Presenters

Dennis Edwards is the president and CEO for the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB), whose role is to sell and market Raleigh/Wake County as a tourist and meetings destination. Edwards has served in this capacity since April 2007.

Prior to joining the Greater Raleigh CVB, Edwards served as the senior vice president for the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau for 10 years. A 39-year CVB veteran, he was also the director of sales for the Greater Houston Convention & Visitors Bureau, and prior to that, served as the director of sales for the Palm Springs Desert Resorts Convention & Visitors Bureau.

He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the North Carolina Travel and Tourism Coalition, North Carolina Travel and Tourism, U.S. Travel Association, Downtown Raleigh Alliance, Triangle Trails Initiative, East Carolina Hospitality Management Advisory Board, Wake County Economic Development, Dorothea Dix Park Conservancy and the Regional Transportation Alliance. He also recently served on the Board of Directors for the American Society of Association Executives, Professional Convention Management Association and Destinations International, where he also served on the Foundation Board. He was an APEX Commissioner for the Convention Industry Council and also served on the International Association of Exhibitions and Events Exhibitor Advisory Council and is a past president for the Florida Chapter.