Loren Gold Named President and CEO of Visit Raleigh

Loren Gold has been named the president and CEO of the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau / Visit Raleigh. He will assume his new role on January 1, 2027, and succeed Dennis Edwards, who is retiring at the end of this year.

Gold has served as Visit Raleigh’s executive vice president since 2007, two years after he first joined the organization as director of sales. Most recently, he has lead the development of strategic sales and marketing programs, including brand management, market research, marketing communications, advertising, destination data and technology and public relations. In all he has spent nearly four decades in the hospitality industry.

“Working alongside Edwards for nearly 20 years, the board is confident Gold has the right combination of experience, leadership and vision to help the county maximize opportunities as a premier destination in the meetings and conventions, sports and leisure markets,” said Melissa Chunn, general manager at Renaissance Raleigh North Hills Hotel and chair of the GRCVB Board of Directors. “Gold has tremendous relationships with local partners and stakeholders and is extremely well respected throughout the tourism industry. His knowledge and understanding of the industry and our community make him the perfect person for the position.”

Raleigh, the capital city of North Carolina, has a population of more than 500,000, with more than 1.5 million people in the metro area. It is situated in Wake County, which is in the midst of a 10-year Destination Strategic Plan that includes $2 billion in new tourism infrastructure. In addition, Raleigh is the home of the reigning Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes, will be one of the primary hosts of the 2029 World University Games and is a leading contender for landing an expansion franchise in Major League Baseball — should MLB choose to expand, as is expected — thanks in part to a mixed-use development around the Hurricanes’ Lenovo Center.

In addition, the Raleigh Convention Center is undergoing a $400 million expansion that will bring its size to nearly 800,000 square feet. The city and county welcome 19.1 million visitors annually, whose spending tops $3.43 billion.

“A tourism career is not defined by titles, but by the opportunity to create meaningful community impact, build strategic relationships and help all our destination partners succeed. As I begin this new role, I am reminded that growth is driven by embracing new opportunities, staying a lifelong learner, pursuing innovation and consistently finding ways to add value. I’m deeply honored to accept this new role, energized by the opportunities ahead for Greater Raleigh and excited to help shape our destination’s next chapter,” said Gold. “My sincere thanks to Denny Edwards for his exceptional leadership and mentorship. Working alongside him for nearly 20 years has been a true privilege. I am equally grateful to our incredible Visit Raleigh team, whose passion and dedication inspire me every day, and to our Board of Directors for their confidence in me and their unwavering support of Wake County tourism.”

Before joining Visit Raleigh, Gold worked in the Washington, D.C., area as director of national sales in Wyndham International’s National Sales Office and as national sales manager for Marriott Hotels and Resorts. Gold also founded City Reps Inc., the nation’s first company dedicated exclusively to multiple CVB representation. He generated meeting and tradeshow business leads for bureaus in Cincinnati, Houston, Long Beach, Memphis, Minneapolis, Providence and San Jose.