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•Pg_54-74__BMT_pg86-162 4/30/13 9:51 PM Page 60 AREA GUIDES GEORGIA RICH HERITAGE AND VIBRANT FUTURE MAKE PEACHTREE STATE TOP MEETING CHOICE BY GERAD CLAYMORE Need a place to host an event or meeting or plan a group outing? If you are in the business of travel & tourism, you will surely find what you need and have all the tools accessible to plan a successful gathering in Georgia. The Peachtree State has several great facilities and unique locations to host your event, from small to large. Georgia offers a subtropical climate with extremely hot summers and generally milder winters than its northern neighbors. On the coast Savannah you can experience about a month of temperatures that approach, but seldom reach freezing, but the summers can be long and hot… and perfect for taking advantage of activities along the beach. While Atlanta is the anchor and capitol of Georgia, you can aim in any direction to find distinctly different regions to hold your event depending on the ambiance you want to achieve – from the tail of the Appalachians in the North to the rolling Piedmont hills and on down to the seaside marshes in the East. Planners organizing meetings in the Peach State's group-friendly locales can sweeten itineraries with functions at one of the state's many culturally diverse sites, which wonderfully represent a varied and seemingly endless list of options. With a major transportation hub in Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, you'll have easy access to the Atlanta Metro area and throughout Georgia. • • EAST POINT/ATLANTA • • The city of East Point is southwest of the neighborhoods of Atlanta in Fulton County, Georgia. The name East Point derives from the fact that it is the place where the Atlanta & West Point Railroad ends in the east, just as West Point, Georgia, is the place where the rail line ends in the west. Although most business in this area is conducted in the close 60 Welcome to the city of East Point by Atlanta, East Point is definitely a great place conference attendees can escape to and experience that historic southern feel. From world-class restaurants and a myriad of cultural attractions to a hip nightlife and sporting events galore, Atlanta is cosmopolitan in every sense of the word. But Atlanta has also managed to maintain its historic character. Whether you choose modern urban endeavors or old southern pleasures, Atlanta will not disappoint. The Georgia International Convention Center (GICC) is Georgia's newest, second largest convention center. Located adjacent to Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, and only 10 minutes from downtown Atlanta, the GICC features 150,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space and Georgia's largest ballroom. Additionally, the GICC campus features two convention hotels, a 403-room Marriott headquarters hotel, which opened August 2010, and a 147room SpringHill Suites, which opened December 2009. And now, the GICC is Atlanta's most accessible convention center! With the recent opening of Atlanta airport's new light rail train, the ATL SkyTrain, patrons are shuttled from the airport to the GICC in two minutes, free of charge. Whether it's an intimate boardroom setting, a trade show, or a banquet for 2,000, the Georgia International Convention Center matches its space with your specifications. Hotels in East Point, GA allow you to B M & T ••• March/April 2013 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com enjoy a comfortable family reunion or group meeting in Atlanta with convenient access to local dining, shopping and entertainment. A variety of hotels near the Atlanta airport offer tailored price-points for groups, as well as flexible meeting and event space, complimentary shuttle service and ample motorcoach parking. East Point offers conference attendees a quieter, calmer approach to leisure time. The small city's close location to Atlanta is extremely convenient in that travelers can easily get away from it all and enjoy the slightly slower pace of the suburbs as apposed to the fast paced Atlanta. This town is known for its beautiful ambiance and relaxing parks. Reunion or meeting attendees can enjoy some of the parks' many recreational amenities including tennis, playgrounds for the kids, pavilions, grills, basketball courts and volleyball courts. For those that want to see a little more, Atlanta is just a hop, skip and a jump away. Stop by the Atlanta History Center or visit the Martin Luther King Jr. Historical Site, a moving tribute to an American icon. Browse through the former home of famous author Margaret Mitchell or pop into the Jimmy Carter Library and Museum. The closest major airport to East Point is Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International (ATL / KATL), about three miles from the city center.