Issuu

ANNUAL REPORT

MISSION. We provide remarkable experiences to strengthen the community and build Gwinnett’s economy.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Explore Gwinnett................................... 4

VISION.

Gas South Arena..................................... 6

Vision: To attract, inspire, and engage our

Gas South Convention Center............. 8

community and visitors so that Gwinnett thrives.

Vision, Mission, Values.......................... 2 Message from the CEO.......................... 3

Gas South Theater................................ 10 Gwinnett Sports Comission............... 12 Mitsubishi Electric Classic.................. 14 Sustainability Initiatives...................... 16 2023 Highlights.................................... 17 GCVB Leadership................................. 18 GCVB Board Members........................ 19

VALUES. • Our People Matter: We demonstrate how our people matter through staff engagement, involvement and enhancement, and recognition and reward. • We Work Together: We work together with cross-team collaboration, an all-hands-on-deck approach, and servicing well. • Be Great Problem Solvers: We solve problems by empowering employees, sharing ideas, brainstorming, and finding the answers. • Demonstrate Inclusivity: We demonstrate inclusivity by facilitating safe dialogue, celebrating differences, educating, and communicating. • Crave Improvement: We crave improvement through staff and personal development, being efficient and productive, and fostering relationships. • Elevate the Guest Experience: We elevate the guest experience by setting clear expectations, using positive communication, and anticipating needs.

Thank you for being an integral part of our journey as we strive to be the very best we can be.

message from the CEO As we reflect on the accomplishments of 2023, it is with great excitement and pride that I share with you the incredible journey our organization has embarked upon.

STAN L. HALL Chief Executive Officer of Gas South District | Gwinnett Convention & Visitors Bureau

Stan L. Hall serves as CEO of the Gwinnett Convention & Visitors Bureau (Explore Gwinnett). Explore Gwinnett houses, and is responsible for, all operations of Gas South District including Gas South Arena, Gas South Convention Center, and Gas South Theater. As CEO, he also oversees the Gwinnett Sports Commission, the PGA TOUR Champions Mitsubishi Electric Classic, the Gwinnett Film Office, and Coolray Field. Prior to becoming CEO, Stan was the Chief Operating Officer of GCVB and Executive Director of the Gwinnett Sports Commission and Gwinnett Championship Foundation. He is a fifthgeneration resident of Gwinnett, where he and his wife, Janell, continue to happily reside. They have one daughter, Gabriella, and he is a lifelong Georgia Bulldog fan.

The past year, while not without its challenges, has been a testament to our resil-

the four-million-dollar mark in all-time charitable giving to our local community

ience and dedication to pushing boundaries.

and bringing attention to Gwinnett as a highlight on the PGA TOUR Champions.

We’ve managed to maintain the positive momentum gained in 2022 and propelled forward into 2023. The completion of our capital improvement and expansion project stands as a monumental achievement, providing us with the unprecedented opportunity to activate and leverage the largest asset of rentable space we’ve ever had in our convention center. This milestone has not only expanded our capacity but has positioned us to compete for a myriad of events on a scale we have never seen before. Our attendance in 2023 has rebounded to pre-pandemic levels, with approximately one million visitors gracing our campus. These attendees participated in over 600 total event days, marking a significant increase from 2022. The addition of The Lawn at Gas South District introduces exciting possibilities for outdoor activation, such as festivals and concerts, diversifying our inventory of available venue spaces. Meanwhile, the Gas South District Speaker Series has continued to be a resounding success, bringing relevant speakers and topics to our campus while supporting local nonprofits with event proceeds. Our Explore Gwinnett and Gwinnett Sports Commission teams have excelled in bringing quality events to our community, reinforcing Gwinnett’s standing as a premier destination, and providing support to our local hotel and venue partners. The Mitsubishi Electric Classic had another outstanding event in 2023, surpassing

Looking ahead, the first quarter of 2024 heralds the opening of the Westin Atlanta Gwinnett—a game-changing addition that will offer a true headquarters hotel experience alongside our existing facilities. This represents an exciting opportunity as we invite guests to Gas South District for an all-inclusive experience tailored to their specific events. The forthcoming construction of Northside Hospital’s medical office building further amplifies our vision for a mixed-use development, underlining our commitment to our overall business model. The reputation Northside brings will undoubtedly serve as a valuable foundation as we work towards this ambitious goal. As we express gratitude for the successes of the past year, we also acknowledge the substantial work that lies ahead as we eagerly approach 2024. Your support and partnership have been instrumental in our achievements, and we are enthusiastic about the collaborative efforts that will shape our future endeavors. Thank you for being an integral part of our journey as we strive to be the very best we can be.

Stan L. Hall, Chief Executive Officer Gwinnett Convention & Visitors Bureau

Driving Economic Impact Explore Gwinnett Tourism + Film is Gwinnett’s official destination marketing organization, driving economic impact through destination sales, marketing, and tourism product development. EG includes the Gwinnett Film Office, as well as overseeing three arts, culture, and entertainment grant programs - the Gwinnett Creativity Fund, and the Hospitality Tourism + Arts Recovery Funds. The sales team works to generate meetings, events, conventions, reunions and weddings to Gwinnett’s hotels and venues, creating visitor expenditures for Gwinnett County. The marketing communications team implements creative marketing initiatives to support our cities, arts, culinary and craft beer scene, and to drive and elevate our visitor experience.

Four major multi-year conventions booked

Best Southeastern Destination Marketing Organization, (Bronze award), 2023 ConventionSouth

32,764 192 257 64%

definite group room nights booked

separate group bookings

leads issued

increase in new business generated in 2023

Explore Gwinnett leadership/management serves on a diverse mix of almost 20 community and industry organizations

Gwinnett Film Office One of metro Atlanta’s busiest film offices • Dedicated Film Office team • Over 325 film permits issued annually • Locations Photography, Assistance and Logistics • Partnership with two Workforce / Training Student + Young Adult initiatives

SEOUL OF THE SOUTH™ We welcomed our 1,200th patron on our trademarked Seoul of the South Korean Food Tours supporting the Gwinnett Place area of unincorporated Duluth.

SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT... for Explore Gwinnett in 2023 including Georgia Trend Magazine, AJC, Atlanta Business Chronicle, Gwinnett Daily Post, ExploreGeorgia.com, ConventionSouth Magazine and more.

MEDIA PLACEMENTS

We’ve got something to talk about. 133 media placements

Facebook page likes are up 15% over 2022 with 2,700 new followers (total 33,361 FB followers total). We have over 2,000 new followers in 2023 (total 13,181 IG followers).

SOCIAL MEDIA

GAINING FOLLOWERS...

Explore Gwinnett granted $820,000 to local hospitality, arts, culinary and film/entertainment organizations in 2023, supporting and elevating Gwinnett’s creative and visitor economies.

GWINNETT CREATIVITY FUND

GRANT INITIATIVES...

GAS SOUTH ARENA IS A 13,000 SEAT VENUE IN GAS SOUTH DISTRICT LOCATED MINUTES OUTSIDE OF ATLANTA

on the WORLDWIDE chart for venues 10,001-15,000 capacity ~ Billboard 6

15TH MILLION The Arena welcomed our 15th million visitor in 2023.

117 143

NUMBER OF EVENTS

NUMBER OF PERFORMANCES

694K ATTENDANCE

2023 NOTABLE EVENTS 1

Francis Ford Coppola filming Megalopolis for 2 weeks in January (set to release in 2024).

SEC Gymnastics Championship held March 18, 2023

2 weeks of Disney on Ice – April & September

Zach Bryan – 2 SOLD OUT shows

TOMORROW X TOGETHER – 2 SOLD OUT shows

Monster Jam – 3 SOLD OUT shows

BLAST R6 Major Atlanta – 1st esporting event

FOOD AND BEVERAGE One of the highest grossing F&B years since the arena opened

PRO VOLLEYBALL COMES TO GWINNETT

TICKETMASTER OFFICIAL TICKETING PARTNER

THE ATLANTA GLADIATORS

Atlanta Vibe Professional Volleyball signed to a 1-year contract with the option to expand.

Signed a 5-year contract with Ticketmaster to become our official ticketing partner.

The Atlanta Gladiators' new team owner (Alex Campbell) and new management company (Zawyer Sports and Entertainment) have negotiated a new 4-year contract with Gas South District. 7

complete buyouts of the convention center

BY ORANGE CONFERENCE AND JAPANFEST

FIVE

85-95% BUYOUTS

85% - 95% of the Convention Center was rented for five large events in 2023

• American Progressive Telugu Association National Conference – First-time event • Georgia PTA State Conference – moved from Jekyll Island and is booked for 2024 conference as well

CONVENTION CENTER FOOD HALL

• Christian Leaders Fellowship World Conference – First-time event • Life Teen Youth Conference – doing a complete buyout in 2024 and 2025 • Change Church Service - Easter Weekend, 4,000 attendees

Community Involvement Engaged in Community Involvement regarding Sales & Operations efforts to increase the exposure of the facility. Hosted Multiple Site Tours for Influential Groups • Gwinnett Technical College • Georgia Association of Realtors • Multi-Chamber Mixers • Business After Hours

CONVENTION CENTER ballroom

Volunteered & Membership Committee involvement • Georgia Society of Association Executives • Meeting Professionals International • Professional Convention Management Association • Sales had the opportunity to volunteer at the American Society of Association Executives annual conference, the largest conference in the southeast for our industry

235 486 251k

NUMBER OF EVENTS

NUMBER OF EVENT DAYS

ATTENDANCE

63 137

NUMBER OF EVENTS

NUMBER OF PERFORMANCES

58.5K ATTENDANCE

Liverpool Legends, a tribute to The Beatles, kicked off the Gas South Theater Tribute Series on August 12.

new programming plus facility upgrades bring big benefits • Completed Phase 1 of the installation of a $1M brand-new state-ofthe-art audio visual and lighting systems. • Piloted a variety of new programming types including comedy, theater, musicals, and rock. • Introduced the first self-promoted series, the Gas South Theater Tribute Series. • Created the first corporate sponsorship opportunities for the Theater. • Renovation of the lobby and back of house dressing rooms with new interior design package. • Strong F&B revenues with the addition of event-themed drinks and the best F&B sales from a single event in the past 10+ years (Rumours). • On track for $200k above the budgeted income for Gas South Theater.

TOTAL EVENTS HOSTED IN GWINNETT COUNTY IN 2023

2023 proved to be a very successful year for the Gwinnett Sports Commission and included a wide variety of sporting events. Gwinnett County was home to several professional events this year including the National Professional Fishing League tournament, as well as two professional pickleball tournaments. Pickleball is one of the fastest growing sports in the country and Gwinnett has made a name for itself in the professional pickleball market. This year we hosted both the Professional Pickleball Association’s Atlanta Open as well as the Major League Pickleball Atlanta tournament at Life Time Tennis in Peachtree Corners. These two events drew thousands of participants and spectators to the area and generated a tremendous amount of economic impact. We also partnered with Gas

South District to host our first ever professional esports tournament. The event generated over 1,000 room nights and was a great new business opportunity for the arena. We were fortunate to host several impactful collegiate events this year as well. The Gwinnett Sports Commission partnered again with Gas South District to host the SEC Gymnastics Championship in March. The popularity of social media has increased the importance of the athlete experience for SEC events and both Gas South District and the Gwinnett Sports Commission worked together to create memories for these athletes that will last a lifetime. The DUPR Collegiate

National Championship was the largest collegiate pickleball tournament in the country and was held in Gwinnett County in November. 375 athletes from all over the country came to Life Time Tennis to compete and we are looking to host this event again in 2024. One of the 2023 goals of the Gwinnett Sports Commission was to diversify our events and we are proud to say that we accomplished that goal. In June we hosted the Minority Baseball Prospects HBCU All-Star Game at both Coolray Field and Georgia Gwinnett College. This event drew the top HBCU baseball and softball athletes from across the country and even created an opportunity for the baseball players

2023 Highlights 1

We hosted four professional sporting events in 2023: • National Professional Fishing League Tournament • Professional Pickleball Association Atlanta Cup • Major League Pickleball Atlanta Tournament • BLAST R6 Major Atlanta Esports Tournament

College championship events: • SEC Gymnastics Championships • DUPR Collegiate National Championship

Youth events: • The most common type of event we host are youth tournaments/ events • Hosted 15 youth events this year

Diverse events: • HBCU All-Star Game • Special Pops Tennis Fall Classic • National Parasport Conference • Southeast Ismaili Games

to compete in front of MLB scouts. We also assisted with the Southeast Ismaili Games as well as the HBCU Invitational at TPC Sugarloaf. We love partnering with adaptive sports and in 2023 we

hosted in 2023 was Insider Exposure’s girls’ basketball tournament, which was held at the Gas South Convention Center. We also assist each year with Perfect Game, which is the country’s

hosted the Special Pops Tennis Fall Classic, where hundreds of children and adults with intellectual disabilities from all over the country were able to compete. BlazeSports America is a local non-profit organization that provides recreational opportunities for kids and adults with physical disabilities, and we were fortunate to host their National Parasport Conference in Gwinnett.

top baseball organization. This group uses high school fields throughout the county each summer to host their WWBA events.

Youth events continue to be our bread and butter in Gwinnett and our facilities are a great fit for all different types of youth tournaments and competitions. We hosted everything from cheerleading competitions to track and field meets. One of the largest events we

In 2023 we found out that we won bids to host several large events in 2024, which we are looking forward to hosting. The Gas South Convention Center will be home to the USA Wrestling Southeast Regional Championships as well as the Men’s Region 8 Gymnastics Championship. With the addition of the new space in the convention center exhibit halls, we can now bid on larger sporting events, which will generate even more business in 2024 and beyond.

• HBCU Invitational

Hosted pickleball tournaments at Life Time Tennis (both college and professional) • DUPR Collegiate National Championship - 375 athletes • MLP tournament - 24 teams • Professional Pickleball Association Atlanta Open - over 1000 participants

Ames broke his 54-hole record at TPC Sugarloaf by four shots.

Champion

Charity

Executive Women’s Day

• Stephen Ames capped off his dominant week at TPC Sugarloaf with a 4-under 68 on Sunday that gave him the tournament scoring record and a four-stroke victory at the Mitsubishi Electric Classic.

• Following the Mitsubishi Electric Classic’s return to TPC Sugarloaf in May, the tournament raised and donated $512,806.69 to local charities through the Gwinnett Championship Foundation Inc.

• Executive Women’s Day presented by Northside Hospital celebrates the power and accomplishments of businesswomen in the metro Atlanta area.

• Ames had a three-shot lead going into the final round and was never seriously challenged. He drove into the water on the final hole and still

• Georgia’s only PGA TOUR Champions event has now donated more than $4.13 million to benefit Gwinnett County and Metro Atlanta area

made a 30-foot par putt to finish at 19-under 197. Ames broke his 54-hole record at TPC Sugarloaf by four shots. He also won in 2017.

organizations since 2013.

• This year’s event theme, “The Power of Believing in You,” focused on how women can celebrate their accomplishments, use their success to inspire others, and improve themselves daily. • The celebration included a keynote address from Founder & Chief Visionary Officer of Titan Global Enterprises Inc., Angela Gennari.

The Executive Women’s Day Power Panel presented by Luckie & Co., featured Melissa Wheeler, Chief People Officer for Luckie & Co.; Secret Holland, Vice President of Human Resources & Community Affairs for Gas South; and Susanne Hall, Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer for Coca-Cola Bottling Company UNITED, Inc. 14

A year of growth and success

Volunteers • As the Mitsubishi Electric Classic’s volunteer program sponsor, R.S. Andrews supports 26 volunteer committees and a dedicated group of over 500 volunteers. • Throughout tournament week, volunteers with various backgrounds and levels of golf knowledge interact with over 25,000 spectators, vendors, PGA TOUR Champions staff and professionals. • Since the tournament’s inception, the successful functions of the volunteer program have played a critical part in keeping meaningful philanthropy at the forefront of the Mitsubishi Electric Classic.

$512.8K DONATED TO LOCAL CHARITIES MAKING 2023 THE THIRD CONSECUTIVE YEAR OF DONATIONS OVER $500K

green initiatives As we embark on prioritizing this sustainability journey, we recognize that there is still progress to be made. We cannot fully achieve our goals without the active participation of our valued guests attending the events we host.

Our Mission Sustainability Welcome to Gas South District, where sustainability is taking center stage. We are proud to share our commitment to creating a greener future, not only in our arena, convention center, and theater, but across all our facilities, no matter the event size. Our campus is implementing a comprehensive recycling program that diverts waste from landfills and reduces our environmental impact. We also invest in energy-efficient technologies like LED lighting and waste-reduction technologies such as hand dryers in all arena concourse restrooms. The campus is also irrigated utilizing rain water collected in our lake located outside of the Convention Center and Theater. We are committed to collaborating with artists and event organizers to help implement sustainable practices into their events. From encouraging the use of digital tickets to providing waste diversion resources and recycling bins throughout venues, we strive to create a sustainable event experience.

Through the implementation of best practices and the empowerment of our patrons, venue staff, and partners, Gas South District is dedicated to creating a sustainable future where live entertainment and meetings can thrive for future generations to enjoy.

A Greener Future As we work toward greener events, we acknowledge that this is just the first step in our sustainability commitment. We are actively working behind the scenes to increase waste diversion rates and explore more sustainable event solutions in Gwinnett County. We look forward to continuing to improve and expand our sustainability initiatives in 2024.

200,000 Gallons of Water Saved By utilizing rain water collected in our lake, we save over 200,000 gallons of water and approximately $10k a year.

Creating a sustainable future

Together, we can host events that not only entertain but also leave a positive environmental impact on the community.

Across Our Organization In 2023, Explore Gwinnett and Gwinnett Sports Commission joined in the effort to divert waste from landfills and adopted the new recycling program launched by Gas South District. The Mitsubishi Electric Classic implemented its own Sustainability Initiative in 2023 including digital ticketing, food rescue programs, golf course and water conservation, tree re-vegetation, and the use of sustainable packaging and materials, with a plan to grow the effort at the 2024 tournament.

2023 HIGHLIGHTS

1M GAS SOUTH DISTRICT ATTENDANCE IN 2023

PARTNERS

These visitors participated in over 600 total event days.

NEW 2023 PARTNERS Dominguez Chiropractic Russell Landscaping UGA Gwinnett Virguez Law Eagle Rock Distributing BrandsMart

1,200th patron Seoul of the South Korean Food Tours

159K visitors in 2023 to Explore Gwinnett’s new content-driven website

$4.13M DONATED TO BENEFIT GWINNETT COUNTY & METRO ATLANTA ORGANIZATIONS SINCE 2013

DUPR

COLLEGIATE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP held in Gwinnett County in 2023 was the largest collegiate pickleball tournament in the country.

GCVB LEADERSHIP

Stan L. Hall CEO

Monte Ortel General Manager

Robyn Ali Asst. General Manager

Lisa Anders, CDME Executive Director

Gwinnett Convention

Gas South District

Explore Gwinnett Tourism + Film

& Visitors Bureau

Executive Director

Ashley Hamilton Senior Tournament Director Mitsubishi Electric Classic

Gwinnett Sports Commission

Jennifer Silas Executive Director of Finance

Dan Markham Executive Director of Arena Management

Ron Jackson Executive Director of Facilities

Gas South District

Cheryl Alicea Director of Human Resources

Katie Beehler Director of Arena Booking

Katie Brejda Employee Engagement Manager

Gwinnett Convention

Victoria Hawkins Leigh Hooten Senior Director Director of Sports Marketing Communications Development & Destination Development Gwinnett Sports Commission

& Visitors Bureau

Explore Gwinnett

Gas South District

Bill Marriott Director of Business Development

Marcia Powell Director of Marketing & Guest Experience

Gas South District

Darrell Willms Regional Vice President Proof of the Pudding

GCVB board MEMBERS

Marcy Adams Chairwoman Regional Vice President Crestline Hotel Group

Beth Hilscher Secretary Suwanee City Council

Bert Nasuti Treasurer Thompson, O’Brien, Kemp & Nasuti, P.C.

Richard Tucker Arlington Capital, LLC

Kirkland Carden District 1 Commissioner, Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners

Nicole Love Hendrickson Chairwoman, Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners

Laura Grams

Kevin Hill General Manager, Crowne Plaza Atlanta NENorcross

Tommy Hughes

Nick Masino CEO & President, Gwinnett Chamber

Norberto Sanchez CEO, Norsan Group

Jose Marquez-Leon CEO, Georgia Latino Film Alliance and Film Festival

Rick Desai CEO, ApneWala

Gwinnett Convention & Visitors Bureau 6500 Sugarloaf Parkway, Suite 200, Duluth, GA 30097 770-623-3600