downtown Atlanta

Centennial Olympic Park’s Iconic Fountain of Rings Being Modernized with Grant from Woodruff Foundation

Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA) announced that Centennial Olympic Park’s iconic Fountain of Rings is being modernized thanks to a generous $2.5 million grant from the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation that aims to improve both its operational reliability and guest experience. The upgrades mark the first major enhancement of the Fountain of Rings since […]

The Service That Is Felt but Not Necessarily Seen: Housekeeping

This week on The Authoricast we continue our dive into the Signia by Hilton Atlanta at Georgia World Congress Center as we take a look at housekeeping, “the service that is felt but not necessarily seen.” Director of Housekeeping Allison Winter sat down to chat before the hotel opened in January to discuss all that […]

GWCCA Team Members Lend a Hand

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.

Look Up Atlanta 2023 Recap

July 28, 2023 On Saturday, July 1, Look Up Atlanta filled the skyline with fireworks and the downtown community with joy. “Look Up Atlanta is the largest metropolitan fireworks show in the country that celebrates Independence Day by showcasing the best of Atlanta for Atlantans,” said Jennifer LeMaster, Chief Administrative Officer. Taking place every July […]

GWCCA Team Members Volunteer for Earth Day 2023

As 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 […]

DECA International Career Development Conference: Volunteers Needed

On April 23-25 nearly 25,000 high school students will compete at DECA International Career Development Conference hosted at Georgia World Congress Center. The Authoricast is joined by Frank Peterson and Whitney Milbourne to discuss the event and how the Atlanta business community can get involved.

The Progress Report: Downtown Atlanta's public-private successes

Editor’s Note: The Progress Report is a new unConventional quarterly series that explores the relationship between Central Atlanta Progress/Atlanta Downtown Improvement District and the Georgia World Congress Center Authority. Central Atlanta Progress and the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District (CAP/ADID) have a long-standing and rich relationship with the Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA). CAP/ADID represents […]

The Progress Report: Downtown Atlanta’s public-private successes

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 […]

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: 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, […]

ONE Musicfest brings the heat to Centennial Olympic Park

ONE Musicfest got off to a blistering start Saturday at Centennial Olympic Park. Despite temperatures that soared into the mid-90s, more than 14,000 festival-goers found ways to beat the heat with personal cooling devices, church-style fans handed out by vendors, grabbing bits of shade under the Park’s tree canopy and staying hydrated via free water […]

Atlanta Comic Con has GWCCA team dreaming of superpowers

With Atlanta Comic Con back again at the Georgia World Congress Center today (July 12) through Sunday (July 14) we asked Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA) team members the million-dollar question: if you had a superpower, what would it be, and why? Clarke Kelly, GWCCA Event Coordinator for Atlanta Comic Con kicks off this […]

Hoop Dreams: GWCCA campus serves as epicenter of summer basketball

The NCAA Division I, II, and III Men’s National Champions will be crowned on our championship campus in April as Mercedes-Benz Stadium and State Farm Arena host the NCAA Final Four but the hoops action is already heating up this summer in downtown Atlanta. Thousands of high school basketball players hoping to become the next […]

Fourth of July Celebration makes triumphant return to Centennial Olympic Park

The Georgia World Congress Center Authority’s (GWCCA) annual Fourth of July Celebration returned tonight to Centennial Olympic Park with a bang. Billed as the Southeast’s largest Independence Day fireworks show, a crowd close to 20,000 gathered in the Park to witness the pyrotechnic extravaganza. Set to a mix of patriotic and popular music – including […]

Tuesday Talk: Q-and-A with DJ Yvonne Monet

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 listened to Atlanta radio in the early-to-mid-’90s or hit the city’s club scene during that time, you’ve probably busted a move to tunes spun by Yvonne […]

GWCCA Campus: Summer beckons in the Backyard

With temperatures rising, the sun shining and summer officially kicking off Friday (June 21), outdoor activities, happy hours, and tailgating events have reappeared in Atlanta again. Right on cue, The Home Depot Backyard on the Georgia World Congress Center Authority’s (GWCCA) downtown Atlanta campus is in full swing with summertime initiatives including health and wellness […]

Guess Who’s Back? Hot 107.9 Block Party at Centennial Olympic Park

The Hot 107.9 Birthday Bash ATL Block Party returns Saturday (June 15) to Centennial Olympic Park on the Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA) downtown Atlanta campus. Recently revealed, this year’s live performances will consist of R&B recording artist Jacquees and other performers such as Fly, Calboy, B. Smyth, Venus, Kamillion, YK Osiris, Skooly, Pop […]

GWCCA’s July 4 celebration back at Centennial Olympic Park for 2019

It’s baaaaaaaaaack. The Georgia World Congress Center Authority’s (GWCCA) annual free, family-friendly Independence Day celebration is back on familiar ground for 2019, returning to Centennial Olympic Park. Last year’s event was staged at the GWCCA’s International Plaza due to construction and renovation of the Park. But the $27 million capital improvement projects are now complete […]

GWCCA's July 4 celebration back at Centennial Olympic Park for 2019

Five Questions with ONE Musicfest’s Jason Carter

Atlanta’s acclaimed ONE Musicfest has found a new home for its 10th anniversary – Centennial Olympic Park, on the Georgia World Congress Center Authority’s downtown Atlanta campus. The event – described as the Southeast’s largest annual urban progressive music festival – is set for Sept. 7-8 at the Park, and early bird tickets went on […]

Five Questions with ONE Musicfest's Jason Carter

The 411 on 420 Fest at Centennial Olympic Park

SweetWater 420 Fest celebrates its 15th anniversary this weekend (April 19-21) while also marking its sixth go-round at downtown Atlanta’s crown jewel greenspace, Centennial Olympic Park. “We’re stoked to be back here again,” said Jennifer Bensch, President of Happy Ending Productions, which promotes and produces the three-day festival. Kicking off Friday (April 19), 420 Fest […]

Sweetwater 420 Fest at Centennial Olympic Park adds to lineup

SweetWater 420 Fest, set for April 19-21 at Centennial Olympic Park on the Georgia World Congress Center Authority’s downtown Atlanta campus, has revealed more details about this year’s event, including noteworthy entertainment additions and the unveiling of its annual artist/brewery beer collaborations. Announced today, improvisational group Everyone Orchestra, conducted by musician/activist Matt Butler, will play […]

Focal Point: GWCCA releases 2018 annual report

The Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA) is one of Georgia’s greatest assets for economic growth and tourism, and it’s easy to see why in our fiscal year 2018 annual report (July 2017 – June 2018) entitled Focal Point. It is both a review and a celebration of our many accomplishments as well as a […]

Five questions with the Authority’s first-ever emergency preparedness manager

On a shelf overlooking Marc Vincent’s desk, there’s a row of hats emblazoned with the insignias of GEMA, NYPD, the 1996 Summer Olympics Police, Lenco Bearcat armored vehicles and the latest – GWCCA Emergency Management and Homeland Security. Vincent, who was appointed last October as the Georgia World Congress Center Authority’s first-ever Emergency Preparedness Manager, […]

Five questions with the Authority's first-ever emergency preparedness manager

New beehives creating a sustainability buzz on GWCCA campus

Today 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 […]

Bronner Bros. crowns its first female barbering champion

The biannual Bronner Bros. International Beauty Show is a major staple on the Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA) campus and the event’s fantasy hair competitions feature the best of the best putting their creativity to the test as they battle for the top spot. As always, the show – which wrapped up its summer […]

SEC Summerfest at Centennial Olympic Park gets fans primed for pigskin season

College football fans will get a nice break from the dog days of summer when SEC Media Days kick off at the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame and Omni Atlanta Hotel at CNN Center next week. The event gets a jumpstart on Sunday (July 15) with the inaugural SEC Football Kickoff Summerfest presented by […]

Southeast's largest 4th of July fireworks show bigger and better in '18

The Southeast’s largest Fourth of July fireworks display was even bigger Wednesday night. Capping off an evening of live entertainment featuring headliners After 7, Klymaxx and Dionne Farris with J Fly and Friends, the 14-and-a-half minute pyrotechnic spectacle lit up the night sky over the Georgia World Congress Center Authority’s (GWCCA) downtown Atlanta campus. Featuring […]

Southeast’s largest 4th of July fireworks show bigger and better in ’18

JFly: the man behind the GWCCA's 4th of July music

If you’ve grooved along to Bobby Brown, Montell Jordan, the sisters of von Grey, Sugarland’s Kristian Bush and countless other acts at the annual 4th of July Celebration at Centennial Olympic Park, then you’ve heard – and probably seen – JFly. He is literally and figuratively the man behind the music. Jorel Flynn, known professionally […]

JFly: the man behind the GWCCA’s 4th of July music

Soccer, sustainability and Atlanta’s World Cup bid

***** 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. *****

Soccer, sustainability and Atlanta's World Cup bid

Centennial Olympic Park summer programming update

If you have taken a stroll through Centennial Olympic Park recently, you might have noticed construction crews working around the clock. Due to this activity, the Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA) is adjusting the traditional summer schedule for the park.

Pla Mor Pigskin: College Football Hall of Fame rebrands

Chick-fil-A is making sure that downtown Atlanta remains the epicenter of college football. The definitive interactive museum dedicated to collegiate gridiron glory has rebranded as the Chick- fil-A College Football Hall of Fame (CFHOF), a partnership symbolically christened today during a ceremony unveiling new signage featuring the fast food giant’s iconic red-and-white-logo. Officials from the […]

Hidden Gem: Centennial Olympic Park’s Gold Medal Garden

The Gold Medal Garden is a quiet, hidden gem tucked away at Centennial Olympic Park. When visitors stumble upon it, the magic of the plants draws them in and invites them to sit on one of the garden’s benches. Others seek out the plant markers identifying the different species. Perhaps one contemplates what might thrive […]

Hidden Gem: Centennial Olympic Park's Gold Medal Garden

New cycling event showcases Atlanta and GWCCA’s increasing connectivity

It’s no secret that Atlanta has become more bicycle-friendly in the last two decades with bike lanes installed on major thoroughfares, a network of cycling infrastructure built or in the works and bike-share outposts cropping up across town. “These improvements to the bike network are important because they highlight the city’s commitment to improving citizens’ […]

New cycling event showcases Atlanta and GWCCA's increasing connectivity

“Good Morning America” wheels and deals at Centennial Olympic Park

Did you recognize a familiar location during your morning television viewing? “Good Morning America” brought its weekly “Deals & Steals” segment on the road to Centennial Olympic Park today. The segment, hosted by Tory Johnson, features her exclusive collection of curated deals allowing viewers to save big bucks while discovering must-have products. Redubbed “Deals & […]

"Good Morning America" wheels and deals at Centennial Olympic Park

Keep Georgia (and the GWCCA) safe: See something, send something

Here on the Georgia World Congress Center Authority’s (GWCCA) downtown Atlanta campus, the phrase “see something, say something” is part of the organization’s culture encouraging team members to report suspicious activity. Now the old adage is getting a digital twist with the “See Something, Send Something” smartphone app introduced Wednesday by Gov. Nathan Deal. The […]

GWCCA Chief Commercial Officer discusses creating exceptional city-wide customer service

Customer service means delivering on every possible detail at every customer and guest touchpoint. It is anticipating needs, needs that a client or guest may not realize they have. Customer service is about making someone feel good, putting a smile on their face, and leaving them not wanting anything more – it is hospitality in […]

A six-pack of SweetWater 420 Fest memories

unConventional hit the second day of Sweetwater 420 Fest at Centennial Olympic Park on Saturday (April 21) and picked up a six-pack of micro-stories that encapsulate what this homegrown Atlanta festival is all about.

Phase I of Centennial Olympic Park renovations complete in mid-April

The visioning project in Centennial Olympic Park has reached a major milestone. Phase I of the project is due to be completed in two weeks, just in time for the park to kick off spring time in Atlanta with the Sweetwater 420 Fest. Included in the Phase I project were the demolition of the Metro […]

From drone competition to space missions, national conference at GWCC elevates science

The mission: successfully pick up a payload of fuel cells and deliver the package as close as possible to its intended target. In five minutes, deliver as many packages as possible. No, this wasn’t a plotline from “The Avengers” or an audition for the U.S. Postal Service, Amazon, UPS or FedEx. Rather, it was one […]

Riding the storm out: GWCCA proves resilient after epic 2008 tornado

Ten years ago today, the Georgia World Congress Center Authority’s (GWCCA) downtown Atlanta campus faced one of its greatest challenges, and rallied in the face of adversity, highlighting the organization’s resolve and determined commitment to customer service and the community. On the evening of March 14, 2008, with winds reaching 135 mph, an EF2 tornado […]