![Benchmarking](https://res.cloudinary.com/caboose/image/upload/c_scale,f_auto,q_auto:best,w_800/caboose/media/15193059_benchmarking_huge.png)
2023 | Raleigh, NC
The Chamber visited the City of Oaks, a nickname Raleigh shares with Tuscaloosa, on its 2023 benchmarking trip, where dozens of dignitaries from our area travel together to relatively comparable communities that are thriving to try and learn their secrets.
The trip included panels and talks and Q&A sessions hosted in some of the area's most interesting and attractive venues, including the North Carolina Museum of Natural History, the 28th floor of City Club Raleigh and the stunningly beautiful American Tobacco Campus in Durham.
Topics of discussion included economic development for white-collar recruitment, talent retention, how to thoughtfully prioritize arts and culture, effective public transportation infrastructure, and, at the center of all of it, the "region first" mentality that has allowed the Raleigh area to thrive.
![Benchmarking](https://res.cloudinary.com/caboose/image/upload/c_scale,f_auto,q_auto:best,w_1400/caboose/media/15193060_img_8038_huge.jpg)