If you ask Ric Flair about the city he’s called home for 35 years, you’ll hear at least a few exclamations of "Wooo!"
Flair, nicknamed "The Nature Boy," is one of the most well-known professional wrestlers in the world. Legions of his fans monitor his activities on Facebook. The retired wrestler was famous for the "Wooo!" yell, and the whoop is still shouted by fans of the sport today, particularly when a wrestler goes in for a knife-edge chop, one of Flair’s signature moves.
In this case though, Flair’s whoop just means he’s excited to share his enthusiasm about the city.
"Charlotte is my town," Flair says. "It’s got that sophistication that you’re looking for in a big city, but it also has that great Southern hospitality. The city has more openness than any place I know."
The city continues to maintain its hospitable spirit amid an incredible amount of growth.
"When I came here, Charlotte was just racing and wrestling," Flair jokes.
The city is wrapping up a 10-year, $5.6 billion plan designed to draw visitors and meeting attendees to its city center. The EpiCentre, the new mixed-use project four blocks from the Charlotte Convention Center, is complete and boasts a movie theater, tons of nightlife options and a new aloft hotel by Starwood. Flair recommends groups head to Whisky River, a bar at the EpiCentre owned by NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. The venue features great city views, thanks to massive floor-to-ceiling windows.
"The EpiCentre is a paradise for families or single people," Flair notes. "There is literally something for everyone there."
The most buzz surrounds the new NASCAR Hall of Fame, which will connect to the convention center and include a ballroom capable of seating 2,500. It is expected to open in spring 2010. Charlotte will also welcome the new Wachovia First Street Cultural Campus in 2010, featuring museums, a performing arts theater and other cultural offerings.
"You can see how the new growth is planned to enhance the downtown and make it convenient to get around," Flair says. "It’s been done in a smart way."
Meetings-friendly venues include the 73,000-seat Bank of America Stadium, the 17,000-seat Charlotte Bobcats Arena and Charlotte Convention Center, which features 280,000 square feet of exhibit space, more than 90,000 square feet of meeting space and a 35,000-square-foot ballroom.
Plus, if groups do have some time to leave the city center to explore, they have plenty of options.
"Charlotte is about 100 miles from the ocean and 100 miles from the mountains," Flair points out.
He says he almost hopes that the "secret" of Charlotte doesn’t get out. But it may be too late.
We hope we don’t get the knife-edge chop for this.
