Mary Tribble
Deputy Executive Director of Hospitality and Events, Charlotte in 2012 Host Committee
At the end of 2010, Mary Tribble sold Tribble Creative Group, her award-winning Charlotte-based event management company of 25 years.
"I was looking forward to a break—and then the Charlotte in 2012 Convention Host Committee invited me to head up event planning for the convention."
As Deputy Executive Director of Hospitality and Events, Tribble, with major event experience including the NBA All-Star game and Final Four, organized more than 50 events leading up to and during the convention, including 12 official delegate welcoming parties.
"We wanted to use the DNC as an opportunity to tell the story of Charlotte's culture, landscape, and history through diverse events in various locations in and around the city," Tribble says. "It was exhausting, it was exhilarating, and I am so proud of what Charlotte achieved in getting its story across."
Now finally taking that long-deserved break, she took time to share five of her favorite event experiences from the DNC:
- CarolinaFest: "Wanting the convention to be as open and inclusive as possible, the DNC Host Committee organized a kick-off event for the whole city to enjoy. Held on Tryon Street in Uptown Charlotte, CarolinaFest was an unprecedented Labor Day street party that drew some 30,000 people with speakers, food vendors, family activities and music from James Taylor and other entertainers. There was such joy in the sea of faces and celebration of diversity, and a remarkable start to the convention."
- N.C. Music Factory (www.ncmusicfactory.com): "For the media covering the event, we wanted to create an exciting, multidimensional experience for their opening night party. Built on the site of an old textile mill about two miles from the convention center, N.C. Music Factory, offering 14 entertainment, performance and dining venues, was the perfect stage for a night of great Charlotte-style Southern hospitality."
- Levine Center of the Arts (www.levinecenterarts.org): "In keeping with the theme of big parties, we celebrated the volunteers of the DNC with a closing event at the Levine Center of the Arts. Comprised of the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture, Knight Theater and Mint Museum Uptown, this cultural campus was an indispensable hotspot for the convention, hosting events throughout the week. Around 5,000 volunteers attended the party, enjoying food, music and access to each of the museums."
- Carolina Raptor Center (www.carolinaraptorcenter.org): "Located about 20 minutes north of Charlotte in Huntersville, N.C., the Carolina Raptor Center is a personal favorite that we used for one of the 12 official delegate welcome parties. Both a rehabilitation facility for injured and orphaned raptors and an educational center, the group-friendly venue resides in the scenic Latta Plantation Nature Preserve. With attractions including flight shows and live bird demonstrations, the delegate party also featured a Native American drumming session."
- U.S. National Whitewater Center (www.usnwc.org): "Another venue that we used for a delegate party was the U.S. National Whitewater Center. Uniquely featuring the world's largest man-made whitewater river, this multi-faceted outdoor center offers a range of water and land activities including zip lining, rafting, rock climbing and kayaking."
