Release Date:
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2014
SOUTHERN PINES, NC – FEBRUARY 18, 2014 – The Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen Area Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) is partnering with Sandhills Community College (SCC) to provide training for local volunteers who will be interacting with 400,000+ visitors expected in June for the historic back-to-back U.S. Open and Women’s Open golf championships. “This new initiative is an important part of Moore County being able to roll out the red carpet. Providing good visitor information services are essential, and that requires training,” commented Caleb Miles, president and CEO of the CVB.
The CVB will operate visitor information centers during the championships at Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU), the CVB main office in Southern Pines, the main and auxiliary U.S. Open entrance gates at Pinehurst No. 2 and other potential locations.
The training will be available to hotels, restaurants, golf courses and other local businesses to ensure visitors receive the best hospitality the area has to offer. The training will be held at SCC’s Dedman Center in early May and will cover the following topics:
- Overview of the U.S. Open Championships Operation
- History of the Area
- Tourism Products and Services available Locally
- FAQ’s and how to provide Directions
- Explanation of Resources available at CVB Locations
- Customer Service
Alan Duncan, associate dean of continuing education at SCC, said, “the college is excited about being able to help.” Each session will likely run two hours. Certificates of completion will be awarded at the end of the session. For more information about the training or other volunteering opportunities, contact Cristy at the CVB (910) 692-3330, ext. 242.
The championships are expected to have a potential state economic impact of over $168 million. Become a part of this historic event.
The Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen Area Convention & Visitors Bureau is an economic development organization and non-profit authority of Moore County, North Carolina. The CVB mission is to promote the area as a destination for visitors, meetings, conventions and tours. The CVB is funded primarily by a three percent hotel / motel room occupancy tax paid by visitors to Moore County.
