VenuesNow 2026 All-Star Honoree: Kerry Painter

Kerry Painter
Executive Director
Raleigh Convention & Performing Arts Complex

FAVORITE UNAFFILIATED VENUE TO SEE A SHOW
“Red Rocks was pretty spectacular! Can’t even remember the show, just the gorgeous experience.”

As executive director of the Raleigh Convention and Performing Arts Complex, Kerry Painter is at the center of a $425 million expansion project that will nearly double the size of the convention center while simultaneously relocating the popular Red Hat Amphitheater to a new location across the street and making improvements to the Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts.  The Complex also announced a new partnership with Atlantic Union Bank as the naming rights sponsor for the convention center, which is growing by 298,100 square feet to a total of 798,100 while adding a new 600-room Omni Hotel.

“The last year has been full of great wins for our Complex,” she says. “And we saw a need to acknowledge the important history of Raleigh’s Historic Fourth Ward Neighborhood, particularly the people of the Fourth Ward’s contributions to the arts and culture of Raleigh. That led to an effort to partner with the community to designate our portion of south downtown Raleigh as the Fourth Ward Entertainment District and create a brand that highlighted the story of an important place in Raleigh’s history.”

Big wins often come with equally large challenges including a roof fire at the existing convention center in December.

“We had to postpone, relocate, or move the events we had booked for December, but thanks to decisive teamwork, we were ready to welcome guests back by early January,” Painter says. “Our kitchen was the most impacted space, so for the first few months of 2026, we set up a remarkable mobile kitchen in Red Hat Amphitheater next to the convention center. That allowed us to give guests the same culinary experience they would’ve had if there had never been a fire.”

Painter is excited about the Red Hat Amphitheater opening in 2027 and the new convention center on track to debut in 2029.

“We’re seeing more people excited about being face-to-face, sharing spaces and experiences,” she says. “And we’ve been working hard to craft new, bigger, better spaces so that when they get here, they’re having memorable moments that make them want to keep coming back.”