Durham Recognized by Trivago in the Top 50 of Best Value Cities in US

Durham is welcoming to all visitors because of the mix of experiences it offers, but also because, frankly, it's a good deal. Not only is visiting economical, but the place delivers a high value for the dollars people spend. These two different distinctions are important to appeal to the breadth of visitor markets.

The good value represented by Durham's lodging offerings was quantified by the travel website trivago.com. Durham earned a spot on the Top 50 Best Value Cities in the US at #13 with an average price of $101 for a room.

The trivago.com Best Value Index provides an overview of the best-valued destinations on their site by using an algorithm that combines the trivago Hotel Price Index with trivago’s Reputation Ranking for hotels. The trivago Hotel Price Index shows the average overnight accommodation prices for a standard double room on trivago. The Best Value Index ranks cities with 50 or more hotels, based on a combination of consumer ratings and average hotel prices from 1-50 with 1 being the highest ranked.

Like any community, Durham welcomes praise, and even catalogs it online. Those interested in accolades Durham has earned can see them on this website. Plan a visit to Durham online, find one of those highly-ranked hotel rooms here, and see all that is going on with the Durham Event Calendar.

DPAC Sets New Records, Places in Top Three Nationwide

All of the 13 theaters in Durham are great destinations for different reasons, and the biggest, DPAC, Durham Performing Arts Center announced this week key attendance statistics for their just-completed sixth season.

Among other records set, DPAC ranks third in the United States in the latest national attendance rankings by Pollstar magazine. A release from the theater offered more details:

"The sixth season boasts new records with 76 sellout performances and 14,081 season seat members for their signature series, SunTrust Broadway at DPAC.  DPAC's 2013 / 2014 Season featured 179 performances which drew 383,415 guests and 64 concerts, comedy and special events.  This 2013 / 2014 attendance mark was DPAC second highest ever since DPAC’s opening in 2008.  Heading the list of the highest attended shows were The Book of Mormon (16 performances at DPAC) and How the Grinch Stole Christmas (10 performances at DPAC).   DPAC begins the 2014-2015 SunTrust Broadway season as one of the top Broadway series in the country, with season seat sales now at 14,220 and still growing."

Bested by only Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas and the Fox theater in Atlanta, both of which top DPAC's seating by more than 1300 seats, the third place ranking nationally is just another reminder of the theaters' popularity, and another indicator of Durham's robust arts scene.

Learn more about all the arts and entertainment events with the Durham Event Calendar, and plan a trip to Durham online.

Read more about DPAC's recent TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence.

DPAC Shines Brighter Than Ever

DPAC, Durham Performing Arts Center welcomed its 2 millionth guest in early May. This is great news, no doubt. That it again received TripAdvisor's Certificate of Excellence is evidence that its patrons view the place, and the staff running it, as being at the top of their game.

A consumer review site, TripAdvisor is considered to be among the most reputable of the ilk and only awards its Certificate of Excellence to places that earn the distinction through repeated user reviews with high ranks.

"DPAC continues to show people an exceptional time when they come to Durham for a show," said Shelly Green, President and CEO of the Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau, the organization that draws people to Durham to visit. "The service, in conjunction with a world-class facility, a line-up of envy-worthy shows brought in for the SunTrust Broadway series, and a calendar full of blockbuster performances year round, make DPAC an important component in the Durham visitor mix," Green added. DPAC has won this award before.

Shows on that calendar referred to above include global superstars like Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Cosby, musicians Neil Young and Patti LaBelle, and Broadway hits like Wicked and The Lion King.

In a statement released by the theater, General Manager Bob Klaus details the service philosophy that underpins the theaters success as a destination. "We opened with just one vision; to be the Triangle's favorite place for live entertainment. This mission always starts with one-of-a-kind, live entertainment events. We follow that with what many call the "DPAC Experience," a focus on the guest and the high value we place on quality and service."

Since opening in 2008, DPAC has presented over 530 hit Broadway performances, 180 concerts, and 60 celebrity comedians. Over 328 of these events have been total sellouts including multi-week runs of Broadway shows. The theater has over 14,000 season seat members to its signature series, SunTrust Broadway at DPAC. 

DPAC is one of 13 theaters in Durham providing residents and visitors alike with great programming year round. The Carolina Theatre in Downtown Durham, like DPAC, is nationally ranked and producing a calendar of high-caliber entertainment.

Stay up to date on all that is happening in Durham's theaters with the Durham Event Calendar.

Durham Ranks Fourth Best Place to Live and Visit

The continued attention paid to Durham is flattering - especially when Durham is ranked #4 on the list of the Top 100 Places in the US to live and visit by Livability.com. The national website ranks quality-of-life amenities in America’s small and mid-sized cities. Durham ranked most highly for health care and amenities.

"The things that make Durham rank high in quality of life indices are some of the same things that make Durham a great place to visit," said Shelly Green, President and CEO of the Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau, the organization that markets Durham. "Things like great dining, shopping, arts and cultural opportunities, as well as abundant natural recreation areas, raise the experience bar for everyone," Green added. 

In 2012 Durham welcomed 9 million visitors who took advantage of these things and many others.  

According to the website, the data collected for the ranking were weighted based on an exclusive survey conducted for Livability by Ipsos Public Affairs, a leading global market research firm. Respondents were asked about factors that make their communities better places to live, as well as the factors they would consider in selecting another city. Those factors were narrowed down to eight categories – economics, housing, amenities, infrastructure, demographics, social and civic capital, education and healthcare – that were then used to determine each city’s LivScore. See the entire list on their website.

To produce its inaugural list of Top 100 Best Places to Live and Visit, Livability.com partnered with Richard Florida’s Martin Prosperity Institute, the world's leading think tank on the role of location, place, and city-regions in global economic prosperity. A months-long study of more than 1,700 U.S. cities and the factors that make them the best places to live, work and play was conducted. Florida also ranked Durham as having the highest percentage of creative-class jobs in the US.

See all the ways Durham is ranked highly online.

DPAC #3 in the US; Five Year Impact Tops $175 Million

With the release of its third quarter rankings, Pollstar magazine again recognized DPAC - The Durham Performing Arts Center as one of the top 10 venues in the world as measured by ticket sales - a global industry standard used to measure performance. Attaining the #6 spot in the world and #3 spot in the US (missing #2 by a mere 1255 tickets sold), this state-of-the-art facility in Downtown Durham plays host to some of the most popular performances on tour.

This recognition is ideally timed and serves as punctuation of DPAC's many contributions in its first five years.

"Occasions like this are a great opportunity for us to celebrate DPAC's success and highlight its economic contributions to Durham," said Shelly Green, the President and CEO of the Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau (DCVB).  "They've certainly been an important contributor to Durham's continued growth and popularity as a visitor destination."

Through its first five seasons (one partial and four full seasons) the 2,700+ seat theater has sold 1.65 million seats.  That means each seat has been sold more than 600 times on average. Another telling number is that the 1.2 million non-resident visitors sitting in those seats spent about $175 million in Durham.  Patrons typically spend much more than just the price of their ticket.  They visit restaurants, stay in hotels, buy gas and shop in stores here, too.

DPAC has hosted many of Broadways hottest touring shows.  The current Suntrust Broadway Season features several blockbusters including The Book of Mormon, Once, Ghost, Evita and The Wizard of Oz. Click here to see the full line up and purchase tickets.

Stay up to date on all that is happening with the Durham Event Calendar.

DCVB Wins Sloan Award for Fifth Time

While there are many aspects that make a workplace a great place to work, workplace flexibility is definitely a big factor. The Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau (DCVB) focuses considerable energy on this aspect of employment. 

As a result, DCVB is again being celebrated by The Families and Work Institute (FWI) and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) with the national Alfred P. Sloan Awards for Excellence in Workplace Effectiveness and Flexibility.  This award recognizes exemplary employers that have created effective workplace environments supportive of employees’ need for flexibility. This is the fourth consecutive win for DCVB and the fifth since the award's inception in 2005.

This prestigious award is only given to about 300 employers from across the United States, ranging in size from as few as 10 employees to as many as 240,000 employees, and they are found in more than 250 communities nationwide. The winners’ practices include traditional offerings such as telecommuting and more innovative approaches such as unlimited time off and allowing employees to control their hours.

“DCVB prides itself on recognizing the value of its employees," said Shelly Green, President and CEO of the organization. "People who have the flexibility at work are able to contribute fully to their jobs as part of the lives they lead.  In return for our flexibility, we get outstanding output from exceptional people," she added.

To be named a Sloan award winner, employers complete a rigorous process that includes a survey of employees and a comprehensive assessment of whether the employer maintains an effective and flexible workplace. Regardless of the size of the employer; innovative and generous work policies are a mainstay among the honorees. 

The winners will be featured in the 2014 Guide to Bold New Ideas for Making Work Work published by FWI and SHRM. DCVB will be honored on September 30 at the NC SHRM conference in Winston-Salem hosted by When Work Works community partners. For a full list of winners, click here.

The Sloan awards are part of the When Work Works program, a research-based initiative to highlight how effective and flexible workplaces can yield positive business results and help employees succeed at work and at home. When Work Works is a joint partnership between FWI and SHRM.

About DCVB

The Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau (DCVB) is Durham’s marketing agency. It is chartered as a Tourism Development Authority by the N.C. General Assembly and local governments to spearhead the proactive, strategic, visitor-centered economic and cultural development of Durham by reinvesting a portion of the visitor-paid “room occupancy and tourism development tax” in destination promotion and marketing.

Durham Named One Of “South’s Smartest Medical Cities For Groups”

Today Durham was announced as tops in yet another category - it was selected as one of nine cities on ConventionSouth magazine’s 2013 Editors’ Hot Picks For “South’s Smartest Medical Cities For Groups." While not exactly a mainstream interest area, the ranking is important because it shows the breadth and scope of the ways that Durham excels against national and regional competitor destinations.

"We're both pleased and excited by this recognition," said Shelly Green, the President and CEO of the Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau (DCVB), the organization responsible for marketing Durham as a place to live, work, and do business. "Accolades like this help us complete the picture for people outside our market.  Lots of people know about our food scene, great universities and sports, and so much more.  Now we have another way to show that Durham is more multi-faceted than people may have previously thought," Green added.

Corey Bizzell, DCVB's Vice President of Group Sales and Business Development, also expressed his excitement about this announcement, "Medical meetings are important to Durham.  I like that lists like this continue to help people be more familiar with Durham, and all the ways it excels as a place to meet." Bizzell has been selling Durham for more than 10 years, and has seen the destination's stock in trade rise steadily in that time. "Fewer meeting professionals are surprised when they experience Durham in person than in years past.  It's an exciting time to be bringing people here," he added.

ConventionSouth, the national multimedia resource for planning events that are held within the South, has selected Durham for their 2013 Editors’ Hot Picks for the “South’s Smartest Medical Cities for Groups.” After an in-depth review of nearly 30 cities in the South that are known for their healthcare infrastructure, the editors of ConventionSouth deem Durham to be one of the most ideal cities for hosting healthcare-focused groups and meetings.

“It is a great honor to recognize Durham as one of the South’s top cities for hosting medical, pharmaceutical and other healthcare meetings and events,” said ConventionSouth Associate Publisher Marlane Bundock.  “Durham is home to several nationally recognized medical facilities such as Duke University Hospital & Medical Center and a physician-to-population ratio almost 4.5 times the national average. Durham’s reputation in the U.S. and global healthcare industry provides a valuable resource for medical and healthcare conferences, allowing the events to have access to some of the country’s most renowned hospitals,  healthcare institutions and experts.”

A complete list of ConventionSouth’s 2013 Editors’ Hot Picks for the “South’s Smartest Medical Cities for Groups” can be found online.

Learn more about meetings in Durham, NC here.

DPAC Tops with Travelers, Again

DPAC, Durham Performing Arts Center  in Durham, NC was honored today with an award it has won before, the Certificate of Excellence from travel website TripAdvisor.

Given that Trip Advisor has more than 50,000,000 worldwide visitors per month and is the world's largest travel website and online travel guide, winning this certificate is a significant achievement. This prestigious award puts DPAC in the top 10% of all businesses and organizations worldwide listed on the site.

The center's fifth season featured over 185 performances with attendance expected to total 350,000 guests by the time the season draws to a close next month. General Manager Bob Klaus said "Of the many accolades DPAC has received since opening, this is the one of which we are the most proud. We love hearing from our guests, and TripAdvisor is one of the very best national forums for visitors to weigh in on their experiences. "

"Service has always been a major focus at DPAC, and it shows in the experience that both residents and visitors alike share when they attend an event.  The staff are committed to exceeding their guests' expectations in every way possible," said Shelly Green, President and CEO of the Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Since its opening in 2008, DPAC, the Durham Performing Arts Center, has become the center for live entertainment in the Triangle. Recognized for its contemporary design, DPAC features 2,700 seats, intimate sightlines and state-of-the art sound and video. Listed four times in the top 10 in Pollstar magazine’s annual worldwide theater attendance rankings, DPAC is currently the #5 ranked theater in the U.S.

Read the story about DPAC winning this award last year here and learn more about the arts in Durham here.  Season tickets are on sale now for the 2013-14 season which includes the blockbuster, The Book of Mormon.

Voting Ends Thursday at 11:59 PM

The effort to vote Durham as the Tastiest Town in the South in Southern Living Magazine's annual contest is coming to a close this week.  If interested in voting, readers can do so every day and with every email address they have until this Thursday at 11:59 PM.

Scan to Vote for Durham!

Vote HERE.

"To say that Durham has done well in this is an understatement," said Sam Poley who works at the Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau. "Durham rocked in this contest.  We took the lead at launch, held it, took it back from Asheville and then ran neck and neck with Memphis, a city three times larger."

Southern Living had a leader board on their voting page, but they took it down last week when Durham and Memphis were trading the first place position sometimes several times a day. Poley, and others pushing this contest, hope that the lack of knowledge about where Durham is on the list will spur fans on to vote daily, encourage their friends, and push this agenda.  "When you come down to the wire like this, it's the vigilant, the dogmatic, and the tireless who win," Poley said.  Durham's food scene is full of chefs and fans who exemplify those characteristics.

The winner will be announced by Southern Living in the May issue which hits the stands on April 19th.  Promotional efforts will continue until voting closes. The strong use of social media where the hashtag #VoteDurhamTastiest! has gotten significant traction will remain the backbone of the efforts. Addtionally, use of printed material, retweets, shared Facebook posts, and media coverage have helped Durham really make a mark.  "Durham's restaurateurs and food truck operators, as well as its food intelligentsia, have really shown up for us in this effort. We hope our thanks is sufficient for their help...that, and hopefully a title," Poley added.

Food in Durham is getting a boost from a national trend. “Southern cooking has become one of the country's hottest culinary obsessions,” says Southern Living Editor-in-Chief Lindsay Bierman. “But there's a lot more to it than pork belly and grits. Every day, we're discovering hyperlocal microcosms of food culture across our region."

Durham is certainly has food culture galore. Learn more about all of Durham's dining offerings online.

Southern Living Names Durham One of the "Tastiest Towns in the South" in 2013

Southern Living has named Durham, NC one of the “Tastiest Towns in the South” in its February issue, on newsstands January 18th.  Which town is the tastiest?  That's up to readers and fans.

Scan or click to Vote
Durham Tastiest!

To celebrate the many flavors and rich, diverse stories behind today’s Southern cuisine, Southern Living editors convened in its Birmingham-based Test Kitchen to identify the most compelling food destinations across the region. Durham made the cut, and now it's up to restaurants to rally their fans and customers to get out the vote.

"Durham's food scene is on par with the best in the nation. Chefs here have integrity, appreciation for the ingredients, the sourcing, the producers, the preparations, and the customers.  In Durham, food is a culture that rises above most barriers, and all of Durham's diverse inhabitants come together over great food all the time," said Sam Poley with the Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau, Durham's official marketing agency.  "Things like this are fun.  Folks in Durham are really proud of this place and the things that make it great.  We're hoping they, and the places they love, will work together so that everyone knows Durham is where great food happens."

Vote Here

“North Carolina’s Triangle has long been fertile ground for enjoying the region’s rich bounty,” writes Southern Living Senior Editor Paula Disbrowe. “From Scratch Bakery to Watts Grocery, where much of the menu is raised, caught, smoked, pickled or cured within a two-hour radius, Durham is brimming with spots that passionately support local businesses,” adds Disbrowe.

Readers will decide the winner by casting votes for the “Tastiest Town in the South” from January 10 to February 28 on southernliving.com/tasty or via smartphone by downloading the complimentary Digimarc Discover app and scanning the corresponding image in the magazine. Each daily vote allows a consumer to be entered for a chance to win $1,500 toward a trip to the Tasty Town of his or her choice.

“Southern cooking has become one of the country's hottest culinary obsessions,” says Southern Living Editor-in-Chief Lindsay Bierman. “But there's a lot more to it than pork belly and grits. Every day, we're discovering hyperlocal microcosms of food culture across our region."  Durham has exemplified that description for decades.

Southern Living will profile each of the towns and reveal the “Tastiest Town in the South” in the May issue, on newsstands April 19th and online.

Southern Living editors identified the top 10 “Tastiest Towns in the South” based on the following criteria:

• Food as a cultural identity: The unique food or ethnicity that defines a particular Southern region
• Growth of a culinary-minded community: The influence that the culinary industry has on the local community and tourism
• Diverse cuisine at a variety of price points: Accessibility to hearty, flavorful meals at any budget
• Local, sustainable food practices: The focus on sourcing products from local purveyors to geographically define where each meal comes from
• Hot chefs on the rise: The influence of the area’s culinary talent in the media and pop culture
• Abundance of buzz-worthy food events: The number of festivals in the area that celebrate all things food and drink

For the full list of towns, visit: southernliving.com/tasty. Rally around your favorite tasty destination and vote online from January 10-February 28.

One vote per day is counted toward the finally tally.  Learn more about Durham online.

DPAC Celebrates a Season to Remember

Statistics help tell stories.  When they're strong, they can really drive a point home.  If the point being made is that DPAC, Durham Performing Arts Center is awesome, then the following should be considered a large hammer, swung swiftly and precisely on the head of that idea.

Today the theater announced key attendance statistics for their just completed fourth season.  DPAC's 2011 / 2012 Season featured 200 performances which drew 417,180 guests and saw 67 total sellouts. Heading the list of the highest attended shows were the Radio City Christmas Spectacular (38 performances at DPAC) and Wicked (32 performances at DPAC).

"It all starts with great shows, and for us to have two big multi-week blockbusters in the same season really tipped the attendancescales", said Bob Klaus, DPAC's General Manager. "It's a credit to Nederlander and PFM and the great shows they bring us , this will truly be a season to remember."

Top Five Shows -
SunTrust Broadway at DPAC 2011 / 2012 Season*
1. Wicked
2. Radio City Christmas Spectacular
3. West Side Story
4. Memphis
5. Addams Family
*July 1, 2011 - June 30, 2012

In addition to Broadway and Holiday blockbusters, DPAC again delivered a season with great variety and something for everyone. Concert sellouts featured Rock acts like Steely Dan and The Moody Blues, Folk concerts including the legendary Paul Simon, Country superstars like Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson, renown Jazz artists like Diana Krall, a long list of R & B icons including Aretha Franklin, Patti LaBelle and Earth, Wind & Fire and even a Bluegrass concert with Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers. Plus Comedy also played a decisive role in DPAC's season with Daniel Tosh and Bill Cosby posting record setting sellouts.

Top Fifteen Concert Events - 2011 / 2012 Season
Steely Dan
Paul Simon
Aretha Franklin
Earth, Wind & Fire
Diana Krall
Dolly Parton
Patti LaBelle
Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers
Anita Baker
Hall & Oates
Kelly Clarkson
Moody Blues
Elvis Costello
Martina McBride
Willie Nelson

*July 1, 2011 - June 30, 2012

Top Five  Comedy Events 2011 / 2012 Season*
6. Daniel Tosh
7. Bill Cosby
8. Steve Harvey
9. Kevin James
10. Ron White

*July 1, 2011 - June 30, 2012
  
Top Five Special Events 2011 / 2012 Season*
1. Tyler Perry's - The Haves and The Have Nots*
2. American Dance Festival
3. Ira David Wood's - A Christmas Carol
4. Carolina Ballet's - The Nutcracker
5. Disney's Phineas & Ferb Live!

*July 1, 2011 - June 30, 2012

Known as a popular center for live entertainment in the Triangle, the combination of high profile Broadway, concert and comedy events has also gained DPAC attention on the national live entertainment scene with two of the nation's top entertainment trade magazines naming DPAC among the most highly attended venues in the country. In their just published July 23rd, mid-year edition, Pollstar Magazine lists DPAC as #1 in ticket sales among reporting theatre venues in America. In previous rankings, DPAC had been among the top five listed U.S. theatres, but in this newest ranking covering the first six months of 2012, DPAC ranked higher than such iconic theaters as the Fox in Atlanta, the Coliseum at Caesars Palace Las Vegas, Nokia Live in LosAngles and Radio City Music Hall in New York City. And in their soon to be published July 28th mid-year charts, Billboard Magazine lists DPAC #3 in gross ticket sales among venues with a capacity of 5,000 or under.  

DPAC's accolades also run well beyond just attendance statistics. This past season saw the venue win a number of local Reader's Choice Awards. The Independent Weekly’s “Best of” winner for Best Theater Venue - 4th Consecutive Year The Herald Sun’s Reader’s Choice Award for Best Live Entertainment - 4th Consecutive Year Raleigh's Metro Magazine’s Standing Ovation for Best Theater - 3rd Consecutive Year Durham Magazine - Best Place for Live Music and Best Place for Live Theater - 2nd Consecutive Year

Separate from these local publication awards, DPAC also recently received a Certificate of Excellence ranking from TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel and destination website.

Learn more about all of Durham's performing arts venues, and more, by checking out the official visitors website.

Duke University Hospital Number One in NC

Among Durham's many accolades is its stellar health care offerings.  There are five hospitals here, and key among them is the Duke University Hospital, the number one hospital in North Carolina and the number eight hospital in the nation, according to the US News and World Report.

Duke University Medical Center has once again been named by U.S. News & World Report as one of the nation's top 10 hospitals. Duke is #8 in this year's rankings, placing it among the nation's elite medical institutions, including Mass General, Johns Hopkins, the Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic.

This is the first year the magazine ranked the top hospitals in each state, with Duke being named the #1 hospital in North Carolina. The hospital is again #1 in the Triangle. Perhaps more importantly, this year's national ranking marks the 23rd consecutive year that U.S. News & World Report has included Duke among the very best hospitals in the country.

"These rankings recognize the outstanding medical care provided by Duke physicians and health care teams on behalf of patients in our community, state and nation," said Victor J. Dzau, M.D., president and chief executive officer of Duke University Health System. "At a time of uncertainty in the nation's health care environment, Duke Medicine is committed to providing the best care to its patients."

The magazine assesses 16 medical specialties at each of the 5,000 hospitals in the U.S. that are evaluated. The combined assessments of the specialties at each hospital form the basis for the overall hospital ranking. Eight of those specialty areas at Duke made the top 10 in this year's list, while four others placed highly in their respective honor roles.

Among the magazine's 2012-2013 specialty rankings for Duke are:

• Pulmonology #5
• Cardiology & Heart Surgery #7
• Ophthalmology #7
• Geriatrics #8
• Urology, #7
• Gynecology #8
• Orthopedics #9
• Rheumatology #10
• Nephrology #13
• Cancer #13
• Neurology & Neurosurgery #14

Duke Children's Hospital and Health Center was one of 80 facilities that made the rankings in at least one of the 10 specialties analyzed for U.S. News & World Report's 2012-13 Best Children's Hospitals.

Duke Children's Hospital admits roughly 165 patients a day. Nursing excellence is a priority, illustrated by the hospital's status as a Nurse Magnet facility.

Among the Pediatric rankings were Neonatology #11; Cardiology & Heart Surgery #24; Cancer #27; Urology #27; Diabetes & Endocrinology #28; Orthopedics #28; Nephrology#32; Neurology & Neurosurgery #34;Gastroenterology #42; and Pulmonology #44.

The rankings come just one month after Duke University Hospital became the first hospital in North Carolina to achieve the highest level in the N.C. Awards for Excellence program that recognizes exemplary business practices. The Level 4 designation positions Duke to participate at the national level in the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program, which assesses and designates model organizations for their leadership, strategic planning, customer service, workforce initiatives and other functions.

Durham is actively promoted as the place Where Great Things Happen, but it has also been known as the City of Medicine.  Health care is Durham's largest employment cluster. With health care like this, it's no wonder that medical tourism is a consideration in the marketing of Durham as a place.  "We often welcome through our Visitors Information Center those in town for treatment.  People come from around the world to see the specialists at Duke," said Sam Poley, the Director of Marketing and Communications for the Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau.

DPAC is Number One

Again, Durham, NC comes out tops on a list, this time in the form of its internationally recognized performing arts center.  DPAC - Durham Performing Arts Center was ranked by the industry publication Pollstar as being the second busiest theater in the world in their 2012 Midyear ranking of Worldwide Ticket Sales Top 100 Theatre Venues. 

That makes DPAC the busiest theater in the US, since the number one spot on the list is a theater in Mexico.  Durham's Carolina Theatre came in at 88th.

DPAC also recently won a top ranking from the consumer travel website, TripAdvisor - the theater now bears the site's Certificate of Excellence.  

This is a nice additional feather in Durham's cap.  Last week, Durham was ranked as the top market in the US for the creative class.

Well known as an open and accepting haven for those in, and those interested in, the arts, Durham is home to more than a dozen theaters which are well supported by the community and those who visit.  Learn more about Durham as a great place to visit by visiting on the web.

DPAC A Hit With Travelers

Since opening in November of 2008, DPAC - Durham Performing Arts Center has garnered national and international attention with its multitude of accolades.Consistently ranked one of the best attended theaters in the U.S. by Pollstar Magazine, DPAC has now been honored with a Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor.

With more than 50 million visitors each month, TripAdvisor is the world's largest travel website, enabling users to plan and have the perfect outing or trip. The Certificate of Excellence recognizes DPAC's perfect 5.0 rating among visitors for the past year. Unlike industry awards, this designation represents the experience of actual visitors to DPAC.

"What makes this honor so special is that TripAdvisor offers unsolicited feedback and ratings from real visitors," says Bob Klaus, General Manager of DPAC. "At DPAC our values are quality and service and the credit for this certificate of excellence really goes to our front line staff. They deliver these values with warmth, friendliness and an attention to detail that is the hallmark of our legendary red carpet customer service."

Operated under the direction of Nederlander and Professional Facilities Management, DPAC hosts over 200 performances a year including SunTrust Broadway at DPAC- spectacular touring Broadway productions, high-profile concert and comedy events, family shows and the American Dance Festival.

As Durham continues to grow as a visitors destination, DPAC sets a shining example for the type of experience a traveler can enjoy in the Bull City. DPAC is certainly one of the reasons that Durham is a great place to live, work and visit.

Picked Bits of History in Durham, NC

When Steve Martin (yes, the arrow-through-the-head, “wild and crazy guy” former SNL star, internationally-known comedian, actor and author) takes the stage at DPAC – Durham Performing Arts Center on June 3 with the Steep Canyon Rangers, he will play the banjo; it is an instrument he has mastered over decades of practice and play. 

 

But whatever does this have to do with history, you ask? A lot – sit tight.

Durham is home to many interesting collections.  There are deep and rich archives in the two university libraries here at Duke and NCCU, an amazing collection of early Americana at the Patterson’s Mill Country Store, the world’s largest collections of low brass instruments.

And banjos. 

Not just any banjos, either. Durham is home to the world’s largest privately held collection of Gibson flathead five-string Mastertone banjos made between 1930 and 1942. Seven of the approximately 140 known to exist in the world are here.  

Esoteric? Perhaps – but as the forbearer to which most current banjos owe their design, the collection is important.  In fact, owner Jim Mills considers himself a guardian of these instruments.  

As a professional musician, six time Grammy winner and six consecutive year recipient of the International Bluegrass Music Association Banjo Player of the year (the most ever), Mills is, very quietly, and international star in his own right who knows his stuff about banjos.  To the frustrated musicians reading this: he taught himself to play and for the 14 years he played with Ricky Skaggs many considered him one of the best in the world. His collection of awards certainly lends credit to that opinion. 

Mills operates a store and showroom here – almost a museum with its memorabilia and products for the serious banjo player.  Open by appointment only, aficionados will find parts, music, whole instruments, and lots of history…even an image of the aforementioned Mr. Martin who purchased one of his banjos from Mills.

Mills is, if nothing else, humble.  His business, career and collection of instruments are the result of continued hard work.  Only about 200 of the Gibson Mastertone banjos that Mills collects were ever made, and the collection is quite valuable.  According to Mills, “These are considered the Stradivari of banjos” as he referenced the most valuable and respected violins ever made.  He’d never admit it, but Mills and his banjo collection are a treasure equally valued here in Durham, where great things happen.

Durham Chefs on Beard Foundation Short List

Accolades for Durham, NC's culinary culture show no signs of slowing. Consistently featured as a top place in the US to eat, visit, relocate, and retire, Durhamites already know what all the fuss is about. For those still learning about this great place known for its diversity, openness and creativity, here’s yet another reason to take note.

The James Beard Foundation Awards announced the 2012 semifinalists and Durham's nationally acclaimed local chef culture is represented well. Scott Howell of Nana’s (a semifinalist last year as well) is a semifinalist in the Best Chef in the Southeast category, Sean Lily Wilson of Fullsteam Brewery is up for Outstanding Wine & Spirits Professional and Magnolia Grill looks to bring home Outstanding Restaurant honors.

Considered the Oscars of the food world, The James Beard Foundation Awards honor excellence in restaurants, chefs, wine service professionals, cookbook authors and food journalism each year. Without a doubt, Durham has found its place on the James Beard Foundation map.

From mobile food to some of the nation's most celebrated fine dining, Durham is a place where people turn for variety and quality.  Learn more Durham related food awards by searching the keyword "food" on the Durham Accolades website.

Durham's Magnolia Grill is Tops

People around the country and the world are aware that Durham is a dining hot spot.  Bon Appetit called Durham the Foodiest Small Town in America in 2008 and last year Durham was named on the New York Time's list of the "Top 41 Places in the World to Visit" citing it's food as a primary reason.  That NYT article was one of several on the matter that appeared in the publication.

Among Durham's best known restaurants is the Magnolia Grill. Just passing the 25 year mark in November, the restaurant holds two James Beard Awards (think Oscars, but for food) and more accolades than is reasonable to mention, though being number11 on Gourmet Magazine's list of Best Restaurants in the country bears repeating.

Today it was named by the News and Observer's restaurant critic, Greg Cox, as Restaurant of the Year. Magnolia Grill is a venerable mainstay that continues to push the envelope of discovery in the creation of new flavor and preparation within the contemporary Southern sphere. Alumni from the restaurant have opened restaurants both locally and far afield, as well as gone on to positions in some of the world's most notable operations.

Durham's food scene is in large part due to the continued, tireless efforts of the Magnolia Grill's proprietors, Karen and Ben Barker. Collectively, they provide culinary direction that wows guests nightly and provides a bar which many chefs in Durham aspire to reach and best. As the old saying goes, a rising tide lifts all boats.  In Durham, the Barker's have raised the knife and set a standard upon which those who live and visit can count for the quality of food and service.

Congratulations to the Magnolia Grill family for this achievement.  Congratulations also go to:

• Nana's for their Gold Medal 
• Fairview, Four Square, Revolution and Watts Grocery for their Silver Medals
• Blu Seafood and Bar, Dos Perros, Los Comales, and Vin Rouge for their Best in Class rankings
• G2B and Happy China for being among the Best New Restaurants

For a searchable list of all dining in Durham, see Durham's official visitor website dining section.

What Number One Means

Durham, NC is no stranger to the number one spot on rankings.  Again, on Monday, it was ranked as America's Most Tolerant City by Newsweek/The Daily Beast.  Number one is a nice spot to be on such a list, especially for a community that aggressively promotes its accepting and welcoming nature born of the community's diversity.  In short, everyone is welcome in Durham.

The ranking is certainly a nice accolade, but the public can benefit from some deeper understanding of the list before shouting from the roof tops.

First, rankings are ever more common in modern media for a several reasons. Media companies (yes, these are companies that need to make a profit like any other) are strapped, often more so than others, with thinning employment ranks due to shrinking revenue.  They, like everyone else, need to do more with less and deliver what the people want.  History provides myriad examples of people wanting to be, or know who is, number one.  In other words, rankings sell papers, magazines, and website hits and media often use them to achieve that goal to great effect.

Second, rankings are fairly easy to produce.  Without diminishing the value of this ranking--or any other--consider that these lists are usually more compiled than researched, and that they are not necessarily efforts journalistic in nature, but more so exercises in simple arithmetic.  They don't carry a lot of water in terms of scientific validity.  Additionally, these rankings are often based on criteria that can seem a bit arbitrary as they typically look at disparate and unrelated facts, and then draw conclusions therefrom.  Put another way, rankings like this aren't always an expression of a news organization's most arduous efforts.

Third, these rankings are rarely of cities.  The data they cite is often of a thing called a Metropolitan Statistical Area, or MSA.  The US Census Bureau creates MSAs based on populations in certain land areas.  For example, Durham is in the Durham-Chapel Hill MSA with Durham being the anchor of the four county area so named.  Those counties are Chatham, Durham, Orange and Person; not a city at all.  The Daily Beasts' study methodology states that the ranking "limited the cities under consideration to those with a population greater than 250,000 according to the U.S. Census Bureau." According to the US Census, the city of Durham has a population of 228,330.  This is a perfect example of improperly identifying an MSA as a city - a common error that is vexing to all, especially those in destination marketing.

Fourth, this ranking makes no mention of Durham's Latino population.  Residents from Central and South America make up, according to the US Census, 14.2% of the population in Durham. Perhaps not relative to the outcome, but worth noting as it relates to the overall value of the ranking.

If a destination is looking to hang its hat on a research study about a given aspect of their community, say tolerance or openness, then one with more scientific backbone is likely a better support.  Destination marketing thought-leader Reyn Bowman, President Emeritus of the Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau in Durham, NC wrote about openness recently on his blog Bull City Mutterings.  Reading the associated studies he cites quickly demonstrates that to measure a community characteristic such as tolerance or openness is both difficult and time consuming.  It's not as simple as pulling three details from three separate sources and using those pieces of data to indicate a statistically valid outcome.  The studies cited to generate these numbers are all sound in their own right, but the tabulation of them collectively to produce rankings yields data that just don't hold a lot of water.

Nonetheless, Durham, NC is a tolerant place - and no ranking is necessary to define that.  People in Durham, and those who visit, already know: it is accepting, diverse and anyone who so desires to be is welcomed.  For those interested in all the rankings that Durham has received, visit the website www.durhamaccolades.com on which rankings are organized in a searchable database.

So yeah, kudos to Durham for the ranking.  Residents always appreciate recognition of the fact that Durham is a place like no other, and that it really is where great things happen.

KaBOOM! Names Durham Among 151 “Playful City USA” Communities

For the third year in a row, Durham Parks and Recreation (DPR) has been recognized by KaBOOM! as a Playful City USA for its efforts to increase play opportunities for children.

The City of Durham was selected because of its outstanding dedication to play and its joint-use agreement with Durham Public Schools to enable public access to additional play spaces. The Board of Education and City Council adopted the agreement, which will go into effect this fall.  

“We are excited about receiving this designation again this year,” said Rhonda Parker, director of DPR. “Not only does it mean that we are doing a great job providing opportunities for our youth to play, but it makes us eligible to receive funding for outdoor recreation.”

Elsewhere in North Carolina, Albemarle, Creedmoor, Greenville, Hickory, and Mount Holly were also selected as Playful City USA communities.

The 151 Playful City USA communities are now eligible for grants via Let’s Play - a community partnership led by the Dr. Pepper Snapple Group to get kids active nationwide. The first Let’s Play initiative is a $15 million, three-year commitment to KaBOOM!. Together, through Let’s Play, Dr. Pepper Snapple Group and KaBOOM! will build or fix up 2,000 playgrounds by the end of 2013, benefiting an estimated five million children across North America.

Recipients of 2011 Let’s Play grants via the Playful City USA program will be announced on Monday, Sept. 19. A total of 103 grants worth $2.1 million are available to Playful City USA recognized cities and towns between 2011-13. Grants range in values of $30,000, $20,000 and $15,000. The $30,000 and $15,000 grants are available for projects relating to joint-use agreements and the $20,000 grants will be awarded to cities using the community playground build process. Cities also are eligible to receive multiple grants during the three-year period. Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, a member of the leadership circle within the KaBOOM! National Partner Program, is providing the funding for the grants. 

Geek...No, Really, It's a Compliment

Durham is often lauded, be it for its businesses, hospitals, food, art, theaters, festivals, lifestyle, and more.  But this latest one is special...really special.  Durham is receiving acclaim for being geeky.

Research Triangle Park is surrounded on three sides by the city of Durham with a small portion that spills into Wake county towards Morrisville and Apex. RTP is the home to some of the nation's biggest, smartest and most innovative businesses.  It, alongside many of Durham's other university and entrepreneurial assets make this ranking pretty clear.  Geeky or not, Durham is a true brain trust stronghold.

There is an accepted definition of geeky that was used for this ranking in Forbes. From the US National Science Foundation, a geek is defined as as any worker with a bachelor’s level of knowledge and education in science or engineering-related fields or workers in occupations that require some degree of technical knowledge or training, according to the Forbes article.

Lest readers be confused, here is a bit of an explanation to help clarify the ranking.  The city of Durham does not stand alone in this list - the rank is actually of MSAs, or Metropolitan Statistical Areas.  The one in which Durham lies, the Durham, NC MSA is actually made up of four counties: Chatham, Durham, Orange and Person.  Read between the lines and our close neighbor Chapel Hill deserves some credit here of which they were stripped by omission in the listing. 

The article references  the "Raleigh-Durham-Cary area" which is not an MSA, but a CMSA, or grouping of adjacent MSAs.  It is an all too common practice for rankings to say they are of cities and to actually be of MSAs.  Frankly, it's lazy journalism not to explain the difference, and an affront to readers that the media think the concept is too difficult to grasp and not germane to the facts of the story.  The Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau (DCVB), as Durham's official marketing agency and monitor of Durham's image, always likes to clarify the distinction.

"Rankings are low hanging fruit for the media.  They are easy to produce, highly subjective and can be built on just about any parameter or criteria to fit the need of the author," said Sam Poley, Director of Marketing and Communications at DCVB.  "Print media are weathering the economy poorly, their staff's are dwindling, and rankings sell.  We're always happy to be listed in quality rankings and we always dig into the methodology of a ranking to ensure that the science at least has some merit, as it does in this case," he added.

All Durham rankings and accolades are indexed on a database and searchable online at the Durham Accolades website maintained by DCVB.

Thanks to Durham blog Bull City Rising for being early out of bed today to report this news.  As usual, their work is exhaustive and complete.