July 23, 2008 - Spurgeon's people continue to do their jobs

Tim Darnell

July 23, 2008

No doubt that my good friend Spurgeon Richardson and his group keep doing Atlanta proud.

Not a big surprise, as the man himself told me eight years ago, when I profiled him, that if God ever created a perfect job for someone, it would be Spurgeon Richardson going out into the world to promote Atlanta.

Despite concerns that the current economy might drive down convention business and destination appeal, Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau (ACVB) second quarter results reveal room nights, sales leads and year-end goals are on target.

Efforts include booking six conventions estimated to bring more than 33,000 attendees to the city in future years. During the same period, ACVB customer contact increased 42 percent translating into 1,556 trade shows, 523 site visits and 316 sales meetings. Customer contact informs potential and existing clients about the city's offerings and is an important tool used to generate business.

While room night goals are on target, Atlanta hotel occupancy rates have experienced a slight decline. According to Smith Travel Research, year-to-date nationwide hotel occupancy rates are down 2.2 percent. Metro Atlanta hotel occupancy rates have experienced a similar decline, falling 4.4 percent from the same period. However, Atlanta's convention center hotels occupancy grew 1.7 percent.

ACVB attributes the convention market's resilience to the large number of meetings and tradeshows that are booked many years in advance. Delegates attending these events produce room nights and hotel occupancy.

"Atlanta is a top convention destination and we work extremely hard to maintain our reputation," said Mark Vaughan, ACVB chief sales and marketing officer. "Today's efforts impact tomorrow's future and the events confirmed this quarter help to support Atlanta's long-term economic growth."

Remaining top conventions for the calendar year include the SEC Football Classic (73,000 attendees), American Academy of Ophthalmology (25,000 attendees) and ASIS International (20,000 attendees). The destination continues to bid on major events including the NCAA Men's Final Four 2012 through 2016 games.