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Chapel Hill will host some of the biggest names in government and technology this week at the Carolina Inn on UNC’s campus.
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The G20 innovation ministerial event — whose expected attendees include Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, and Howard Lutnick, the U.S. secretary of commerce — will run from Tuesday, Sept. 1 to Wednesday, Sept. 2.
The event is hosted by the Commerce Department and the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy. It follows the G20 finance ministerial in Asheville.
Here’s what to know about how the event could affect Chapel Hill residents and UNC students this week.
Expect heightened police presence. The Chapel Hill police department is coordinating with regional, state and federal agencies to secure the event.
“As is the case with any outside meeting or event taking place in Chapel Hill, our staff is working to help ensure public safety while also protecting the First Amendment rights of everyone who lives, works, and gathers in our community,” Chapel Hill Mayor Jess Anderson said in as part of a bulletin sent to the Chapel Hill community.
Traffic will be heavy on Columbia Street, West Cameron Avenue and Pittsboro Street. UNC and Chapel Hill are advising students and residents to allow extra time for their commutes.
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Don’t expect to be able to access the Carolina Inn property. Pedestrians won’t be able to cut through the property, and will need to walk around the block, UNC says.
Check the university’s operational status on AlertCarolina. UNC recommends bookmarking its operating status webpage to look for information about transportation, parking, bus timing and other campus resources. It also encourages signing up for AlertCarolina’s emergency notification system.
The Town of Chapel Hill also encourages signing up for municipal emergency notifications. You can sign up for Orange County Alerts online. The Town of Chapel Hill also shares emergency information online.
Students are planning a campus protest at the Old Well on Wednesday at 10 a.m. SunriseUNC is sharing information about the event on social media. “Do you care about humanity?” the post reads. “They don’t. And they’re coming to Chapel Hill. Let’s kick them out.”
The university says it’s aware of the plans and is committed to protecting free speech. On Tuesday night, students are hosting what they call a Protesting 101+ Teach-In at the Campus Y to prepare for the event.
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Tammy Grubb contributed to this report.