Thoughts on Emerge 2021… from the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority
“It felt really good to host an in-person convention again. I am incredibly grateful to the RCMA for sticking with us during these challenging times and working with us to execute a safe, effective gathering that set the standard others will look to. I hope all of the attendees continue shining the light of hope for the future wherever they go and am eager to welcome them back to Charlotte again soon.”
Tom Murray
Chief Executive Officer
Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority
“While none of us could have foreseen the circumstances when RCMA booked Charlotte, it became a seminal event for our CRVA team to work with an exemplary partner to show how business can be done in a safe and responsible manner. It required a true partnership where both parties were bound together to prove to the industry that there is hope and together our teams could show the way.”
Mike Butts
Executive Director of Visit Charlotte
Vice President of Sales, Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority
“We are so grateful to everyone who attended the 2021 Emerge Conference—this was a special time for our local partners, staff and industry. We enjoyed being able to open our doors again, bringing some much-needed business to our hospitality partners, as well as the opportunity to put our new protocols and technologies into practice as part of the carefully designed health and safety plan. Partnering with the RCMA, we showed the world that Charlotte is a place to safely host meetings and events.”
Christa Williams
National Sales Manager
Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority
“RCMA is a family and our goal in hosting RCMA was to showcase the vibrant, diverse and friendly environment that Charlotte is all about. We aimed to show planners and suppliers that a new day is coming, and we can all get through this together. Charlotte shined bright in the spotlight and proved we can meet safely and be productive.”
Lacy Lange
Senior Manager, Destination Services
Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority
“It was an honor to host RCMA’s 2021 Emerge conference. We’re extremely appreciative to all of the attendees who joined us in person during these uncertain times, as it allowed us to showcase what we do best—putting guests’ health and safety as our main priority.”
Justin Martin
Brand Manager, Tourism/Convention
Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority
“I speak for my team when I say that it was an honor to host RCMA’s Emerge event—the RCMA staff and their guests made us feel extremely valued. We worked very hard for a year reimagining what the future held for us, and I’m happy to say that the Emerge event showed us what that future could look like. It gave us hope for a better tomorrow.”
Jackson McLaughlin
Facility Operations Manager
Charlotte Convention Center/NASCAR Hall of Fame
“Those of us at the Visitor Info Center thrive on engaging with guests, and we could not have asked for a more perfect group to get us back in the swing of welcoming and interacting with visitors. RCMA attendees were so kind, so eager to learn about our venues and about Charlotte, and so appreciative of the smallest gestures. I hope their event enriched their lives as much as they enriched ours!”
Betsy Gustafson
Manager
Visitor Info Centers – Uptown
“It was great to have guests back in our facility. The NASCAR Hall of Fame is an exceptional building, a showpiece, really, and our professional visitors clearly enjoyed their stay. I always enjoy sharing the NASCAR story with new fans."
Mike Fox
Guest Services Representative
NASCAR Hall of Fame