(Pictured above: photos from the ASAE expo floor; photo credit Evelio Alfonso)
By Jeanne Brei
August is very busy down South—nearly every convention center and visitors bureau had a booth on the expo floor of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) Annual Meeting & Exposition at the Music City Center in Nashville last week where the theme was Disruption = Opportunity. Thousands of association professionals and industry partners gathered to exchange knowledge, resources, strategies, and solutions while attendees also earned credit hours toward certification or renewal of their Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation.
In Orlando, the Orange County Convention Center hosted The Landscape Show 2022 followed by the Central Florida Home Expo featuring everything for home improvement projects and the chance to interact with the industry’s hottest home and garden products. In Miami Beach, the world’s largest professional tradeshow dedicated to multicultural beauty, the Bronner Bros. Beauty Show, met the last weekend of August to help inspire, educate and elevate cosmetology professionals, students, and the multicultural beauty industry.
At the George World Congress Center in Atlanta, they hosted the International Woodworking Fair 2022 last weekend while the Atlanta Convention Center at AmericasMart hosted the Exceptional Woman Tour Business Conference.
Gatlinburg Convention Center Renovations
Meanwhile, back in Tennessee, renovations on the Gatlinburg Convention Center, which has often been named as one of the best meeting sites in the southern U.S. as a ConventionSouth Readers Choice Award winner, are finishing up. Upgrades include new river stone sidewalks in front of the facility, ADA accessible ramps and renovated stairs to enter the facility, as well as repairs made on the underside of the top-floor porch. Landscaping at the front of the facility has been completed and the entire roof of the convention center was replaced, as well as the HVAC unit. Inside, storage space was converted into additional meeting space, carpet was replaced throughout the facility, the entrance desk was redesigned, the great hall floor was resurfaced, and there was a redevelopment of concession stands and ADA accessible family restrooms.
Approved by the Gatlinburg City Commission in October 2020, the convention center’s $15 million renovation projects are to be completed in 2022 and new restaurants, attractions and hotels are also under construction and development. According to Dave Esslinger, director of sales & marketing, Gatlinburg CVB, “The Gatlinburg Convention Center is the first in the region to achieve the Global Biorisk Advisory Council® (GBAC) STAR™ accreditation, the gold standard for prepared facilities. Under the guidance of GBAC, a Division of ISSA, the worldwide cleaning industry association, the Gatlinburg Convention Center has implemented the most stringent protocols for cleaning, disinfection, and infectious disease prevention in its facility,” adding,”we are esp
ecially appreciative of the events that had committed in the past and moved forward and held their event in 2021. For all the “zigs” that have taken place the last two years, it’s been great to see all the events that have “zagged” to move forward with their events. I think we can all agree that life may never truly be the same and it is time to adapt and move ahead to get back to business.” (Pictured right: Awards ceremony for the Tennessee Future Farmers of America, March 2022)
With a grand facility total of 160,000 sq.ft. of flexible meeting and exhibit space, the Gatlinburg CC is within walking distance of almost every restaurant, attraction and lodging in town. The Great Hall provides 67,000 sq.ft. of exhibit space, 60,000 sq.ft. of which is free-span with a ceiling height of 30 feet and can accommodate 6,000 people, 350 booths or be divided into three separate halls for smaller events. The CC Gallery area is 38,200 sq.ft., including 18 meeting rooms, pre-function space, two private parlors and a special VIP/media suite. Their kitchen is fully staffed with an accomplished chef, providing exceptional food, flowers, wine and spirits for groups from 10 to 3,000. The latest renovations have added an additional 12,000 sq.ft. of meeting space including the newly added indoor/outdoor venue space that overlooks the Gatlinburg Parkway and will open in October 2022. Esslinger, says that “this 5,000 total sq.ft. space with fire pits located on the patio will be a venue every event at the Gatlinburg Convention Center will want to utilize!”
In March of 2006, 50,000 sq.ft. was added with the opening of W.L. Mills Conference Center adjoining the CC. That expansion added a 17,000 square foot ballroom and revitalized the Mills Auditorium. Both the Ballroom and Mills Auditorium can host any type of event—from a formal banquet or general session, to a themed celebration.
After a record-breaking 2021 year for visitation, Gatlinburg was named by TripAdvisor as the #1 Trending Destination in the U.S. and the #5 Trending Destination in the World. Gatlinburg offers a wide variety of accommodation options including more than 12,000 sleeping rooms (both full-service and limited-service hotels and motels), condominiums, chalets, cabins and campgrounds in a variety of locations: from downtown overlooking the Little Pigeon River, to a mountaintop overlooking the Smoky Mountains to secluded natural surroundings. Gatlinburg is also excited to announce all the new hotels that are currently under development:
MainStay Suites by Choice Hotels – 100 rooms (Anticipated 2022 completion)
Comfort Inn & Suites by Choice Hotels – 125 rooms (Anticipated 2022 completion)
Embassy Suites by Hilton – 187 rooms (Anticipated 2023 completion)
Cambria Hotel by Choice Hotels – 125 rooms (Anticipated 2023 completion)
Marriott Tribute Portfolio – 128 rooms (Anticipated 2023 completion)
Allegory Hotel – 65 rooms (Anticipated 2023 completion)
Delta Hotel by Marriott – 300 rooms (Anticipated 2023 completion)
For more info, visit www.Gatlinburg.com/info, call (865) 436-2392 or email sales@gatlinburg.com.
