Location: 285 Andrew Young International Blvd NW, Atlanta, Georgia 30313
Year Opened: September 14, 1976 as a 350,000 sq.ft. exhibition hall hosting the Bobbin Show/American Apparel Manuf. Assoc. tradeshow. As the first state-owned center in the U.S., the GWCC Authority also developed the Georgia Dome (demolished in 2017), the 21-acre Centennial Olympic Park and Mercedes Benz Stadium to create a 220-acre meetings hub in the heart of downtown Atlanta.
Size: 3.9 million-sq.ft. facility, with 1.5 million- sq.ft. of exhibit space, 12 exhibit halls, 98 meeting rooms, two ballrooms and three landscaped outdoor plazas.
Ranking: Fourth largest convention center in the U.S. (behind Chicago, Orlando and Las Vegas)
Renovations: Phase II added 1.1 million sq.ft. in 1985, Phase III increased exhibit space to 950,000 sq.ft. in eight exhibit halls and opened the Georgia Dome in 1992, Phase IV added 420,000 sq.ft. of prime exhibit space in 2002. Currently building a fixed gateway between exhibit halls in Buildings B and C to create over 1 million sq.ft. of contiguous exhibition space as well as breaking ground on a new luxury 1,000-room Signia Hilton hotel this fall adjacent to Building C (site of the old Georgia Dome).
Parking: Visit www.gwccparking.com to reserve a parking spot—there’s even a hotlink for ESCA—or use the ParkMobile app to reserve parking at the GWCC.
Hotels: There are 181 hotels within a mile of GWCC.
Airport Info: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is about 10 miles from the GWCC; 38 minutes by the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA), a bus and rail system that connects all parts of Atlanta, including a station at the airport that goes to the GWCC/downtown. A $2.50 fare covers one-way bus/train trips, including transfers.
Website: www.gwcc.com
This story originally appeared in the May/June issue of Exhibit City News, pg. 10. For original layout, visit https://issuu.com/exhibitcitynews/docs/ecnflipbook_mayjune_2019_web
