That’s All Folks!
Words don’t even begin to do it justice, but we are so grateful for each and everyone of you that traveled near and far to join us for the Municipal Special Events Summit 2019 held in Raleigh, North Carolina. We had an absolute blast and truly value all of the relationships that were built and knowledge that was exchanged.
Please view the video below displayed during the Closing Session, in case you missed it or want to relive the experience.
Looking Ahead to 2020…
We are excited to pass the torch on to Reno, Nevada and look forward to seeing you all in 2020 while reconnecting with old friends and new! #MSES20 #ActiveStreetsRENO
Please view the video announcement below displayed during the Closing Session, and check out everything Reno has to offer!
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App Features
- Schedule of Events. View all general sessions, educational sessions, socials, and more on a daily schedule.
- To-Do List. Organize what you want to see, and where you want to be.
- Interactive Maps. Touch, scroll, and learn with the interactive maps for the Raleigh Convention Center.
- Speaker Bios. Learn about your peers who have come to MSES 2019 to inspire you.
- Check-In and Connect. Let others know you’ve arrived through Check-In. And share your #MSES19 and #ActiveStreetsRLGH experience on Twitter and Instagram.
Know Before You Go
Getting to the Raleigh Convention Center
The Raleigh Convention Center is located at 500 South Salisbury Street Raleigh, NC 27601. It is a 17 mile drive from Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU). Taxi fares will cost approximately $45 (one way) from RDU to the hotels. Uber or Lyft rates range from $22-$54 (one way).
GoTriangle transit offers a bus route (bus 100) from RDU Airport at Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 to the GoRaleigh Station in Downtown Raleigh for $2.25 (single fare, one way). The Convention Center is a quick connection on the free R Line bus or .5 mile average walk from GoRaleigh Station depending on your hotel.
Checking in at the Raleigh Marriott City Center, Sheraton Raleigh Downtown, or Holiday Inn Raleigh Downtown
Hotel check-in begins at 4:00pm at the Raleigh Marriott City Center and Sheraton Raleigh Downtown. Hotel check-in begins at 3:00pm at the Holiday Inn Raleigh Downtown. If you arrive early, you can check in and store your luggage.
Parking at Raleigh Marriott City Center
- Valet parking, fee: 30 USD daily
- Off-site parking, fee: 3 USD hourly, 12 USD daily
- Valet parking USD 30 per night in underground garage with 7 foot height clearance. Day guests 18 USD.
Parking at Sheraton Raleigh Downtown
- On-site parking, fee: 2 USD hourly, 15 USD daily
- Valet parking, fee: 30 USD daily
Parking at Holiday Inn Raleigh Downtown
- Self-Parking Fee: 7 USD
- Parking deck surrounds hotel and is $7 per night. Parking deck has elevator access to levels 2, 3, 4 & 5.
Parking at Raleigh Convention Center
View a map of parking decks in Downtown Raleigh.
The closest public parking decks to the Raleigh Convention Center are located at
- Lenoir Street between Salisbury and McDowell Street
- South Street between Salisbury and McDowell Street
- Davie Street between McDowell and Dawson Street
- Cabarrus Street between McDowell and Dawson Street
- Salisbury Street between Cabarrus and Davie Street
Listed parking decks are operated by McLaurin Parking. For more information, contact McLaurin Parking directly.
Checking in at MSES 2019
The MSES 2019 registration area is located in the North Hallway of the Raleigh Convention Center, outside 305 A. MSES 2019 registration will be open during the following hours:
- Wednesday, January 30 from 3:00pm – 5:00pm
- Thursday, January 31 from 7:30am – 9:00am
- Friday, February 1 from 7:30am – 9:00am
MSES name badge requirements in the Convention Center
We encourage you to wear your MSES 2019 name badge at all times in the Raleigh Convention Center and any offsite conference experiences to ensure easy access to MSES events.
What to wear
The Raleigh Convention Center rooms may fluctuate in temperature; be sure to bring layers so you are comfortable. Attire for the conference is business casual. City, town, school, and organization branded polos may be among the favorite fashion statements. Feel free to bring a change of clothes for any of the conference socials and networking opportunities. If you’ll be venturing outside, remember that Raleigh’s weather can shift quickly and Fayetteville Street can be a bit of a wind tunnel. The extended forecast shows highs in the 40’s and lows in the 20’s, with Friday showing a possibility of showers.
Where to eat
The Raleigh Convention Center and hotels are just steps from the city’s restaurants and cafes. A “Hanging Around Downtown” map will be in each attendee’s welcome bag, guiding you to over 80 of downtown Raleigh’s diverse eateries.
#MSES19 #ActiveStreetsRLGH
Follow all the summit action, as well as lend your own voice to the excitement, by using the hashtag #MSES19 and #ActiveStreetsRLGH in your tweets and Instagram pics. The MSES social media feeds will be integrated into the conference app, so even if you aren’t on Twitter or Instagram you can still follow the social buzz.
Changes to the schedule and other breaking news
Changes to the summit program (e.g., session room, time changes, etc.) will be broadcast through the Guidebook® App, via Twitter, or at specialeventshq.com/latestsummitnews. You can also stop by the Registration & Information table in the North Hallway of the Raleigh Convention Center, outside 305 A if you have any questions.
Onsite resources
Have a question about an educational session? Looking for a place to eat in downtown Raleigh? Looking for a little guidance? Whatever your question, come by the Registration & Information table to chat with a Local Organizing Committee member or Volunteer. The City of Raleigh Office of Emergency Management and Special Events staff will have pink lanyards, so you can always seek one of us out too!
Photo and Video Disclaimer
The Municipal Special Events Summit 2019 reserves the right to use any photograph/video taken at the Municipal Special Events Summit, without the expressed written permission of those included within the photograph/video. A person attending the summit who does not wish to have their image recorded should make their wishes known to the photographer, and/or local organizing committee member.
Downtown Raleigh
Want to hear what else Raleigh has to offer during your visit? Check out 30 Can’t-Miss Things to do in Raleigh, NC as well as a Winter Bucket List!
It takes a village!
Lunch Dine-Arounds
Dine-Arounds were such a hit in Austin at the inaugural Municipal Special Events Summit, that we’re bringing these to Raleigh! All attendees are encouraged to participate in this great networking opportunity on Thursday, January 31. Choose from several of downtown Raleigh’s prime time lunch hot spots where we will reserve tables for attendees to get to know their peers from other municipalities and organizations. Attendees will be responsible for paying for their own meals.
If you want to sign-up to mix and mingle, let us know! Deadline to submit your picks is Friday, January 11.
Courtesy visitRaleigh / Photo by Angie Mosier
Session Spotlights
We are thrilled to reveal our Session Spotlights! Check out the features below for a sneak peek of two presentation topics and learn more about the speakers too!
SESSION SPOTLIGHT 1 – TITLE: Community Engagement
SUMMARY: Los Angeles is a sprawling Southern California city and the center of the nation’s film and television industry. Boasting over 4 million residents, LA encounters unique challenges when it comes to engaging various stakeholders in the events management process. Learn about how LA facilitates community engagement, best practices, and opportunities for improvement.
PRESENTER: Edward Yu is the Chief of Special Traffic Operations and Emergency Response for the Los Angeles Department of Transportation. A licensed Civil Engineer with over 25 years of experience managing Special Events and responding to Emergencies, including civil unrest protests. He is responsible for managing all major Special Events in the City of Los Angeles which includes over 500 hundred major Special Events annually such as the Academy Awards, the Los Angeles Marathon, and the Golden Globe Awards. His Team is also responsible for managing the over 350 Special Events that occur at Dodger Stadium, the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, and the Staple Center. Additionally, he is currently working with the Olympic Host committee to develop the plan for the upcoming 2028 Olympic games that will be held in Los Angeles.
Courtesy visitRaleigh
SESSION SPOTLIGHT 2 – TITLE: Special Events and Mass Gathering Medicine
SUMMARY: On any given day, an increasing number of special events and mass gatherings occur across the United States. The population surge into a single area from events such as athletic competitions, street fairs, festivals and concerts create challenges for Emergency Medical Service agencies. Increased call volume, nontraditional response environments, and accessibility to patients are just a few examples of the possibilities for which EMS leaders and decision makers must plan. However, through appropriate integration of EMS into the early stages of the planning process, participating in an all-hazards assessment, and enhancing the situational awareness of EMS responders, Wake County EMS has developed an approach to ensure our community’s special events and mass gatherings are staffed and managed to promote a safe and fun environment.
PRESENTER: Seth J. Komansky, MS, NRP, is deputy director and chief of operations for the Wake County Department of EMS in Raleigh, N.C. He supports the Paramedics, EMS Techs, Field Training Officers and District Chiefs. He is also responsible for Special Operations, which includes community special event support, EMS Honor Guard, bike team, hazardous materials medical response, and the tactical paramedic program. He manages the Wake County EMS Medical Intelligence Unit and serves as the statewide EMS field liaison officer coordinator at the North Carolina Information Sharing and Analysis Center, the state fusion center. He holds a master’s degree in homeland security management from the Homeland Security and Terrorism Institute at Long Island University.
Courtesy visitRaleigh
SESSION SPOTLIGHT 3 – TITLE: Video Analytics for Public Safety
SUMMARY: Presentation on the use of analytics and workflow automation for situation management and emergency response operations during special events. This presentation will include a discussion of the state of this technology as well as a demonstration.
PRESENTER: Louise Duncan is the Special Events Manger for the Town of Avon in the Vail Valley, CO. She attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where she began her career in special events with the Big Ten Conference. Following graduation, she moved to the Virgin Islands managing a variety of resort centric events. Now based in the Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, Louise looks to diversify Avon’s mountain resort economy to be less dependent on snowfall. Louise prefers to be outdoors and when not on event site she can be found skiing, running, or hiking.
Swag Swap
Do you have t-shirts leftover from events accumulating in drawers, bins, or cabinets? Bring your excess swag from your municipality, city, or town – whether its related to special events or not and exchange them with your peers. Come join the frenzy of fun and get some new gear in the process!
We are pleased to announce the MSES 2019 Keynote Speaker, Tom Dundon, Owner of the Carolina Hurricanes!
In addition to being the principal owner and governor of the ‘Canes, Dundon is the Chairman and Managing Partner of Dundon Capital Partners, a Dallas-based private investments firm. His investment activities have spanned the entertainment, healthcare, real estate and hospitality, technology, automotive and financial services sectors. Help us give him a big Caniac welcome in January!
Registration is now open! View registration details.
Early-bird registration deadline will be December 16, 2018.
Courtesy visitRaleigh
CLOSED: The deadline for all presentation proposal submissions is Friday, September 28, 2018.
All presentation proposals will be reviewed by the Programs Subcommittee. If you submitted a presentation proposal, you can expect to receive a status update by the end of October 2018. Don’t forget to register for the Municipal Special Events Summit!
Share your excitement for the Municipal Special Events Summit 2019 with colleagues near and far through your social media channels!
Tag us on social media using the hashtags #MSES19 and #ActiveStreetsRLGH
MSES 2018 Testimonials
To highlight the impact of the inaugural Municipal Special Events Summit 2018, we’ve asked some of our first-time attendees to share their experiences with us. Interested in attending the next summit in Raleigh? These testimonials just might persuade you to register!
“The 1st Annual Special Events Summit was a wonderful opportunity to connect with other special event managers. There isn’t anything like this gathering in the world of special event regulators – especially because there isn’t anyone trying to sell you anything. I met so many great people and got to have meaningful conversations off line about issues that I experience in my community and position. I also was so inspired to see what other municipal event managers are doing and how they are innovating in their field. This is a ‘do not miss experience’!” – Alexis Hill, City of Reno
“The Municipal Special Events Summit is a unifying forum of peer cities that can help regulators make their special events safer and more successful. It’s a long-overdue opportunity to ask: How does your city approach this challenge? Or, How do you do that cool thing you do?” – Dylan Rice, San Francisco Entertainment Commission
“Overall it was just a great first step in opening conversations with other cities regarding Special Events.”
“I loved the promoter feedback session, the discussion on fee reimbursement, community event discussions and hearing from all of the communities. Best conference I think I’ve ever been to!”
“The Austin Center for Events team was simply amazing! They were very gracious and did a good job of putting together an inaugural event. I appreciated the panel interviews highlighting different sized cities so almost anyone could relate to the conversation.”
Thank you to those in attendance at the inaugural Municipal Special Events Summit 2018 in Austin, Texas!
The information exchanged on hosting safe events was invaluable. Looking forward to having a new network of special event experts nationwide! Check out the fun wrap-up video from the convention.
