call Thomas Moton at 252-329-4432.

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