Fifteen years after joining the Wilmington Convention Center as its first executive chef, Scott Frazzetta took over the top role at the facility this fall.
Frazzetta was promoted in October to general manager of the facility, which also opened 15 years ago in downtown Wilmington.
The facility on the Cape Fear River houses 107,000 square feet of event space and has hosted 2,000 events since it first opened. Frazzetta has been there in some capacity over those years, with roles that included overseeing food-and-beverage operations, client services and team development before moving into broader facility management.
He fills the GM role from Fredia Brady, who moved to Savannah, Georgia, earlier this year to return to work at the Savannah Convention Center.
Frazzetta recently talked about the Wilmington center’s anniversary and what’s ahead for the facility that draws both local events as well as out-of-town conference visitors.
The Wilmington Convention Center, situated along the Cape Fear River and Nutt Street, was an island of development when it was first built. Frazzetta on how the block has changed:
“When we opened in 2010, we were surrounded by dirt – no marina, no amphitheater, no hotels, no apartments. Now there’s life in every direction – concerts at Live Oak Bank Pavilion, new hotels, apartments, retail. It’s completely transformed this side of downtown, and it’s exciting to see how far Wilmington has come.”
The center at 10 Convention Center Drive opened its doors in November 2010. A year after the facility’s grand opening celebration, held Jan. 13, 2011, the $62 million, city-owned convention center, constructed over a three-year period, began circulating among event planners and tourism officials.
“We came in ready to hit the ground running. From the beginning, the entire team brought fresh energy and a sense of ownership – learning the building, understanding the space and figuring out how to make experiences come together with new people, new plans, new everything. It was fun. …
“I was in love with our kitchen. Everything was sparkling and brand new. My goal was to keep that kitchen as clean as it was from day one. Fifteen years later, that kitchen still looks really good. …
“In the beginning, it was all about how big of an event we could handle. Every time we thought we’d reached our limit, we pushed it further. Our largest plated dinner was about 2,100 guests – a large military group that filled both the exhibit hall and ballroom. That was by our second or third year, and it was more than what we were designed for, but we got creative and made it work. …
“We hosted so many weddings on the event lawn in those first few years. A lot of couples began their stories here – their first look, their ceremony, their reception – and those moments became part of the building’s story too.”
More than 1 million people have attended events at the center since it opened. Looking ahead, Frazzetta said more space would likely be a priority.
“I’d love to see us expand. We’re using every square foot efficiently, but there are times when demand exceeds availability … so we’re missing opportunities. An expansion would allow us to host larger conventions and keep groups in Wilmington that might otherwise need to look elsewhere – generating more hotel stays, more restaurant traffic and greater overall benefit for the city. The demand is there.”
Frazzetta said he sees his role as the convention center’s new general manager in part as a kind of brand ambassador.
“My top priority is enhancing the guest experience by finding new ways to make every event memorable, even for groups that return year after year. We want visitors to leave with a true sense of Wilmington, whether that’s through our hospitality, the riverfront view or local flavors featured on our catering menu."
