Raleigh Convention Center — Attraction in Raleigh

The Raleigh Convention Center might be good for other events but I hope that administrators for Wake County can find a better venue high school graduations. The staff there were knowledgeable and friendly. There are three/four key areas that made the graduation experience subpar. First was the sound system. There was audible feedback that prevented music from being played by instruments at the same time as singing. Additionally, student speakers were barely audible at times. Second, was the seating. Seating for a graduation should be stadium seating. The seating arrangement for the graduation had the friends and family on the same level as the graduates. The screens in the convention center were great but if I wanted to stay home and watch the stream I could have done that. Third was the accessibility. The accessibility of the layout was the worst requiring multiple steps / escalators and elevators to get to the seating area. The event was not friendly to the elderly, those with disabilities and those taking care of people needing extra help. On top of all that parking came at a cost. The cost of parking varied by deck. Parking should be free. Having to pay for parking is inconsiderate. I would urge Wake County administrators and Wake County high schools to make changes so that high school graduation can be a...

I had a very two good days here meeting some amazing people, and I got to meet Grey DeLisle here for the second time (my all-time favorite actress and idol) which is literally the ONLY reason this is getting two stars and not one star, because the event staff and volunteers here are INCREDIBLY rude and aggressive and are just straight up a-holes. They act like top-flight security when they literally DO NOT get paid to do what they do, are NOT licensed security guards by the PPSB and overreact to everything and are incredibly pushy and condescending to the point to where even the volunteers fight and argue amongst themselves and don't like each other either. There were actual licensed security companies and city police officers on duty there and they were far more respectful and easygoing than the event staff and volunteers themselves. Had I not had to deal with the insufferability of the event staff and volunteers, this review would've probably received a 5-star rating. I just hope I can go to another convention center next year, because outside of the event itself, this place is an absolute mess with the morons who run this place as they don't know how to talk to or interact with people, they act like your average store manager you'd see at a Harris Teeter...

Drove down to check out a gaming convention. This is my first time checking the scene. It was cool to see all the dota 2 personalities up close. Great set up, great energy, lots of staff, pretty chill. There were food trucks outside and vendors inside. And I loved how they had all the team logos up on the front entrance who were competing. Very welcoming.

Two critiques: Lots of security (which is good) but felt like most were redirecting foot traffic. Most were probably walking from parking, and you had to walk around the building to the front. Meanwhile you pass a couple of entrances which were used by the players and staff. Secondly, I wish some of the vendors stayed longer. One of the matches dragged on and I wish beer and food was available.

Overall, i had a fun time. I thought it was organized well and the staff were friendly and helpful. It was an all day thing so take breaks. I took breaks walking to my car and to a mini mart couple blocks away, maybe bring a cushion. I do wish the cafe and food/beer vendors were opened til later for unexpected longer games, but I also get it. I drove from NJ to check this out. I'm thankful the event was organized well and i got to go. Now I can comfortably enjoy highlights on YouTube...