In July, Georgia World Congress Center Authority team members took their brand service promise to create compelling experiences off championship campus as a team of volunteers served at Open Hand Atlanta, packing nearly two thousand health-promoting meals for their neighbors who are homebound, disabled, or simply too sick to prepare their own meals.
Austin Simmons July 31,2023As part of Georgia World Congress Center Authority’s commitment to support sustainability on its campus and throughout its community, GWCCA team members dug in at Truly Living Well Center for Natural Urban Agriculture in April. Truly Living Well is the largest urban farm in Georgia, and it educates and trains the community to achieve sustainable … Read More
Austin Simmons April 25,2023The inaugural Making HERstory Tea event wrapped up The Authority’s Women’s History Month celebrations on Wednesday with a fireside chat between GWCCA’s Chief Administrative Officer Jen LeMaster and Director of Strategic Partnerships Shavannia Williams. The fireside chat was followed by a panel discussion with women leaders from the convention, sports, and entertainment industry from around Atlanta.
Austin Simmons March 30,2023GWCCA team members have been volunteering at the re:loom store throughout the month of March, where they work on repurposing recycled fabrics to make new products for the community.
Austin Simmons March 20,2023Georgia World Congress Center hosted the 9/11 Day Foundation’s annual National Day of Service and Remembrance community service activity for Atlanta last Saturday. In remembrance of the 20th anniversary of the attacks of September 11, 2001, the foundation hosted a meal packing event in Building C of GWCC. The 9/11 Day is a non-profit created … Read More
Janet Sevilla September 14,2021GWCCA bees are back and bee-tter than ever! But what exactly have our bees been up to this year? In January, our bees were in a temporary location near our loading docks, awaiting a brand new home adjacent to the beltline connector. Inside the hives, the honeybees were clustered in a ball around the queen … Read More
Leigh-Kathryn Bonner June 21,2021On the newest episode of The Authoricast we have a chat with the founder and CEO of Bee Downtown, Leigh-Kathryn Bonner as a part of our earth month content here at GWCCA.. Bee Downtown installs and maintains beehives on corporate campuses including ours, that rebuild healthy honeybee populations while simultaneously powering Employee Engagement Programming and … Read More
Parker HendricksTo celebrate Earth Month, Georgia World Congress Center Authority Executive Chef Billy Velasquez and Janet Sevilla (Manager, Sustainability & CSR) offered a simple recipe utilizing fresh honey from on-site bees to make at home. The GWCC Peach Salad utilizes poached peaches and the house special Green Goodness Honey Dressing.
Randy LiebermanGeorgia World Congress Center Authority and Bee Downtown are happy to welcome back bees to Championship Campus! The partnership between GWCCA’s Corporate Sustainability & Responsibility department and Bee Downtown is in its fourth year of existence.
Randy LiebermanWith Earth Day celebrating its 50th anniversary on Wednesday (April 22), it’s a great opportunity to dive into the recently-published results from the world’s largest gathering of green building professionals dedicated to sustainability in the built environment. We’re talking about the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo, of course, which was held in November on the … Read More
Tim Trefzer April 20,2020Tuesday 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, … Read More
Kent Kimes March 31,2020As 2019 comes to a close, taking stock of the year’s accomplishments is top of mind for many businesses and organizations, and the Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA) is no exception. The Authority continued to fulfill its mission of creating economic benefits for the Peach State and its capital city in 2019. But new … Read More
Jennifer Tinker December 27,2019The 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 … Read More
Kent Kimes November 22,2019Campus 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 … Read More
Kent Kimes November 1,2019H20 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 … Read More
Kent Kimes October 23,2019The Georgia World Congress Center Authority’s (GWCCA) downtown Atlanta campus hosts hundreds of events each year. From top trade shows and conventions to major sporting events to outdoor music festivals, the GWCCA hosts it all. But what happens to the trash after these mega-events end? Many people don’t think about this. To put on a sizeable trade … Read More
Melanie Vaughn October 10,2019Around the corridors, office spaces and massive concourses inside the facilities that make up the Georgia World Congress Center Authority’s (GWCCA) downtown Atlanta complex, Mashid Irvani is widely known as “The Plant Lady.” Irvani, an interior plant specialist for The Garden Design Group, is, in fact, THE Plant Lady, by trade and in spirit. In … Read More
Kent Kimes September 20,2019Waste diversion. Carbon footprint. Net positive. Circular economy. Materiality matrix. Sustainability in the public arena isn’t just a bunch of buzzwords, it’s sound business practices, smart marketing and making our cities better places to live. And organizations – especially government agencies – need to shout from the rooftops about their measurable sustainability initiatives in easily-relatable … Read More
Kent Kimes September 13,2019Tuesday 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 the GWCCA’s good neighbor, State Farm Arena, took its sustainability game to a new level, making the country’s greenest concentration of public assembly venues and attractions … Read More
Kent Kimes June 18,2019Every 8 minutes the American Red Cross (ARC) responds to someone in crisis. Hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, wildfires, home fires, flooding, and other natural disasters can strike at any time, in any place in the world. In the last two weeks alone, dangerous storms have wreaked havoc from the Midwest to the Northeast, resulting in at … Read More
Jennifer Tinker May 29,2019Atlanta has officially sent the National Football League (NFL) packing for Miami after hosting a successful Super Bowl LIII. While the majority of football-related events wrapped up in February, the Golden Shovel Ceremony didn’t take place until May 9. Each year, the NFL’s Environmental Program leaders, Jack Groh and Susan Groh, ceremonially transition to the … Read More
Tim Trefzer May 22,2019As we celebrate Earth Day today, it’s probably not a surprise that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) once deemed the convention industry more wasteful than all but one other industry. As a result, many convention centers have placed environmental responsibility at the forefront of operations. When I began at the Georgia World Congress Center … Read More
Tim Trefzer April 22,2019Every once in a while, you meet someone that “gets it.” Someone that truly gets the importance of using business as a force for environmental good. Last year I was working to expand my North Carolina-based business Bee Downtown with our first forrays into Atlanta. At Bee Downtown we install and maintain beehives on corporate … Read More
Leigh-Kathryn Bonner March 28,2019Every once in a while, you meet someone that “gets it.” Someone that truly gets the importance of using business as a force for environmental good. Last year I was working to expand my North Carolina-based business Bee Downtown with our first forrays into Atlanta. At Bee Downtown we install and maintain beehives on corporate … Read More
Leigh-Kathryn BonnerThe week of Jan. 13-19 was unofficially “green week” for Atlanta’s Super Bowl LIII sustainability activities, part of the Atlanta Super Bowl Host Committee’s Legacy 53 initiative. On both Jan. 15 and Jan. 19, two of the final urban forestry projects were completed. The first, located at the Salvation Army Bellwood Boys and Girls Club … Read More
Tim Trefzer January 27,2019The week of Jan. 13-19 was unofficially “green week” for Atlanta’s Super Bowl LIII sustainability activities, part of the Atlanta Super Bowl Host Committee’s Legacy 53 initiative. On both Jan. 15 and Jan. 19, two of the final urban forestry projects were completed. The first, located at the Salvation Army Bellwood Boys and Girls Club … Read More
Tim TrefzerDespite the week’s cold and wet weather, Centennial Olympic Park has planted a new beacon of holiday cheer that should last throughout the year – and many more to come. Towering more than 30 feet high, and weighing in at 30,000 pounds (soaking wet), a deodar cedar imported from South Carolina found its new home … Read More
Kent Kimes November 15,2018Sustainability and the hospitality industry haven’t always gone hand-in-hand. In fact, it wasn’t too long ago that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) deemed the convention industry the second most wasteful industry behind only building and construction. This was attributed to the carbon footprint resulting from the sheer amount of air travel, electricity, and food … Read More
Tim Trefzer October 29,2018A little more than a year into a 17-year guaranteed energy savings performance contract (ESPC) with global heating and cooling company Trane, the 220-acre Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA) campus has reduced utility costs by 43 percent compared to a 2013 baseline. The first-year results show enough electricity was saved to power approximately 2,300 … Read More
Tim Trefzer October 10,2018Today the Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA) unveiled the organization’s first-ever beehives on our downtown Atlanta campus. Located in the grassy pocket park on the southwest corner of Northside Drive and Boone Boulevard, three new hives were introduced to Authority team members and media amidst activities such as honey tastings, a do-it-yourself pollinator kit … Read More
Tim Trefzer August 17,2018Summer should be a time when children are carefree and enjoy the bounty of the season. Unfortunately, it presents a significant food gap for many when free and reduced meals come to an end with the last day of school. Although many metro Atlanta school districts will be back in session in the coming weeks, … Read More
Jennifer Tinker July 20,2018***** UPDATE: Today, FIFA chose North America as host of the 2026 World Cup, with Atlanta as a possible site for tournament games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium (MBS) on the Georgia World Congress Center Authority campus. If MBS hosts games, the adjacent Georgia World Congress Center will house the World Cup media center. *****
Tim Trefzer June 11,2018***** UPDATE: Today, FIFA chose North America as host of the 2026 World Cup, with Atlanta as a possible site for tournament games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium (MBS) on the Georgia World Congress Center Authority campus. If MBS hosts games, the adjacent Georgia World Congress Center will house the World Cup media center. *****
Tim TrefzerAfter years of notoriety, many hospitality ventures have embraced the focus of environmental sustainability. In fact, some are even considered leaders in the movement to combat climate change by engaging stakeholders through education, building certifications, and transparent reporting. With new and unprecedented global volatility and interconnectedness, the marketplace has required a shift to planning for … Read More
Alicia McNease May 14,2018Move over Snoopy, you’re not the only pup with a tricked-out doghouse. Charlie Brown’s infamous pooch often decorated the gable roof of his iconic red abode to match the season, and it also served as an imaginary Sopwith Camel fighter plane during Snoopy’s World War I Flying Ace fantasies. But he never had a customized … Read More
Kent Kimes May 10,2018Move over Snoopy, you’re not the only pup with a tricked-out doghouse. Charlie Brown’s infamous pooch often decorated the gable roof of his iconic red abode to match the season, and it also served as an imaginary Sopwith Camel fighter plane during Snoopy’s World War I Flying Ace fantasies. But he never had a customized … Read More
Kent KimesLast week, the Authority held the grand opening of our new team member dining experience, Bridge Point, in an area of the Georgia World Congress Center not seen by the general public. Bridge Point is a project I’ve been involved with for more than two years. Its predecessor, the Getaway Café, had become dated since … Read More
Tim Trefzer April 26,2018First celebrated 48 years ago this month as a singular occurrence recognizing the health of the natural environment, Earth Day (April 22) has since blossomed into a month-long global campaign around environmental protection and awareness. This year’s theme for Earth Day is plastic pollution prevention. More than six billion tons of plastic is disposed of … Read More
Tim Trefzer April 13,2018They’re baaaaaaaaaack! The goats, that is. More than 40 goats and two guard dogs have descended on the Georgia World Congress Center Authority campus to assist with landscaping. Located on the large hill just south of Ivan Allen Jr. Boulevard and north of GWCC’s Building B, the goats are baaah-ck for their bi-annual maintenance of … Read More
Tim Trefzer April 6,2018They’re baaaaaaaaaack! The goats, that is. More than 40 goats and two guard dogs have descended on the Georgia World Congress Center Authority campus to assist with landscaping. Located on the large hill just south of Ivan Allen Jr. Boulevard and north of GWCC’s Building B, the goats are baaah-ck for their bi-annual maintenance of … Read More
Tim TrefzerAs the Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA) prepares to host the 2018 Atlanta International Auto Show this week (Wednesday, March 21 through Sunday, March 25), a jolt of energy can be expected around the industry’s recent shift toward hybrids and electric vehicles (EVs). Last year, Swedish automaker Volvo announced that by 2019 it will … Read More
Tim Trefzer March 20,2018Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) president Lisa Borders believes in the adage that health is our greatest wealth. “If you are not healthy, you can’t get anything done, and you can’t help anyone else,” Borders said during the 3rd annual Total Health Forum hosted by Kaiser Permanente and the National Basketball Association (NBA) on Thursday … Read More
Alicia McNease March 8,2018Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) president Lisa Borders believes in the adage that health is our greatest wealth. “If you are not healthy, you can’t get anything done, and you can’t help anyone else,” Borders said during the 3rd annual Total Health Forum hosted by Kaiser Permanente and the National Basketball Association (NBA) on Thursday … Read More
Alicia McNeaseThe green team scored the winning touchdown during this year’s Super Bowl. Yes, the Philadelphia Eagles’ uniforms sport a green hue and they did indeed lift the Vince Lombardi Trophy at the end of the game, but the efforts in place to reduce the event’s environmental impact was a victory within itself. After taking heat … Read More
Tim Trefzer February 23,2018You might think the country’s greenest concentration of diverse event spaces and attractions is somewhere like environmentally-minded Seattle, proudly progressive New York City, Colorado or the high-tech San Francisco Bay Area. Surprise! It’s right here in Atlanta, featuring a roster of LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified structures anchored by the Georgia World … Read More
Kent Kimes January 22,2018You might think the country’s greenest concentration of diverse event spaces and attractions is somewhere like environmentally-minded Seattle, proudly progressive New York City, Colorado or the high-tech San Francisco Bay Area. Surprise! It’s right here in Atlanta, featuring a roster of LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified structures anchored by the Georgia World … Read More
Kent Kimes