Atlanta welcomes FTAA

Latin Trade, July, 2003

"We know that we stand to gain from a growing partnership with our friends across the hemisphere," adds Cornell. "Atlanta truly presents a win-win situation."

3. ATLANTA HAS WORLD-CLASS MEETING FACILITIES

With conference facilities for every business need, Atlanta is one of the top five U.S. cities in terms of conventions and trade shows, hosting more than 3,000 business meetings each year. The city's downtown hotel base has more than 12,000 rooms, with more than 90,000 rooms available in the metropolitan area.

"We have the infrastructure to accommodate an important office like the FTAA Secretariat," says Spurgeon Richardson, president, Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau. "Atlanta is highly experienced in hosting meetings, trade shows and major exhibitions. It's not unusual for 50,000 to 75,000 people to attend a meeting in Atlanta."

There are more than 3 million square feet of exhibit facilities within a 10-mile radius of downtown Atlanta. With 1.5 million square feet under one roof, the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta is the most heavily booked convention center in the United States.

Other facilities are available across the state, ranging from the state-of-the-art Savannah International Trade and Convention Center to luxury retreats perfect for low-profile meetings.

4. AS A HOST CITY, ATLANTA OFFERS WARM SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY

Business travelers and tourists from around the world appreciate Atlanta's unique style of warm Southern hospitality. Every year, Atlanta greets more than 17 million visitors, including a growing number from overseas. In 2002, Georgia attracted more than 800,000 international visitors.

Atlanta recently hosted a negotiating round of the Free Trade Agreement between Chile and the U.S., as well as the ALACAT convention (the Latin American/Caribbean federation of cargo agents) and other activities targeted at audiences in the Americas.

"Atlanta's international focus has grown and developed over the last 30 years," says Gordon Giffin, chair, Metro Atlanta Chamber's International Committee and former U.S. Ambassador to Canada. "The culminating event was the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games, which put us on the world stage."

During the 17 days of the 1996 Olympics, Atlanta's civic and business leaders teamed up to welcome more than 2.5 million visitors, as well as a global television audience in the billions.

Atlanta has also been a congenial host city for Major League Baseball's World Series, the 1994 and 2000 Super Bowls, and the NCAA "Final Four" collegiate basketball tournament. In fact, Atlanta is a center for major league sports in the United States with seven professional teams.

5. ATLANTA OFFERS A STRATEGIC LOCATION WITH CONVENIENT ACCESS TO THE AMERICAS

Atlanta is centrally located in the fastest-growing U.S. region--the Southeast. It's the crossroads of the Americas by air, land and sea with the world's busiest airport, two deepwater ports and the most extensive surface transportation network in the country. As the westernmost location in the Eastern Time Zone, Atlanta shares common business hours with the majority of the United States, Europe and Central and South America.