The Georgia World Congress Center’s General Manager Mark Zimmerman recently spoke on a panel discussion about exclusives offered at convention centers during the 2012 ESCA Summer Educational Conference in Coeur d’Alene, ID. ESCA is the Exhibition Services & Contractors Association, and Zimmerman served on the organization’s board for six years.

The following facility managers participated in the panel and are pictured (L to R): Luther Villagomez from the George R. Brown Convention Center (Houston), David Causton from McCormick Place (Chicago), Mark Zimmerman from the GWCC (Atlanta), Fred Peterson from the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority (Boston). Zimmerman is pictured in the second photo. 

Photos from ESCA.org

On Friday (5/15/12), Georgia World Congress Center General Manger Mark Zimmerman spoke with a group of Georgia State University hospitality students about the 1996 Summer Olympics. The students, from a class taught by Dr. Debi Robbe, are headed to London to see a behind-the-scenes look at the Summer Olympics during the weeks leading up to the games.

Zimmerman told the students all about the preparation that went into hosting the Games, including construction of Centennial Olympic Park. He explained how exciting it was to have so many activities taking place on our campus, including the International Broadcast Center at the Georgia World Congress Center, sporting events at the GWCC and Georgia Dome and hosting attendees from around the world at the Park, a community gathering place.

For more info about GSU’s hospitality program read this AJC article.

Pictured above: Students in the Georgia State University Hospitality Learning Center located in the GWCC’s Building A -AND- the GWCCA campus during the 1996 Olympics.

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Our friends at Central Atlanta Progress made this great video about downtown Atlanta, which includes our General Manager of the Georgia World Congress Center Mark Zimmerman and our Assistant General Manager of Centennial Olympic Park Joe Skopitz.

What a wonderful community we are a part of!

Yesterday we hosted the monthly meeting for the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE)’s southeast chapter. The topic for the panel discussion was “Relationships: How Stakeholders Work Together.” Our own Mark Zimmerman (General Manager - GWCC) was one of the panelists as well as Mark Sussman (Director, Trade Show Sales - Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau), who we work with closely, and Robert Foster (Event Manager - Orange County Convention Center), Charlene Lopez (Director of Sales - Omni Hotel at CNN Center) and Ryan Nettleton (Vice President of Sales - NexxtShow). The panel was moderated by Kristin Barranger (Expositions and Communications Manager - ASME International Gas Turbine Institute).

They discussed the importance our industry puts on relationships and how we make decisions as destinations, facilities, show managers and vendors based on these relationships. Despite changing economic climates, the panel emaphasized the importance of relationships when it comes to doing business.

GWCC General Manager Mark Zimmerman was recently honored by the Exhibition Services & Contractors Association (ESCA) at its annual business meeting. After serving on the ESCA board of directors for six years, Zimmerman was given a service award for his commitment to the organization as well as his local community, specifically his work with the Atlanta Union Mission.  

“We cannot express strongly enough our gratitude for all of Mark’s contributions to our success during his three terms on the Board of Directors,” said Larry Arnaudet
Executive Director of ESCA.

(article pictured from Trade Show Executive - January 2012)

Our largest annual trade show was recently honored by Georgia Governor Nathan Deal. The fourth week in January was proclaimed Poultry Week in recognition of the International Poultry Expo’s continuous years of exhibiting in Atlanta, Georgia, as well as in recognition of helping advance the poultry industry and contributing to the economic well-being of the State of Georgia.

The International Poultry Expo will have exhibited for 64 continuous years with the upcoming 2012 IPE. The largest annual trade show at the GWCC, the Expo brings approximately 21,000 attendees to Atlanta in January each year, and the estimated economic impact of IPE for Atlanta is around $23 million annually.

The proclamation was presented to Tom Hensley, President of Fieldale Farms, and John Starkey, President of the U.S. Poultry& Egg Association. USPOULTRY sponsors the International Poultry Expo every year.

Pictured are Mike Giles, Georgia Poultry Federation; Frank Poe, Georgia World Congress Center; Dr. Charles Olentine, U.S. Poultry & Egg Association; John Starkey, U.S. Poultry & Egg Association; Governor Nathan Deal; Tom Hensley, Fieldale Farms; Gwen Venable, U.S. Poultry& Egg Association; Mark Zimmerman, Georgia World Congress Center, Abit Massey, Georgia Poultry Federation; and Kevin Duvall, Georgia World Congress Center.

GWCC General Manager Mark Zimmerman recently attended Trade Show Executive’s Gold Gala near San Francisco. The event honors the 100 shows that “set the gold standard for the trade show industry.”

Pictured (l-r):

Mark Sussman, Director of Trade Shows Sales for the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau

John Starkey, President of U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, with his wife, Nancy Starkey

Mark Zimmerman, General Manager of the Georgia World Congress Center