Museum Director Emlyn Koster receives Thad Eure Jr. Memorial Award
For immediate release ‐ September 14, 2015
Contact: Emelia Cowans-Taylor, 919.707.9837. Images available upon request
Museum Director Emlyn Koster receives Thad Eure Jr. Memorial Award at 2015 GRCVB Annual Meeting
RALEIGH — North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences Director Emlyn Koster, Ph.D. was in the winners’ circle at the 2015 Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau (GRCVB) Annual Meeting last Thursday, August 27, held at the Raleigh Convention Center. Koster won the Thad Eure Jr. Memorial Award, the Bureau’s longest running and most prestigious award recognizing an individual or organization that has made a major impact on the Wake County hospitality industry.
In October 2014, Koster and Museum staff hosted the annual conference of the Association of Science–Technology Centers, drawing more than 1,700 delegates representing 42 countries, and generating $2.25 million dollars of direct visitor spending. Many of the conference sessions were held at the Raleigh Convention Center. This was the second large-scale gathering hosted by the Museum. Evolution 2014, the premier annual opportunity for sharing scientific research related to evolution, brought close to 2,000 attendees from 38 countries to the Triangle. Future international conferences coming to the Museum include The Wildlife Society Annual Conference in Fall, 2016 and CitSci2017, the annual meeting of the Citizen Science Association, February 23 – 25, 2017.
“The external meaning of the Museum as an intensely collaborative institution starts locally and extends globally,” says Koster. “All of us at the Museum are thrilled to be part of such a vibrant community that continues to be ranked among many impressive urban metrics to gauge the standards of living, learning, working and playing. Those in the business community can certainly rely on this Museum doing its part, providing superior learning opportunities for the next generation of scientists and leaders and being the perfect iconic location for many organizations to host events that bolster the economy in the Triangle.”
The theme of this year’s meeting was Brand Raleigh, a new destination brand strategy campaign that shows that Raleigh is more than a blossoming Southern metropolis. It’s a place where visitors feel enriched and energized by its smart, savvy, bright-minded locals who head top-tier technology, education and life science institutions; cultural and culinary touchstones; and storytellers who proudly carry on the collective heritage of a rich, historic capital city. Koster was featured during a presentation by GRCVB Marketing Director Jonathan Freeze, to illustrate how local visionaries will be highlighted throughout the campaign. For more information about Brand Raleigh, visit, www.raleighncbrand.com.