Tuesday Talk: Savannah Convention Center’s Action Star

Tuesday Talk rounds up the latest Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA) news you might have missed and also points forward to upcoming events on our campus. Lidija Ahmetovic, Atlanta-based sales manager for the GWCCA-managed Savannah Convention Center (SCC), has been named as a member of Connect Corporate magazine’s 2020 40 Under 40 class recognizing […]

The Tip-off: The Final Four that never was still made community impact

Georgia World Congress Center Authority’s (GWCCA) downtown Atlanta campus was sure to be brimming with excitement and activity in celebration of college basketball during the first weekend in April. The champs would cut down the nets and the “One Shining Moment” montage would scroll on millions of screens. The culmination of March Madness wasn’t supposed […]

Tuesday Talk: GWCCA salutes Administrative Professionals Day

Tuesday Talk rounds up the latest Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA) news you might have missed and also points forward to upcoming events on our campus. On March 13 – Friday the 13th no less – Sharde Glore and her fellow administrative assistants in the Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA) sales department packed […]

Tuesday Talk: Blue, Black and Gold

Tuesday Talk rounds up the latest Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA) news you might have missed and also points forward to upcoming events on our campus. ICYMI (In Case You Missed It): Lighting up the downtown evening landscape last Thursday (April 9), the collection of facilities on the Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA) […]

Tuesday Talk: GWCC’s new exhibit hall wins industry award

Tuesday Talk rounds up the latest Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA) news you might have missed and also points forward to upcoming events on our campus. While the Georgia World Congress Center’s (GWCC) new $55 million expansion exhibit hall is already a hit with customers, the project is also earning construction industry respect. Exhibit […]

Meet The Authoricast, GWCCA’s new podcast

We’re pleased to announce that the Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA) has joined the dynamic world of podcasting. Hosted and produced by GWCCA Marketing Specialist Parker Hendricks and this blog author (Sr. Staff Writer Kent Kimes), the debut episode of The Authoricast was released today. You can check it out here. Episodes will be […]

Tuesday Talk: The Night the Lights Went Out at GWCCA

Tuesday Talk rounds up the latest Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA) news you might have missed and also points forward to upcoming events on our campus. When the lights went out Saturday night (March 28) on GWCCA’s downtown Atlanta campus it wasn’t an accident, grid malfunction or anything to do with the coronavirus pandemic. Rather, […]

GWCCA’s Frank Poe: Leader, Mentor, Motivator, Icon

Frank Poe had it mapped out – he was going to be a history teacher.  Instead, he’s making history within the convention, sports and events industry – while continually teaching, leading and inspiring his staff and earning the adulation of his peers.  “He’s an icon within the industry,” said Al Rojas, General Manager of the Jackson Convention Complex in Jackson, Miss. Rojas worked […]

Trailblazers: Women leaders making their mark at GWCCA

Like the business side of sports and the landscape of national politics, women are also changing the fabric of public assembly facilities – and the Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA) is a leading force. According to the Atlanta-based Castell Project, a non-profit focused on increasing diversity in hospitality industry leadership, men are 10 times […]

Tuesday Talk: Meet the GWCCA’s new sustainability and CSR Manager

Tuesday Talk rounds up the latest Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA) news you might have missed and also points forward to upcoming events on our campus. If you’re an Atlanta baseball fan, you’ve probably seen or heard of Los Bravos, an outreach/branding campaign targeting the local Latino community. The person who spearheaded that program […]

Landmarks & Legacies: Zell Miller Conference Center

A public servant, best-selling author, educator, military veteran, and Fox News contributor, Zell Miller was a man of many hats. On the cusp of the two-year anniversary (March 23, 2018) of his death, this installment of Landmarks & Legacies looks at the origins of the Zell Miller Conference Center at the Georgia World Congress Center […]

Tuesday Talk: Centennial Olympic Park Visitor Center Update

Tuesday Talk rounds up the latest Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA) news you might have missed and also points forward to upcoming events on our campus. Amid the concerns surrounding COVID-19, Discover Atlanta’s Visitor Information Center at Centennial Olympic Park is closed through March 27, while the Park itself remains open to pedestrian traffic. […]

Tuesday Talk: Haley, Mannings and Jost headlining MODEX 2020

Tuesday Talk rounds up the latest Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA) news you might have missed and also points forward to upcoming events on our campus. MODEX, the largest manufacturing and supply chain expo of 2020, continues its star-studded lineup at the Georgia World Congress Center (GWCC), including keynote speakers Peyton Manning and Archie […]

Landmarks & Legacies: Soccer ball sculpture at Mercedes-Benz Stadium is a kick

Landmarks & Legacies is an occasional unConventional blog series exploring the various identifying and distinctive physical features of the GWCCA campus. Perhaps you’ve posed for a selfie with the enormous, reflective stainless steel soccer ball overlooking The Home Depot Backyard when you attended an Atlanta United game at state-of-the-art Mercedes Benz Stadium (MBS). But did […]

Tuesday Talk: Halsey added to JamFest lineup at Centennial Olympic Park

Tuesday Talk rounds up the latest Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA) news you might have missed and also points forward to upcoming events on our campus. Completing an all-female lineup for the Capital One JamFest at Centennial Olympic Park, pop singer-songwriter Halsey, along with up-and-coming artist Tayla Parx, will open for megastar Taylor Swift. […]

It’s official, GWCCA is a top place to work

The No. 1 convention, sports, and entertainment destination in the world is also a great place to work. Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA) was awarded a Top Workplaces 2020 honor by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, featured today (March 1) in a special section of the newspaper. The list is based solely on employee feedback gathered […]

The Tip-off: Come on, let’s bounce on GWCCA’s championship campus

Remember that epic fast food commercial with basketball legends Larry Bird and Michael Jordan sinking outlandish shots while playing a game of H.O.R.S.E. that spilled out of the gym and into urban environments? “Off the expressway, over the river, off the billboard, through the window, off the wall – nothing but net,” says Jordan as […]

Tuesday Talk: Getting revved up for Atlanta International Auto Show

Tuesday Talk rounds up the latest Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA) news you might have missed and also points forward to upcoming events on our campus. One of the Georgia World Congress Center’s (GWCC) longest-running and most popular public events returns this week as the 38th annual Atlanta International Auto Show (AIAS) sets up […]

Landmarks & Legacies: GWCC’s Sidney J. Marcus Auditorium

Landmarks & Legacies is an occasional unConventional blog series exploring the various identifying and distinctive physical features of the GWCCA campus. Thirty-five years ago today, the Georgia World Congress Center’s (GWCC) largest auditorium took on the name of one of the convention center’s most ardent supporters. The 1,726-seat Sidney J. Marcus Auditorium in GWCC’s Building […]

Tuesday Talk: Finally, The Rock has come back to GWCCA

Tuesday Talk rounds up the latest Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA) news you might have missed and also points forward to upcoming events on our campus. ICYMI (In Case You Missed It): Last week Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and his business partner Dany Garcia announced that their multi-faceted event Athleticon is coming to the […]

The Tip-off: GWCCA campus embraces fourth Final Four

It won’t be the first time the GWCCA campus has gone dancing. Hosting the culmination of The Big Dance for the fourth time, GWCCA’s 220-plus acre downtown Atlanta campus and surrounding area are poised to transform into a hotbed of hoops for the 2020 NCAA Final Four the first weekend in April. While the GWCCA […]

Tuesday Talk: The D-OH Double G at C.O.P.

Tuesday Talk rounds up the latest Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA) news you might have missed and also points forward to upcoming events on our campus. ICYMI (In Case You Missed It): The suddenly controversial again rapper Snoop Dogg has joined the lineup for 2020 Sweetwater 420 Fest taking place April 24-26 at Centennial […]

Landmarks & Legacies: Centennial Olympic Park Magnolia Tribute Garden

Landmarks & Legacies is an occasional unConventional blog series exploring the various identifying and distinctive physical features of the GWCCA campus. What do you give philanthropists as a thank you gift? For the people and organizations that donated $27 million to a capital renovation plan to reimagine Centennial Olympic Park, logoed tchotchkes didn’t seem appropriate. […]

Tuesday Talk: Poultry, meats and sweet treats

Tuesday Talk rounds up the latest Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA) news you might have missed and also points forward to upcoming events on our campus. Expand it and they will come. While the final numbers aren’t verified yet, last week’s International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) at the Georgia World Congress Center (GWCC) […]

The Tip-off: Final Four reading competition a slam dunk with students

Selection Sunday is one of the most exciting days in collegiate sports. It’s when NCAA basketball teams find out if they’re going to the Big Dance. The tournament brackets are revealed on live TV, and the broadcast usually features the jubilant reactions of players and their fans/fellow students. Channeling that aura of excitement and anticipation, […]

Tuesday Talk: GWCC’s new $55 million exhibit hall open for business

Tuesday Talk rounds up the latest Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA) news you might have missed and also points forward to upcoming events on our campus. With a snip of over-sized scissors, the Georgia World Congress Center’s (GWCC) brand new $55 million expansion exhibit hall made its official debut today (Jan. 28). On the […]

Tuesday Talk: Mayor invokes MLK, touts Final Four as a unifier

Tuesday Talk rounds up the latest Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA) news you might have missed and also points forward to upcoming events on our campus. Last week’s tipoff event to promote the return of the NCAA Men’s Final Four to Atlanta and the GWCCA campus also coincided with a significant milestone in the […]

The Tip-off: Final Four fever heating up on GWCCA campus

We don’t yet know what quartet of college and university teams will be represented here, but many of the other pieces of a fantastic NCAA Men’s Final Four are coming together. And the Georgia World Congress Center Authority’s (GWCCA) downtown Atlanta campus will be the epicenter of Final Four activity. Welcome to The Tip-off, a […]

Tuesday Talk: GWCCA shines on the silver screen again

Tuesday Talk rounds up the latest Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA) news you might have missed and also points forward to upcoming events on our campus. ICYMI (In Case You Missed It): The Tiffany Haddish-Rose Byrne-Salma Hayek comedy “Like a Boss,” which opened in theaters nationwide on Friday (Jan. 10), features scenes filmed at […]

Landmarks & Legacies: Whimsical mural spices up Centennial Olympic Park visitors center

Welcome to Landmarks & Legacies, a new unConventional series exploring many of the distinctive physical features, prominent landscapes, public art displays, historic monuments, and architectural idiosyncrasies of the Georgia World Congress Center Authority’s (GWCCA) 220-plus acre downtown Atlanta campus. You may ask, why is there a giant stainless steel peach sculpture on the GWCCA’s East […]

Tuesday Talk: Mouse in the house for MomoCon 2020

Tuesday Talk rounds up the latest Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA) news you might have missed and also points forward to upcoming events on our campus. MomoCon, the self-described “all-ages geek culture convention in Atlanta” that will return to the Georgia World Congress Center (GWCC) over Memorial Day weekend, has added the world’s most […]

Tuesday Talk: GWCCA’s super year in review

Tuesday Talk rounds up the latest Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA) news you might have missed and also points forward to upcoming events on our campus. It’s the last day of 2019, and what a year it was for the GWCCA. It began with a bang as the GWCCA campus hosted a flurry of […]

Tuesday Talk: GWCCA's super year in review

Tuesday Talk rounds up the latest Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA) news you might have missed and also points forward to upcoming events on our campus. It’s the last day of 2019, and what a year it was for the GWCCA. It began with a bang as the GWCCA campus hosted a flurry of […]

Tuesday Talk: 2019 Christmas Eve edition

Tuesday Talk rounds up the latest Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA) news you might have missed and also points forward to upcoming events on our campus. Even though it’s holiday time with many people off work, on family vacations and schools dismissed for winter break this week, the beat goes on at the No. 1 […]

Tuesday Talk: Walking in an International Winter Wonderland

Tuesday Talk rounds up the latest Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA) news you might have missed and also points forward to upcoming events on our campus. ICYMI (In Case You Missed It): The latest episode of the GWCCA’s online video series “Center of Attention” dropped yesterday and this time the attention is centered on […]

Last-minute GWCCA Holiday Gift Guide for 2019

It’s that time of year again. The gift-giving season is upon us, leaving shoppers with the task of trying to find out-of-the-ordinary, yet affordable options, all while the clock is ticking. But here’s a bit of holiday cheer: unConventional has done the legwork for you. Here are some easy, unConventional if you will, gift ideas […]

420 Fest at Centennial Olympic Park adds to 2020 lineup

The Grammy Award-winning rock act Cage the Elephant has joined Sweetwater 420 Fest at Centennial Olympic Park as 2020 headliners while Gary Clark, Jr. was dropped from the lineup due to scheduling conflicts. Cage the Elephant is just one of several performing acts announced today bolstering the festival’s previously-revealed lineup that includes Phish frontman Trey […]

Tuesday Talk: Behind the scenes with “Richard Jewell” location scout

Tuesday Talk rounds up the latest Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA) news you might have missed and also points forward to upcoming events on our campus. With the controversial “Richard Jewell” film hitting theaters nationwide on Friday (Dec. 13), interest in the events surrounding the deadly 1996 bomb blast at Centennial Olympic Park is […]

Tuesday Talk: Behind the scenes with "Richard Jewell" location scout

Tuesday Talk rounds up the latest Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA) news you might have missed and also points forward to upcoming events on our campus. With the controversial “Richard Jewell” film hitting theaters nationwide on Friday (Dec. 13), interest in the events surrounding the deadly 1996 bomb blast at Centennial Olympic Park is […]

Tuesday Talk: A game-changing year for GWCCA

Tuesday Talk rounds up the latest Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA) news you might have missed and also points forward to upcoming events on our campus. Game changer – a newly introduced element or factor that changes an existing situation or activity in a significant way. – Merriam-Webster The GWCCA is changing the game […]

Tuesday Talk: A buzz of a ride, esports champs and holiday celebrations

Tuesday Talk rounds up the latest Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA) news you might have missed and also points forward to upcoming events on our campus. ICYMI (In Case You Missed It): Bee Downtown founder and CEO Leigh-Kathryn Bonner and the beehives her company provides and maintains on the Authority campus are featured in […]

Greenbuild shines green light on GWCCA’s green campus

The exterior of Mercedes-Benz Stadium was bathed in green light Thursday (Nov. 21) night, while inside the venue Atlanta-based rockers Collective Soul headlined the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo’s Greenbuild Celebration. The first professional sports stadium in the U.S. to achieve LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum status, it was a fitting site […]

Tuesday Talk: Holiday party booking tips, Greenbuild Expo, and COP’s International Winter Wonderland

Tuesday Talk rounds up the latest Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA) news you might have missed and also points forward to upcoming events on our campus. You’re in charge of the office holiday party planning committee, and the theme is lined up, date narrowed down, entertainment booked, but oops – it’s almost Thanksgiving and […]

Tuesday Talk: T. Swift headlines free Final Four fest at Centennial Olympic Park

Tuesday Talk rounds up the latest Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA) news you might have missed and also points forward to upcoming events on our campus. ICYMI (In Case You Missed It): Taylor Swift is returning to the GWCCA campus for the third stint in five years as the NCAA announced late last week […]

unConventional rises like a Phoenix at public relations awards show

You are reading an award-winning blog. No fooling, unConventional, which was launched by the Georgia World Congress Center Authority’s (GWCCA) Marketing and Communications team in March 2018, has won its first industry award. At tonight’s Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Georgia chapter’s annual Phoenix Awards ceremony at Cobb Energy Centre, the GWCCA, along with […]

Tuesday Talk: A Spectacular return to Centennial Olympic Park

Tuesday Talk rounds up the latest Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA) news you might have missed and also points forward to upcoming events on our campus. A month shy of the 1-year anniversary of its original installation at Centennial Olympic Park, The Spectacular is back. Removed from the Park in late September for maintenance, […]

GWCCA’s new hillside urban garden connects and protects pollinators

Campus Horticulturalist Steve Ware has to fight his basic landscaping instincts when it comes to the Georgia World Congress Center Authority’s (GWCCA) new urban pocket garden. Installed on a steep grade off of Ivan Allen Jr., Blvd. in an area known affectionally as “Goat Hill,” Ware’s latest campus horticulture venture is designed to sustain native […]

Tuesday Talk: Big rigs, MLS playoffs and Halloween treats

Tuesday Talk rounds up the latest Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA) news you might have missed and also points forward to upcoming events on our campus. With gleaming new big rigs lined up out front on Andrew Young International Blvd., it can only mean one thing: the North American Commercial Vehicle (NACV) Show is […]

Imagine a day without water on the GWCCA campus?

H20 doesn’t necessarily come to mind when you think about the Georgia World Congress Center Authority’s (GWCCA) sprawling 220-acre downtown Atlanta campus. Yet, water plays an important day-to-day role, from operations to aesthetics to the guest experience. For instance, what would Centennial Olympic Park be without its iconic Fountain of Rings which provides hours of […]

Tuesday Talk: Sweetwater 420 Fest artists revealed, Cool Globes surround coolest stadium

Tuesday Talk rounds up the latest Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA) news you might have missed and also points forward to upcoming events on our campus. Sweetwater 420 Fest is coming back to Centennial Olympic Park in 2020 with a double-dose of Phish frontman Trey Anastasio. Anastasio will perform at the three-day event with […]