Hot News

 The meeting industry event so great they named it twice will make a return engagement to Atlanta. The International Association for Exhibitions and Events announced the selection of Atlanta as the host city for the 2009 Expo! Expo! IAEE's Annual Meeting & Exhibition.

The announcement was during the Southeastern Chapter IAEE luncheon in April. "Atlanta knows how to host a great event," declared Steven Hacker, president of IAEE. "We're excited to be returning to Atlanta in 2009!"

The premier meeting for the meetings industry—the 2006 Expo! Expo! at the San Diego Convention Center  attracted 1,991 attendees and 261 exhibitors and resulted in a an economic impact exceeding $7 million —will be held at the Georgia World Congress Center, a magnificent multi-purpose complex, that encompasses 1.4 million square feet of prime exhibit space in 12 exhibit halls, 106 meeting rooms, 2 grand ballrooms, 3 fixed-seat auditoriums and 3 landscaped plazas and also includes the 71,250-seat Georgia Dome and 21-acre Centennial Olympic Park.

 "The attendees of Expo! Expo! are key players in the meetings and convention industry," said Spurgeon Richardson, president of the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau.  "We're looking forward to showing off the new Atlanta and hope the attendees will ultimately bring their business to our city."

 Exhibition and event managers from around the globe gather with suppliers in the exhibition industry at Expo! Expo!, which is open to members and non-members wanting to increase their knowledge of the industry, network with their peers, and learn of the vast new products, services and options available to help make their  exhibitions and events one to remember.  Expo! Expo!  provides educational sessions designed for exhibition  and event professionals of varying levels and needs, allowing participants to assess skills while acquiring new ones.

 The event was last held in Atlanta in 2005 and was one of the first national conferences to enjoy a reception inside the world's largest aquarium, the Georgia Aquarium, just days after the new Atlanta attraction opened.   "It was a pleasure to host the event in 2005 and we are pleased they are returning in 2009 to see how Atlanta's downtown continues to grow and provide the perfect location for tradeshows, conventions and conferences" said Mark Zimmerman, General Manager of the Georgia World Congress Center.