The Raleigh Convention and Performing Arts Complex (The Complex) in North Carolina has announced the promotion of Mara Craft to general manager of the Raleigh Convention Center and Red Hat Amphitheater. She will also oversee the partnership agreement of Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek. Craft will begin her new position on April 19.
Throughout her 27-year career at the Raleigh Convention Center, starting as an assistant to, most recently, director of sales and marketing, Craft has shown "outstanding leadership and a strong dedication to the industry," according to The Complex. She has driven sales growth, built meaningful relationships and has been instrumental in bringing some of the largest conventions and events to Raleigh, which help to contribute millions of dollars in economic impact to the area each year.
Craft is an active member of the International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM), is an advisory board member for the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance and serves on various committees for the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA). She also served as a tri-chair of the International Bluegrass Music Association’s (IBMA) Local Organizing Committee, which handled the strategic organizing and planning of the IBMA Bluegrass Live! Street Festival, which set records during its 12-year run in Raleigh.
In the general manager role, Craft will manage daily operations for the Raleigh Convention Center and Red Hat Amphitheater, including a pivotal role in the major expansion and relocation projects for the two venues.
The Complex encompasses four city-owned and managed facilities that bring together local residents, out-of-town visitors and a host of performing artists from around the country and the world. Situated in the heart of North Carolina’s capital city, three of the four venues welcome around 1 million visitors to downtown Raleigh each year. They include the 500,000-square-foot Raleigh Convention Center; the next-door, open-air music venue Red Hat Amphitheater, with 6,000 seats; the Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts, a short walk away and comprising four theaters, seating from 150 to 2,369; and beyond downtown Raleigh, the Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek offers a 20,000-person capacity amphitheater on 77 acres.
For more information, visit www.raleighconvention.com/complex.
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