Atlanta’s Top 7 Hospitality Riches

Did you know Atlanta is the No. 4 ranked hospitality market for meeting and event professionals (news.Atlanta.net)? Also, Salary.com cited meeting and event planning as the 4th fastest growing job in America with an expected 43.7% employment increase by 2020 and a median income of $55,812.

We dug deeper by chatting with Jeff Whitney, president of Event Transportation/Atlanta. He possesses 32 years of experience in the meeting and events industry and serves as one of the instructors for our Meeting & Event Management Certificate program.

He provided us with some invaluable insight on the “richness” of Atlanta:

The meetings and events industry has a love affair with Atlanta.  We literally have an embarrassment of riches that surpasses even the toughest critics and most demanding planners. The event and meeting professional can choose from an amazing array of lodging, meeting and event facilities; frequent flights with competitive pricing; and experienced and professional support services.

Here are just a few of our notable riches:
Richness #1:  Our Airport.  Atlanta is the hub of America and the home of the world’s busiest airport. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport serves over 90 million passengers each year. Eighty percent of the country can be reached within a two-hour flight from Atlanta.

Richness #2: Our Hotels and Conference Centers.  Atlanta is ranked 7th in the country for number of hotel rooms with 93,900 existing rooms, with 900 rooms in construction, and 3,600 rooms in planning phase, for a total of 98,400 total rooms forecast.

Richness #3: Our Meeting Facilities.  Atlanta has an extensive portfolio of meeting facilities and venues. The Georgia World Congress Center, ranked the 4th largest center in the U.S., offers the planner 1.4 million square feet of prime exhibit space. And, we’re just getting started — meetings large and small can also be hosted at:

• The Atlanta Convention Center at AmericasMart (502,000 sf),
• Cobb Galleria Centre (144,000 sf),
• the Georgia International Convention Center (150,000 sf), including the state’s largest ballroom, 40,000 sf),
• Plus many, many, more.

It’s no wonder Atlanta is at the top of many planners’ wish lists.

Richness #4:  Our Support Services.  Atlanta features many of the nation’s largest show and event contractors—as well as some amazing homegrown ones. We’re proud of the quality services our local companies deliver day and night, 356 days of the year.

Richness #5:  Our Climate.  Atlanta is a beautiful city with four distinct and enjoyable seasons. Whether you’re dazzled by the blooms of spring, tempted in summer by the Olympic Rings fountain in Centennial Park, awed by fall’s colorful autumn foliage, or taken back by the beauty of a stunning winter frost, the year-round opportunities for outside activities — from the parks and stadiums to lakes and mountain (Stone Mountain) — provide experiences and memories to last a lifetime.

Richness #6:  Our People. We are the world’s most welcoming city where Southern hospitality is a way of life and a way of conducting business. Visitors frequently share stories of the warmth and kindness they received from Atlantans when they visit our city.

Richness #7:  Our Cultural Tourism.  Atlanta also has an amazing inventory of cultural tourism attractions, affording planners the opportunity to infuse uniquely local flavors into their programs.

Our world-renowned museums and historical sites offer unforgettable experiences and event venues; our performing arts programs may be showcased or integrated as a participatory element of your event or meeting; and our impressive slate of athletic offerings, indoors and out, promise to lend the excitement of southern sports to your gathering.

Although no city is perfect, Atlanta is close enough to perfect for me.

You Can Add to Atlanta’s Richness
Are you ready for a thriving hospitality career? Take it to the next level with our Meeting & Event Management program.