Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau
Senior vice president of global sales, Delta Air LinesTo our members, hospitality partners and colleagues, As we reflect on the successes of 2023 and look forward to the opportunities that lie ahead in 2024 and beyond, we are pleased to share some of the highlights of the last year.
One of the standout achievements of 2023 was when Michelin recognized 45 of our restaurants in its first Atlanta Guide. Our thriving culinary scene has become a magnet for leisure visitors, and a crucial factor in attracting meeting planners and convention attendees. Atlanta is finally being recognized for our culinary diversity, positioning us as one of America’s most diverse cities.
While our culinary scene grabbed a lot of the attention in 2023, it was also a remarkable year for our convention industry. We hosted 19 major citywide events, building on the 50 million visitors we saw in 2022. Atlanta was also ranked as the No. 1 convention city in the country in Northstar Meetings Group’s Convention Cities Index. In addition, Money Magazine named Atlanta one of its “Best Places to Travel” and one of the best places to live in the United States.
In August, we hosted more than 5,000 attendees for the American Society of Association Executives’ (ASAE) annual meeting. A decade since its last occurrence in Atlanta, this event not only showcased our city’s new development but also provided an excellent opportunity to book future convention business.
ACVB also expanded our Atlanta Meta World platform to include Georgia World Congress Center and Atlanta Convention Center at AmericasMart, allowing our sales team to conduct immersive site visits in the metaverse. This innovative approach sets us apart from other destinations and enables us to showcase our facilities virtually.
Looking ahead, 2024 is off to a strong start with 21 major citywide events scheduled, matching a historic high. We will also be hosting several notable industry events including Global Business Travel Association, Georgia Governor’s Tourism Conference and Travel South’s International Showcase.
Atlanta is also gearing up to host several major sporting events, including the opening match for CONMEBOL Copa América USA 2024, the College Football Playoff National Championship, the NCAA South Regional and MLB All-Star Game in 2025, and eight matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Our hospitality business should continue to accelerate as we look to welcome more than 60 million visitors annually before the end of the decade.
ESTABLISHED IN 1913
MARKETS ATLANTA TO TOURISTS, CONVENTION ATTENDEES, MEETING PLANNERS AND BUSINESS TRAVELERS
Promotes entire destination:
o Hotels
o Restaurants
o Attractions
MISSION
Nearly 110,000 hotel rooms in metro Atlanta
Bed tax collected on accommodations in the city of Atlanta (approximately 26,000 hotel rooms and 6,000 short-term rental listings), primarily in:
o Downtown
o Midtown
o Buckhead
Favorably impact the Atlanta economy by selling and marketing Atlanta globally as the premier conventions, events and leisure destination.
VISION
To be the most welcoming, inclusive and easiest convention city to work with in the U.S.
CURRENT CONTRACT DATED 2018 WITH EXPIRATION IN 2027
Contract is between ACVB and Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA)
Atlanta is in the midst of a boom in hotel, residential and mixed-use development that is expected to transform the hospitality landscape in the city.” “
— Atlanta Business Chronicle
In 2023, ACVB booked 19 major citywide events representing 625,000 convention room nights.
Atlanta earned the No.1 ranking in Northstar Meetings Group’s December 2023 Convention Cities Index (CCI) as the best convention city in the United States.
Atlanta hosted ASAE’s Annual Meeting with more than 5,000 attendees.
ACVB made significant enhancements to the convention trade show booth for ASAE’s 2023 Annual Meeting and 2023 IMEX Las Vegas.
Atlanta always embraces the future, and its meetings and conventions product has benefited from major new improvements highlighted by a luxe new headquarters hotel rising between Mercedes-Benz Stadium and the Georgia World Congress Center.”
Hosted 175 in-person site visits for future business
Engaged more than 550 international tour operators and hosted 70 individuals on FAM trips
Completed pre-show promotion travel and on-site attendance building activity at 11 of our largest 2024 trade shows
Achieved a 4.7 / 5 score in overall satisfaction with ACVB from meeting planner event surveys
100% listed either “satisfied” or “very satisfied”
Hosted 10th anniversary of UpNext Atlanta customer event in Washington D.C. with 21 partners/sponsors and more than 45 customers
7.5 million page views
3,520
In 2023, ACVB launched the newest edition of ‘50 Fun Things to See and Do in Atlanta’. The guide started in the early 2000s as a brochure for visitors to track the places they had been and has now transformed into an interactive app which takes discovering the city to a new level.
ATLANTA HAS LONG BEEN A DESTINATION FOR VARIED CULINARY OFFERINGS — FROM INTERNATIONAL FLAVORS AND ELEGANT EATERIES TO HOME RESTAURANTS. NOW, GEORGIA’S CAPITAL OFFICIALLY HAS THE MICHELIN STAMP OF APPROVAL.
— Travel + Leisure
MICHELIN
- Atlanta became the ninth MICHELIN Guide destination in North America
- Five restaurants receive a MICHELIN Star in inaugural selection - City boasts two restaurants earning MICHELIN Green Star
- 10 Bib Gourmand, plus four Special Awards, also revealed - 45 total restaurants, 23 cuisine types reflected in Guide
Launch Ceremony at The Rialto Center for the Arts 500 33 9 Attendees Media Influencers
In 2023, ACVB expanded the Atlanta Meta World platform to include Georgia World Congress Center and Atlanta Convention Center at AmericasMart. With the expansion, ACVB’s sales team will be trained to host site visits in the metaverse.
Business Chronicle “
Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau is close to completing a buildout of the Georgia World Congress Center in the metaverse, a milestone executives say will give Atlanta a “competitive advantage” over other cities for conventions and other corporate events”
—Atlanta
Hosted Trade Media
ACVB hosted a convention trade media FAM leading into ASAE’s annual meeting to highlight developments on GWCCA’s campus and throughout the city.
Engaged Travel Journalists
ACVB engaged regional, national and international journalists at industry events including STS Domestic Showcase, IPW, PRSA Travel and Tourism Conference, International Media Marketplace and Travel Media Meetup.
Conventions and meetings in Atlanta go beyond business. Today, when organizations plan conferences, they often include community engagement. They open doors for attendees to engage with the community and make a positive impact. Legacy Collective provides the resources to meeting planners, event attendees and companies to give back to nonprofits while gathering in Atlanta. Recent groups have participated in a sock drive, park beautification and a gift of technology and toys for Atlanta children.
As part of Event Service Professionals Association’s Celebrate Services Week, ACVB staff organized a Thanksgiving food drive to support Atlanta Center for Self Sufficiency (ACSS). ACSS provides workforce readiness, job placement and life stabilization services to homeless and financially vulnerable men and women, empowering them to reach their goals for self-sufficiency.
ACVB produced and aired six 30-minute episodes of Atlanta con Sabor Latino in Spanish for Telemundo showcasing Latin culture, cuisine and personalities.
ACVB partnered with 10 Black influencers, writers, photographers and business owners to produce ATL Unguided Vol. 2.
No. 1 City in the U.S. for Conventions
Northstar Meetings Group
Best Places to Travel 2023
Money Magazine
The South’s Best Cities 2023
Southern Living
Best Meeting Destination in North America No. 6
CVENT
Best Travel Destination for LGBTQ+ No. 13
OUT Traveler
2023
Best CVB/DMO Bronze Winner
Stella Award
Platinum Hermes Creative Award
On a Different Level Campaign
Communicator Award
‘Atlanta Looks Forward to Hosting ASAE
2023’ video in the Craft Categories
Videography & Cinematography
Content Marketing Awards
Best Use of Multichannel Social Media in Content Marketing for On A Different Level campaign
Gold MarCom Awar
On A Different Level campaign
Muse Creative Award
On A Different Level in the Social Media Travel & Tourism Category
Tourism Innovation Summit
Innovation Award
Runner-Up for Visit Real Cities metaverse project
WILLIAM PATE
President and CEO
Executive Vice President and Chief Sales Officer
Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer
Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer/ Chief Financial Officer
Senior Vice President, Marketing and Brand Strategy
Senior Vice President, Human Resources
Vice President, Technology and Facilities
Vice President, Destination Services
Vice President, Public Relations, Corporate Events and Membership
Vice President, Sales
Officers
Chair, Board of Directors and Executive Committee
Bob Somers
SVP, Global Sales
Delta Air Lines
Vice Chair, Advisory board
Kris Reinhard
Partner
Fifth Group Restaurants, Inc.
Vice Chair
Ron Tarson
General Manager
Westin Peachtree Plaza
Vice Chair
Chair, Finance & Human Resource Committee
Stan Wilson
Managing Partner
Elarbee, Thompson, Sapp & Wilson
LLP
Vice Chair
Chair, Board Cultivation
Leona Barr-Davenport
President
Atlanta Business League
Treasurer Chair, Atlanta Convention Marketing Fund Committee
Ken Bernhardt
Regents Professor of Marketing
Emeritus
Georgia State University
Secretary Chair, Compensation Plan and CEO
Contract Committee
Erica Qualls-Battey
General Manager
Atlanta Marriott Marquis
Executive Committee
Teri Agosta
General Manager
Signia by Hilton Atlanta
Ed Baker
Executive in Residence
Georgia State University
Karen Bremer
CEO
Georgia Restaurant Association
Debby Cannon Director, Cecil B. Day School of Hospitality
Georgia State University
Daryl Evans Consultant
Hector Gallardo
Vice President, National Sales
The Coca-Cola Company
Sharon Goldmacher President communications21
Sheffield Hale President & CEO
Atlanta History Center / Margaret
Mitchell House
Brad Koeneman
General Manager
Hilton Atlanta
George McKerrow, Jr. Co-Owner
Ted’s Montana Grill
Derrick Morrow
General Manager
Hyatt Regency Atlanta
Nancy Oswald Co-Owner/Director of Marketing
Ruth’s Chris Steak House
Frank Poe
Executive Director
Georgia World Congress Center Authority
Ramon Reyes
General Manager
Omni Atlanta Hotel at CNN Center
Derek Schiller President, Business Atlanta Braves
Alexis Scott Board member
Steve Smith Sr. Consultant Pendleton Group
Armand Vari Partner
Jacoby Dev. Inc.
Dexter Warrior
Principal & COO
T. Dallas Smith & Co.
Cynthia Alford
Managing Director
Destination South Meetings & Events
Natalee Anderson
Director, Private Events & Tours Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Joselyn Baker President Grady Health Foundation
Deisha Barnett Vice President, Strategic Communications UPS
Ken Baye Co-owner Stoddard’s Guns
Kimberly Beaudin CEO Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame
M. Brian Blake
President Georgia State University
Andrew Chang
Executive Director of Marketing & Outreach
Summit CityMD
Pinky Cole CEO & Founder
Slutty Vegan ATL and Philanthropist
Tony Conway, CMP Founder & CEO
Legendary Events
Dan Corso
President Atlanta Sports Council
Tim Dahlen
General Manager
The Candler Hotel
Brian Davis President & CEO Georgia Aquarium
Dennis DeLoatch
Executive Vice President & General Manager
Carey Atlanta Executive Limousine & Transportation
Ayo Taylor Dixon
Sr. Associate Athletic Director GA Tech Athletics Association
Jennifer Dorian President & CEO Public Broadcasting Atlanta
Dr. Meredith Evans Director
Jimmy Carter Presidential Library & Museum
Alex Gonzalez Chief Innovation Officer Metro Atlanta Chamber
John Grant, Jr. Executive Director Celebration Bowl
Kevin Green President & CEO Midtown Alliance
Jo Ann Herold President Herold Consulting
Robert Hope President
Hope - Beckham, Inc.
Sean Hyslop President Sysco Atlanta
Mark Jaronski
Deputy Commissioner, Explore Georgia
Georgia Department of Economic Development
Richard Jones President Presenting Atlanta
Anne Hydrick Kaiser Vice President, Community and Economic Development Georgia Power
Julia Lauria
Vice President, Athlete Branding SportsTrust
David Malone Chief Sales and Marketing Officer Gas South
Brian P. McGowan President Centennial Yards
John Metz CEO & Co-Founder Sterling Spoon Management Services
Mercedes Miller Executive Director GICC
Peter Moraitakis
Senior Vice President & COO United Distributors, Inc.
Stan Morrell Sr. Vice President, Entertainment & Special Events Stone Mountain Park
Adam Noyes Senior Vice President Proof of the Pudding
Eric O’Brien Partner Jackson Spalding
Mark O’Brien President & CEO LakePoint Sports Robert Patterson President CityLife Development Partners
Frank Phair VP of Operations, Hotels Legacy Ventures
Fred Rich CEO
CTN Global Chauffeured Transportation
A.J. Robinson President Central Atlanta Progress
David Rubinger Publisher Atlanta Business Chronicle
Andrew Saltzman
Executive Vice President & Chief Revenue Officer
Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Arena
Bob Schuler Vice President
Atlanta Convention Center at AmericasMart
Kris Shea
Vice President, Business Development Juice Studios
Kelvin Slater Owner Slater Hospitality
Jim Sprouse
Executive Director Georgia Hotel & Lodging Association
John Stephenson Vice President, Strategic Partnerships & Special Projects Chick-fil-A, Inc.
Amber Stewart Director of Marketing CentraArchy Restaurant Group
Gary Stokan President and CEO Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl
Pat Upshaw-Monteith President and CEO Leadership Atlanta
Dan Vargas CEO
Dortch Vargas Amigos
Allan Vella President Fox Theatre
John Woodward Vice President, Global Commerce Metro Atlanta Chamber