Visit Goldsboro, the travel and tourism department for the City of Goldsboro and Wayne County, has announced that Raleigh LaxFest is moving the boys division of their event to the Bryan Multi-Sports Complex in Goldsboro. The two-day lacrosse tournament will take place November 14-15, 2020, attracting over 150 teams from 10 different states as far away as Colorado and Michigan. This event is expected to generate nearly $300,000 of visitor spending in our local hotels, restaurants, retailers, and area businesses. Adhering to current safety guidelines and restrictions set by the CDC and the current NC Governor’s Order, both the City of Goldsboro and Raleigh LaxFest organization have implemented a safety action plan to ensure and protect the health of visiting athletes and local citizens.
“It’s no secret that the travel industry has taken a hit this year, so this event comes at a time of great need for our visitor economy,” says Ashlin Glatthar, director of travel and tourism for Goldsboro-Wayne County. “We’re honored that Raleigh LaxFest has chosen to relocate their event to the Bryan Multi-Sports Complex, and we are confident in our ability to find creative, safe ways to provide a genuine experience for athletes coming from all over the country. We hope their positive experience in Goldsboro will lead to a long-term partnership with LaxFest, and ultimately, growing the interest and participation of lacrosse throughout ENC.”
Jamie Legg, the director of strategic partnerships and marketing at Carolina Event Management, shares “The Raleigh LaxFest has grown from a tournament that started with just 28 teams six years ago to become one of the largest fall lacrosse events on the East Coast. We have always had a desire to find a multi-field facility that would allow us to have most of our games in a single location. The Bryan Multi-Sports Complex fits our needs very well, and we are looking forward to hosting a first-class event in this first-class facility!”
Raleigh LaxFest, which started in 2015, is a youth and high school lacrosse tournament organized by Carolina Event Management (CEM) based in the greater Raleigh area. CEM organizes other lacrosse tournaments and showcases throughout North Carolina and southern Virginia. In addition to running great events, the group aims to promote and help grow the game of lacrosse in areas where the sport is not traditionally played. The tournament is sanctioned by US Lacrosse and recognized as a national qualifier event.
“One of the advantages of moving to Goldsboro is that we can expose the community to this great game, and perhaps that will plant the seed for growth of the game in this area,” Legg explains.
To learn more about the tournament’s safety action plan, visit the link below or the Raleigh LaxFest website directly: http://www.raleighlaxfest.com/uploads/5/5/3/1/55318895/raleighlaxfest_covid19_actionplan.pdf
