Georgia World Congress Center Authority recalibrates for future success

ATLANTA (January 26, 2016) Repositioned for future growth, decommissioning of the Georgia Dome, the addition of Mercedes-Benz Stadium and other major projects, the Georgia World Congress Center Authority has initiated the first phase of a strategic reorganization plan that includes the appointment of key leaders in new roles.

These appointments include:

• Dome General Manager Carl Adkins was named the Authority’s Chief Commercial Officer, presiding over Convention Business Development, Sales and Marketing, Event Development, Customer Analytics and Revenue Management, and all contracted service agreements.
• Kevin Duvall remains the Authority’s Chief Operating Officer, but is taking on the Dome’s decommissioning and day-to-day operations as well as heading up the Authority’s headquarter hotel project.
• An eight-year Authority veteran, Jennifer LeMaster, was named Chief Administration Officer,   responsible for Finance, Human Resources and Corporate Communications.
• Former Chief Financial Officer Sherrie Spinks was named General Manager of the Savannah International Trade and Convention Center. (Under a multi-year agreement, the Authority began managing the SITCC on April 1, 2014.)

The reorganization plan is a result of GWCCA Executive Director Frank Poe’s original vision of expanding the Authority’s brand and footprint throughout the state. That vision was crystalized in the 2020 Vision strategic plan: www.gwcc.com/about/2020vision.aspx.

Renowned consultants Convention Sports and Leisure International and executive search firm Heidrick & Struggles were contracted to help the Authority work through the details and implementation of the organizational structure.

“Restructuring an organization with a history like ours must be done carefully and deliberately and we engaged the industry’s best consultants to help us develop a structure that would serve the enterprise well into the future,” said Poe.

The goal is for the Authority to more closely resemble the private sector, with the focus shifting to increased revenue generation, while maintaining the Authority’s reputation for superior customer service in the events industry.