New Orleans' Woes Help Congress Center in Atlanta

. October 14, 2008

By Leon Stafford, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News

ATLANTA, GA, December 7, 2005. Atlanta will play host to another three conventions ---| and their more than 12,000 visitors ---| from rival New Orleans, three months after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Big Easy.

That brings the total of formerly Louisiana-bound conventioneers expected in Georgia's capital to about 122,000 over the next two years, according to officials with the Georgia World Congress Center, metro Atlanta's main convention hall. The next group, the American Society of Hematology, is scheduled to arrive this week.

It's likely the recent confirmations will be the last big burst of conventions Georgia's capital will pick up from New Orleans. Right now, GWCC is waiting for one other transfer to sign up: the National Athletic Trainers Association, which could bring 6,000 people here in June 2006.

Most of the meetings affected by the storm have found new homes, said Pattsie Rand, GWCC sales director.

Officials with New Orleans' Morial Convention Center canceled all shows through March 31. While they wait for repairs, they have launched a "Rebirth" effort, which includes putting hotel rooms back in service and letting the convention industry know that much of what made the city a destination ---| the French Quarter and the Garden District ---| is again ready for tourist traffic.

Several groups have said they will honor their commitments to New Orleans and hold meetings there once the convention center reopens.

In the meantime, the additional business is having a positive impact on the GWCC's bottom line.

The first of the moved meetings ---| the American Society of Anesthesiologists ---| met at the GWCC in October. The 11,500 members who attended had an overall estimated citywide economic impact of $57 million.

Thousands of those dollars went directly to the GWCC, which had one of its worst years when fiscal 2005 ended in June. From July to October, the GWCC took in $1 million more in operating revenue than officials had expected.

"We have gone three or four months in a row where we have exceeded our forecast," said Dan Graveline, GWCC executive director. "Excellent news."

Atlanta's newly confirmed business from New Orleans ---| announced in a GWCC board meeting Tuesday ---| includes the National Catholic Educational Association, 10,000 attendees; AFCOM, an association of data center professionals, 1,200; and the American truck dealers arm of the National Automobile Dealers Association, 1,300. GWCC also added hardware giant True Value's 17,000-person convention to its 2007 list. The retailer had been booked to come to Atlanta in 2008 but switched that conference to October 2007 to accommodate New Orleans.

WHAT'S MOVED FROM NEW ORLEANS

Downtown Atlanta's Georgia World Congress Center has booked 10 meetings originally headed to New Orleans:

--American Society of Anesthesiologists, October 2005, 11,500 attendees

--American Society of Hematology, December 2005, 15,000 attendees

--Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, February 2006, 21,000 attendees

--AFCOM, March 2006, 1,200 attendees

--National Cable Telecommunications Association, April 2006, 17,000 attendees

--National Catholic Educational Association, April 2006, 10,000 attendees

--National Automotive Dealers Association, April 2006, 1,300 attendees

--TradeFair Group's Electric Power Conference, May 2006, 2,500 attendees

--Society for Neuroscience, October 2006, 25,000 attendees

--True Value*, October 2007, 17,000 attendees