5/16/2016 Athens CVB Newsletter: May 2016

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Athens Now:Newsletter of the Athens Convention & Visitors Bureau

In This Issue...

Shaping the Future of Downtown Athens

So Many Press Visits, So Little Time

Hospitality Newsmakers

Industry Appreciation Dinner

Athens Community Career Academy

Strengthening International Relations

Tackling Panhandling

Shaping the Future of Downtown AthensKicking off National Small BusinessWeek and hosted by the Athens AreaChamber of Commerce and HWCreative Marketing, Shaping theFuture of Downtown Athens wasattended on May 2 by a sizable groupof people who had an interest in thefuture of downtown. Attended byCVB Director Chuck Jones andClassic Center Executive DirectorPaul Cramer, this panel discussiontackled a variety of issues impactingdowntown, ranging from diversity inbusinesses and clientele to public space. Panelists included PamelaThompson of the Athens Downtown Development Authority; Jennifer Zwirnof Downtown Athens Business Association and Athens First Bank & Trust;Mike Hamby, ACC District 10 Commissioner; and Blaine Williams, ACCManager.

So Many VIP Visits, So Little Time

May 2016

SAVE THEDATE

Hotel ExtranetTrainingMay 18More info

Georgia Chamber ofCommerce

Georgia 2030 SessionJune 16More info

Georgia RestaurantWeek

July 18­24More info

IN THE NEWS

"The Best Places to Retirein 2016"Forbes

April 4, 2016

"Best Southern CollegeTown: Final Four"Garden & GunMarch 29, 2016

"Best New Cities for BeerLovers"

5/16/2016 Athens CVB Newsletter: May 2016

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Throughout April and May, the CVB hostedthree separate press visits.

From April 20­22, the CVB, inpartnership with the GeorgiaDepartment of EconomicDevelopment, Graduate Athens, andother local community members,showed eight journalists around town.This group of journalists wereimmersed in the Athens culture,particularly music, from sunrise to wellpast midnight. A journalist from Germany made hisway to Athens on May 6 to enjoy the Welcome Center's musichistory walking tour. The Explore Georgia's #GeorgiaMusicBackstagePass contestwinner spent May 11­13 on a VIP tour of Athens, stopping at localAthens favorites and sharing her travels on social media.

Hospitality NewsmakersPaul Cramer, Classic Center executive director, was selected as one ofFacilities & Destinations magazine's "F&D 2015 Elite Convention CenterExecutives." The magazine highlighted Cramer's success in overseeingthe workforce development program that includes Bread for Life, theHospitality Careers Academy, and the Athens Tech Hospitality Program.

Brad Davis (pictured left with pastGeneral Manager, Brian Cotter on right),Country Inn & Suites director of sales,and the Athens Country Inn & Suiteswere recognized at the HospitalityVentures Management Group (HVMG)2015 awards dinner. Davis waspresented with the Director of Salesaward for 2015. The hotel receivedawards for Top Hotel Rev Par, Top HotelGuest Services Score, and Circle ofExcellence for being in the Top 10 of all HVMG properties.

Classic Center Outside Sales Manager Marvin Nunnally won two awardsin the past month. Marvin received the Alumnus of the Year Award fromthe Black Male Leadership Society and the Extra Mile Youth ServiceAward from the Athens Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., Finer WomanhoodProgram.

The Georgia Museum of Art at the University of Georgia received theExcellence in Preservation Service award from The Georgia Trust forHistoric Preservation for the museum's Henry D. Green Center for theStudy of the Decorative Arts and Symposium. The Green Center wasspecifically recognized for promoting the preservation and study of materialculture in Georgia and the South.

FortuneMarch 2, 2016

"9 Bike­Friendly Cities inGeorgia"

Georgia Trend MagazineFebruary 2016

"8 Great Small Towns toVisit in 2016"Visit South

December 6, 2015

"Athens, GA:Creative Culture"Georgia TrendOctober 1, 2015

"5 Fabulous Reasons toVisit Athens, GA"LLWorldTour

September 23, 2015

"A Road Trip ThroughGeorgia"

www.Examiner.comSeptember 3, 2015

"America's Best College Football Towns"Travel + Leisure

September 3, 2015

"5 Artsy Southern Towns"Deep South MagazineSeptember 2, 2015

"Restaurant Roundup:Athens, Ga."

PasteMagazine.comSeptember 1, 2015

"20 College Towns WeLove to Visit"Fodors.com

August 28, 2015

"The 16 Best Places toLive in America 2015"Outside MagazineAugust 18, 2015

"My Town: Susan Hable'sAthens, Georgia"

ExploreGeorgia.orgAugust 18, 2015

"South Georgia's Four 'A' Trail"PhiladelphiaSunday SunJune 27, 2015

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The Athens­Clarke County Economic Development Department hostedtheir Industry Appreciation Dinner & Awards on April 18. CVB AdvisoryBoard Chair Emeritus Johnny Fowler (left), CVB Director Chuck Jones(right), and Classic Center Executive Director Paul Cramer (not pictured)attended the event held at the Cotton Press.

Athens Community Career AcademyCVB Director Chuck Jones attended the April18 governance board meeting of the AthensCommunity Career Academy. As a boardmember, he represents the hospitality­tourismindustry. The academy continues to garnerincreased student interest and attendance;there are already 171 students registered fornext fall. For the Youth Work ReadinessSummer Program, there are 34 studentsregistered, and these students will be paidover a two­week period. The career academyis in sync with local industry needs and iscommitted to providing a well­trained

workforce for our community's employers.

Strengthening International RelationsOn April 28, In Dong Cho, the vice mayor of the Seodaemun District ofSeoul, SK, came to Athens to strengthen the relationship between Athensand his district since a collaborative MOU (Memorandum of Understanding)was signed last year. He also met with Mayor Nancy Denson and ACCManager Blaine Williams to discuss future exchange between those twocities. The prior day, CVB Director Chuck Jones met with a 14­memberdelegation from the Governor's Association of Korea about the CVB'stourism program and discussed the city's strengths, weaknesses,opportunities, and threats related to tourism. Classic Center Executive

LINKS &RESOURCES

Partner Extranet

Athens EventsCalendar

WHO'SCOMING TOTOWN?

Upcoming M&Ccalendars are availableto local partners via our

Extranet

or from theCVB Sales Team:Rita Lowery Missy BrandtBen Ray

STATERESOURCES

State marketingresources & industrystats are available at

www.MarketGeorgia.org

CONNECTWITH US!

5/16/2016 Athens CVB Newsletter: May 2016

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Director Paul Cramerconducted an informativetour of The Classic Center.

Tackling PanhandlingThe Panhandling Roundtable metMay 3, with participants includingCVB Director Chuck Jones andother community representativesfrom ACC Police, the countycommission, and downtown businessowners. The group continues toaddress how to mitigate the situation,taking into account legalramifications as well as business,resident, and visitor interests.

Moving forward, the group identified five initiatives: 1) more UGA outreach; 2) update of resource card indicating area resources and how best todonate to panhandlers, to be widely distributed to residents andvisitors; 3) additional outreach on downtown streets; 4) more interaction with police to aid in the situation; and 5) increased visibility of meters, where people can make donationsinstead of giving directly to panhandlers.

Downtown Athens is a major attractor for visitors, and the CVB, as well asothers, would like to ensure that it is as inviting and welcoming as possibleto visitors.

Athens Convention & Visitors Bureau, 300 N. Thomas St., Athens, GA 30601

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