Jennifer Beam Johnson, CMP
Johnson Meetings Group; Raleigh, N.C.
What are three great cultural venues that groups can utilize for off-site events in the Triangle?
- Sarah P. Duke Gardens: There's a special place in Durham called the Sarah P. Duke Gardens. It's a beautiful venue, and I've seen everything from weddings to corporate meetings done there. They even had a group come in and do a geo-caching team-building event. Also, they have a small building, the Doris Duke Center, available for rental. Spring, summer or fall, it's a lovely place. It's almost a retreat-type venue, yet it is located in town adjacent to the Duke University campus.
- Carolina Inn: Chapel Hill has the Carolina Inn, a historic hotel located on the UNC campus. It's beautiful, with period furnishings, and it looks like a grand mansion. The hotel is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and it's an important part of the university's history. Since it's on the campus, it's conveniently located in town for meetings. They do a lot of corporate business, weddings, social events and functions.
- Memorial Auditorium: I'm a native of Raleigh, and there are so many places to choose from. The most unique place is Memorial Auditorium, now known as the Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts. It's now the home of the symphony, ballet, opera and theater companies. It opened in 1932 and was renovated in the late 1980s. During the renovation, they installed Austrian crystal chandeliers, so you have this beautiful piece of architecture with clean, contemporary lines, and then you go inside and see these beautiful chandeliers. I've attended a dinner on stage and seen receptions in the foyer, so there's a lot you can do there. It's not quite what you would think of first, but it's a remarkable venue.