The Raleigh Convention Center (RCC) has been home to the South Atlantic Fire Rescue Expo (SAFRE) since 2009. Since then, SAFRE has grown into one of the largest regional fire-rescue service expos. Kris Wyatt, Marketing & Conference Director for the North Carolina State Firefighters' Association, explains why SAFRE returns to Raleigh year after year and the role food and beverage play in that decision.
Interviewer: How important is finding a venue that fits the needs of exhibitors and attendees?
Wyatt: A huge percentage of the South Atlantic Fire Rescue Expo attendees and exhibitors return year after year. When they're comfortable in a venue, and they've received excellent service every year, that's what keeps them coming back time and time again. When your exhibitors are happy, and your attendees are happy at the same location, it doesn't get much better!
"There are certainly other venues that would fit our growth, but several years ago, our board of directors decided to tamp down our growth to fit the Raleigh Convention Center. That's how strong our relationship with RCC and Sodexo Live! is."
Interviewer: What role does the food and beverage experience play in the success of SAFRE?
Wyatt: It definitely impacts it. Our guests are, without a doubt, happy every year. They rave about the food, the service, and the people, and if you can get that, you've won the lottery. All I have to do is ask the Sodexo Live! team, 'Hey, we want to do this. Is this possible?' And the answer is always yes. Every time, they've accommodated every single thing.
We had a hurricane hit this year in the middle of the show. Many of our guests couldn't attend because they are first responders and had to be there to care for their communities. There was a lot of ebb and flow with our attendance and Sodexo Live! rolled with it and accommodated everything. I asked what we could do with all the extra food they had prepared because I didn't want it to go into the garbage and hoped we could find somewhere to donate it. They worked everything out and were great about the back and forth during the chaos of a hurricane.
Interviewer: How important is it to you to have food service providers that are accommodating to your food allergies and dietary restrictions?
Wyatt: I have a lot of food allergies myself! All the things that taste good to everybody else, I never get to eat. But I trust Sodexo Live! without a doubt. They are always very accommodating to all of my issues. We have guests with allergies or who are vegan, and they quickly accommodate all that. Sodexo Live! is just really good about doing all those things.
SAFRE's significant growth and success can largely be attributed to the strong partnership established with the Raleigh Convention Center and Sodexo Live! Their support has played a pivotal role in enabling SAFRE to thrive and expand, contributing to the event's overall success year after year.