Today, on 24 May 2012, International Festival of accessible and elitist kinds of extreme sports, recreation and tourism EXTREMEX was solemnly opened. Distinguished guests ― Alexey Pyzhov, Deputy Head of Moscow Department of Physical Education and Sports; Oleg Pilshchikov, Deputy Prefect of the Eastern Administrative District of Moscow; Viktor Kravchenko, Minister of Sports and Tourism of the Kamchatka Region; Dmitry Bychkov, President of the Climbing Federation of Russia and Andrey Lapshin, Director Sokolniki Park for Leisure and Recreation welcomed all the guests on the stage in pavilion 4. All the guests enthusiastically embraced the initiative to organize EXTREMEX festival and expressed their confidence that this project will be one of the most significant events in extreme industry. After the official part, some performances took place including the show of one of the best break-dance teams in Russia, Capture Group, as well as workshops on skateboarding, roller-skating, rock climbing and street surfing. Business program took place in a conference-hall. Director of Training Center for extreme and youth sports of the Department of Physical Education and Sports in Moscow, Konstantin Permyakov opened the business program. Over 50 companies from Moscow and Russian regions, as well as official representatives of major international brands from the U.S., Spain, Italy and other countries take part in the exhibition. The main show to take place at 8 pm on May 26. All the guests will be entertained by Russia’s best moto-freestylers, as well as rap artists. Yury Pashkov, a well-known showman, TV and radio presenter, vice-champion of the world on cable wakeboarding to be a show host.

EXTREMEX Festival started its work

Today, on 17th May 2012, the grand opening of three projects took place within the Festival Week in Sokolniki.

International Specialized Exhibition CARAVANEX / Motor home organized by Moskau Messe Exhibition Company opened today in pavilion 4. Our special guests – Aleksandr Sirchenko (Head of Department for domestic tourism development and state tourist projects of the RF Ministry for Sports, Tourism and Youth Policy); Igor Kozlov (Head of Department of Tourism); Branko Marolt (F.I.C.C. Commission Member, President of Croatian Camping Association); Bulent Karaboncuk (F.I.C.C. Council Member, President of Turkish Camping and Caravanning Association, Editor of F.I.C.C. News Magazine and others – greeted the participants of the Exhibition.

Alexey Kharyutkin, General Director of Moskau Messe Company, told about the rapid development of the project and the partnership of the organizing committee with the League of Caravanners, which contributed a lot to the development of the project.

There was a performance of live music orchestra at the end of the official part. In comparison with the last year’s exhibition, CARAVANEX/ Motor home'2012 has been essentially widened. A great number of caravans as well as associated goods were displayed within the frames of the Exhibition.

There was also an opening of the second exhibition organized by Moskau Messe – WAN Expo/ Festival of pregnant women and infants as well as the opening of another event called BabyFest in pavilion No. 4.1. The event was opened by Julia Grimalskaya (Deputy Head of Family and youth politics department in Moscow); Andrey Lapshin (Director of Sokolniki Park) and Pavel Revenko (General Director of Sokolniki Exhibition and Convention Centre). This year the program of WAN Expo is full of interesting events for future mothers and young families. The following events to be held during the exhibition: crawlers race, poetical contest “I will be a mother”, “Contest of soap bubbles”, charity event, “I’ll go to a good home,” and many others. Exhibition area of the project also increased by the participation of leading industry companies.
Rehabilitation. Available environs'2012 opened in pavilion number 2. It is the exhibition presenting products and services for people with disabilities. The main subjects are: ”Medical and rehabilitation equipment and technology," "Health care facilities and techniques," "Help with everyday life," "Invasport." During the exhibition Parafest Festival takes place on Festival Square. It includes creative and sports competitions with award nominations, as well as the concert at the Big Stage.

The event of unusual beauty and energy – International Dance Day – took place in Sokolniki Exhibition and Convention Centre on 6th May, 2012. Representatives of various dance styles (from classic dance and ballet to modern ones, such as break dance) gathered at the main entrance of Sokolniki Park at 4 p.m.

Dance parade began with the performance of the carnival music band accompanied by a team of drummers and a saxophonist. Appearance of dancers from Brazil and a dance team of young men and women disguised asHipsters attracted special interest of the audience. The delegation accompanied by visitors of the park and TV Channel shooting teams proceeded to pavilion number 2 of Sokolniki Exhibition and Convention Centre, where the official show program was held.

International Dance Day featured performances of such famous dance teams as BeatSoulStep, Mus’Cat, Valery,Freedom and some others. At the end of dance performances, spectators of the show were also cheered by DJs, who prepared a special music program for the festival.

International Dance Day to be held from 4 p.m. to 8.30 p.m. up to 7th May. Entrance to pavilion number 2 is free of charge.

International Dance Day

The Global event in the world of dance industry - World Dance Olympiad - was opened in Sokolniki Exhibition and Convention Centre at this weekend. Four exhibition pavilions (№4, №4.1, №4.2 and №7а) were appointed to hold this event. Representatives of more than 40 countries were welcomed to participate in the Olympiad and it is an absolute record. The project is arranged by All Russian Dance Organization.

World Dance Olympiad will be held for a whole week. First days of the Olympiad distinguished winners in many dance styles. For example, there were no equals to dance team “Kazachki-kazachki” from Krasnodar, which won most of awards in Falk Dance Contest, held on Forum Opening Ceremony Day. Today on the 2^nd of May, there have been held performances on the following dance styles: Jazz, Modern, Ballet, Oriental- classic Dance, Contemporary and many others. Competitions are held among all age groups - children, juniors, youth, adults.

The Schedule of all these events arranged by World Dance Olympiad is available on the official website of the project: olympiad.ortodance.ru

The forum will be held till the 9^th of May inclusive.

We look forward to welcoming all the dance lovers to Sokolniki!

 

Business and Exhibitions magazine № 2 (56) 2012

Feria de Madrid Exhibition Centre (IFEMA) represents one of the most relevant institutions within the business world in Europe. Feria de Madrid, created in 1980, is composed of and governed by the Autonomous Community of Madrid, the City Council of Madrid, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Madrid, and the savings bank known as Caja de Madrid.

Its design and architecture configures Feria de Madrid as one of the most modern and among the best in technological design and equipment in Europe. Its complex, with 200,000 square metres of covered exhibition space, 12 Halls, 2 Conventions Centres, business and press centres, as well as 14,000 parking spaces, make Feria de Madrid a highly effective stage for generating business opportunities and contributing to the development of the different economy sectors.


The Exhibition Centre officially inaugurated its newly enlarged facilities in April 2002, renovating its status as a major landmark on the international trade fair map. The new site stands out for its functional design and technological features, which, in operational terms, positions it at Europe’s forefront. Thanks largely to such renovations Feria de Madrid’s exhibition projects received special praise from the Union of International Fairs (UFI). Feria de Madrid plays host annually to over 80 highly specialized events which hold an important position in the international trade fair calendar.

Feria de Madrid’s installations focused on congressional activity boast 2 Convention and Congress Centres: North and South. Located in the building at the North Entrance with an area of 10,000 square meters, the North Convention and Congress Centre possesses a total of 20 rooms, 18 of which are on the first floor. Rooms N101 to N106 are multi-purpose as they have separating panels, allowing the hosting of events from 100 to 1,800 people. Joined together, N103 and N104 comprise the North Auditorium, which holds 1,100 people. The North Auditorium´s main characteristic is its removable seating, which allows it to become either an auditorium or an open space according to the client´s needs. On the second floor, the Colon and Neptuno Rooms boast a large open-air terrace.

South Convention and Congress Centre is located in the Feria de Madrid Building’s South Entrance. Also close to public transportation, the Centre boasts an Auditorium which can host 600 people. The spacious entrance hall leading to the Auditorium is the perfect venue for cocktails and coffee breaks.

The Feria de Madrid offers 45 rooms with space for meetings. These rooms are perfectly adequate as working rooms and for small meetings. They are located in two areas. 34 of them, holding between 12 and 120 people, are situated in La Avenida (the Central Avenue), in the mezzanines of Halls 1-10. In the new Halls 12 and 14, there are another ten rooms which can host between 20 and 45 people. For larger scale meetings, IFEMA offers its clients big halls. Trade fairs, shareholders« meetings, sporting events, car clinics, civil service exams, everything is possible in the Feria de Madrid´s 12 halls.

IFEMA is Spain’s principal fair organiser and a leading player in Europe. Prestigious events including Fitur, ArcoMadrid, or Cibeles Madrid Fashion Week have placed Madrid at the centre of the international circuit as a global meeting point for professionals and agents from a host of industries. Special attention should be turned to some exhibitions.

Fitur is a meeting point for tourism professionals. The international specialized exhibition has been held in Madrid for some 30 years. Last year, confirming the trend towards recovery in the industry, 10,434 exhibiting companies from 166 countries / regions and 209,260 visitors between tourism professionals and the general public, met during Fitur to transform leisure into business and business into development for those destinations that welcome millions of travelers. Moreover, among the participation figures of note was the presence of 7,726 journalists from 59 countries, a turnout that demonstrates the importance of FITUR on the international circuit of tourism sector fairs.

The Madrid International Fashion Fair, SIMM, take places at Feria de Madrid every spring. In total, throughout the fair’s three-day duration, SIMM welcomes some 11,000 professionals. Attendance is noticeably inferior to Fitur exhibition; however, SIMM is one of the most ambitious projects in the world of European fashion industry.

The hunting Convention, VENATORIA SUBARU & FITAC is an exhibition oriented to offer quality, as the Madrid’s Convention Center has, as soon as the hunting season is over. Usually is inaugurated by a member of the Spanish Royal Family, or by a minister of the government. In addition other personalities of the business world, banking, and big corporations attend, along with the most well known hunters in Europe. The organizers would like to point out the different institutions represented, like the International Counsel for Hunting and Conservation (C.I.C.), the Safari Club International (S.C.I.), the National Taxidermists Association (ANTAX) and many others.  

VETECO is International Specialized Window, Curtain Walls and Structural Glass Trade Show. The Spanish window, curtain wall and structural glass industry is one of the most competitive of the market and has established VETECO as the leading fair within its field in terms of business participation at a European level. The fair’s last edition was attended by 44,000 visitors.

A wide bus network provides access to Feria de Madrid from different points in the city. Madrid Barajas airport is located only 3 kilometres from the convention centre. Line 8 (station Campo de las Naciones) connects the airport directly to IFEMA. Now a top international airport, featuring a new terminal T-4, guarantees daily connections from throughout Spain and the rest of the world to Feria de Madrid.

The magnificent capital city, the hub for most of the commercial and economical activities of the Kingdom, the largest city of the South-East Asia – such is the nature of Bangkok, a 13-million city, very famous and appreciated by visitors for its versatility and multiple points of interests. Bangkok is a fascinating mix of chaos and tranquility which itself has gained a reputation of an independent, dynamic and influential city. It is one of the leading cities the world over.

Until mid-1970, Bangkok was known as “Venice of the East” as it was filled with many canals. People used to live on water doing their day to day activities while floating on boats. Many of these silent canals were filled in to make way for new noisy roads and skyscrapers over the past years but even now many of these old canals still remain in the far suburbs.

The kingdom’s capital has got some names. The official and full name of Bangkok actually translates to a string of superlatives, “The city of angels, the great city, the residence of the Emerald Buddha, the impregnable city (of Ayutthaya) of God Indra, the grand capital of the world endowed with nine precious gems, the happy city, abounding in an enormous Royal Palace that resembles the heavenly abode where reigns the reincarnated god, a city given by Indra and built by Vishnukarn” To the Thais Bangkok is always Krung Thep, the spiritual and symbolic as well as physical heart of the nation – the City of Angels.

Bangkok is a bright embodiment of the deep Thai respect for own traditions, not interfering actively keep up with the times. It is not surprising that the largest international conferences and exhibitions are held there. Three imposing exhibition complexes — IMPACT Arena, Exhibition & Convention Center, BITEC (Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre) and Queen Sirikit Exhibition Centre — welcome their exhibitors and visitors.

They all are located in different parts of the city. IMPACT Arena, Exhibition and Convention Center is one of Asia’s largest and most modern exhibition and convention centers. IMPACT is the preferred destination in Thailand for Impactful events – The Preferred Place…The Preferred Partner….The Preferred Provider. Although, it is possible to get there only by taxi or via travel agency it is not the worst complex’s bug. Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre is Thailand’s first state of the art purpose center built for International trade exhibitions and conventions. BITEC is only 15 minutes from the Suvarnabhumi International Airport, and is linked directly with the expressway to Bangkok’s city center.

The venue is also served by array of public transportation including free shuttle buses that ply the On Nut BTS station during the exhibitions.

The third complex is Queen Sirikit National Convention Center. The QSNCC is equipped with the finest “tried and tested” technology and systems available in the world designed to meet the needs of large scale meetings held in a multipurpose facility such as the Center. The QSNCC is the only center located in the very heart of Bangkok and has easy accessibility. In addition to many bus routes, you can easily take BTS Sky Train or subway station which is right in front of the Center.

Formed in 1997, Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Center (BITEC) is a highly acclaimed exhibition venue and has been the chosen the home for many international organizers.

The BITEC’s land area is 24 ha. It is located in the eastern part of Bangkok. The exhibition centre is conveniently fits into the city’s highway system. It is easily accessible from hotels, shopping centres and museums. BITEC is only 45 minutes from the Don Muang Airport and 14 km from the new Suvannabhumi International Airport.

It is certain that BITEC is a fully equipped contemporary exhibition complex, ready to host some 20,000 exhibitors and over 100, 000 visitors at the same time. To date, total usable event space varies from 5,000 to 20,000 square meters with plans to expand the centre according to the market demand.

The construction of Thailand’s first purposed built exhibition centre began in 1995. BITEC was completed in 1997 and opened its doors for the first event in September. Since then, BITEC has grown from strength to strength as a popular site for International exhibitions, global conventions and MICE events. In 2011, BITEC has been selected as the venue for hosting Thailand’s five core industries event under the campaign “Better the Best” by Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB).

The exhibition centre is the winner of the Global UFI Operations Award 2007, as well as one of the Top Five Exhibition and Convention Centres by the CEI magazine, Asia Pacific. Hence, the BITEC leadership strive to be the world’s best venue for business events.

Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Center (BITEC) is still the huge exhibition area with developed infrastructure meeting the highest global standards. Hence, its leadership always expanse and improve the centre. Thus, by 2012 BITEC will be added some additional event halls and meeting facilities, with at least another 20,000 square meters of exhibition space. Moreover, some studies are being conducted to add suitable components in the expansion such as a new hotel, office building, and park and ride facilities.

The expansion of the BTS sky train mass transit rail system to BITEC to be completed in late 2011. For convenience, BITEC is investing in the infrastructure of the elevated walkway connecting Bang-Na station to the venue.

All the pavilions are beautiful and very spacious. The Event Halls have 15 meters ceiling height, and equipped with catwalks with heavy load capacity of 1.5-3 tons per square meter. Access for equipment and exhibits is via 32 ground-level loading docks and 26 drive-in doors. Trucks marshalling the area are available to provide convenience during move-in and move-out period within the centre’s facility.

The centre’s layout is very convenient for all the visitors to BITEC. Wide foyers are designed for networking activities, and include hospitality lounges, internet cafes, smooth and efficient visitor registration, and a host of exhibition related activities. Registration counters and organizers’ offices are located in front of each Event Hall. In general, everything is at your fingertips, so you can work as at your beloved comfortable office without losing your time.

An ultra modern business centre provides such one-stop services for visitors as flight & railway ticket arrangements and hotel & limousine arrangements.

Extensive meeting facilities on BITEC’s upper floor are ideal for a range of events, including conferences, training seminars, press conferences, product launches, award ceremonies, etc. A total of 19 meeting rooms of varying sizes, many with movable acoustic walls, offer flexible floor configurations for the customers such as to tailor the space to their specifications. For instant, if the exhibitor wants to display an automobile, it is not a big deal even if the booth is located on the second floor. A large open lift platform (gantry lift) is designed to lift even an automobile from Level B-1 to Level 2. This is also available to bring heavy goods and exhibits to Level 2 and the Convention Hall. A huge car park is another advantage of BITEC. Indoor and outdoor parking space for 4,700 vehicles within BITEC includes 1,680 cars indoor and 3,020 cars outdoor directly in front of the exhibition pavilions.

To facilitate the highest degree of ease and convenience to its clients and organizers, BITEC provides the complete spectrum of products and services. For example, Kids’ Kingdom is available on Basement1. Moreover, prayer rooms are available on the second floor where representatives of almost all confessions can perform their rituals.

The multi-functional facilities at BITEC coupled with its catering expertise, creates the ideal venue for banquets, theme parties and special events. The food & beverages team’s services include: preparing custom-made cuisine adding that special touch, tastefully presented, and provide logistics to ensure timely service with maximum efficiency, equally for events with small and large numbers of participants.

BITEC’s record breaking F&B challenge was to serve Cocktails and Dinner to a group of 4,500 guests within a period of one hour. Do I need to tell more about the services’ quality of one of the most famous venues in the world?

Of course, the robot-bus is not the only thing that the Fiera di Roma Exhibition Quarter can boast with. This huge ultra-modern exhibition center tells the world that Rome is not just the Eternal City, but it is ever-young.

Nuremberg, a city with an ancient commercial tradition, has been long serving as a bridge for commerce between east and west. The advantageous Nuremberg’s location to ensure its prosperity for a long time.

The whole city looks like an open air museum – the old houses, the narrow streets, the 600-year old fountain... Street musicians play in the shadow of St. Lorenz church; not far from the House of Dürer’s the youth enjoy themselves. Just this particular Nuremberg attracts visitors: the harmonious coexistence of ancient and new, modern and historical, alive and lost in the history.

A settlement on-site of modern Nuremberg was known even at the time of the Holy Roman Empire, and in 1050 it was officially named the city of Nuorenberg (the rocky mountain) in a letter by Kaiser, Henry III. Nuremberg is fortuitously situated in the central part of Bavaria, on the river Pegnitz.

Nuremberg owes its appearance and growth to commerce with wealthy Italian cities. Today, Nuremberg is a successful commercial city. One of the leading Nuremberg events, its visiting card, is the Christmas market. Early in December, all the central town squares are filled with numerous stalls, trade rows, fairgrounds; and the festival continues for about 3-4 weeks until the very Christmas. At this very time Nuremberg is attended by about 2 million tourists.

The exhibition site opened in 1974; compared with the city of Nuremberg it is quite young, but a fledgling company that has repeatedly confirmed its status as a successor to the old carnival tradition. The exhibition centre has been extended and developed step by step since it was opened with 60,000 m² and now offers 160,000 m² of display area (as in 2007), 155,000 m² of which are exhibition halls; and the rest 5,000 m² are taken up by the registration halls and the foyer.

NurembergMesse infrastructure to guarantee the most effective work of both exhibitors and visitors to the events held there. The entire complex includes twelve exhibition halls, equipped with the latest, state-of-the-art systems, so as to meet the highest international quality standards. NürnbergMesse is literally stuffed with modern means of communication, as well as sound and video equipment. In these latter days, it is increasingly called the most contemporary exhibition center in Europe. The site was planned to provide logistics separation between visitors and exhibitors, which guarantees smooth operation before and during exhibitions.

NurembergMesse Exhibition Complex offers unique possibilities for your event. 35 specialized halls with over 11, 000 seats constitute a single complex, the main parts of which are the following.

CCN West. A special feature of this modern, compactly arranged building complex is its good access with short routes. The flexible rooms of various size allow to conduct negotiations and meetings of various formats.

CCN Frankenhalle with its plenary capacity of up to 5,000 seats and multipurpose applications is the complex’s multi-talent in the top congress segment; it means that in addition to business conventions and conferences you can organize there any impressive event - from a rock concert to Holiday on Ice.

CCN Mitte is very suitable for medium-sized events and the number of participants. Here conference rooms are compactly arranged around the circus.

CCN Ost. This congress building sets new standards with its modern, naturally illuminated architecture with an impressive glass roof and industrial design creating an atmosphere of dynamism and speed. Exactly here the conference hall called Saint Petersburg is. Since its appearance NürnbergMesse Convention Centre’s capability have increased from 8,000 to more than 11,000 seats. Its open and communicative atmosphere creates excellent conditions for successful events: from car presentations and international marketing meetings to medical and pharmaceutical congresses.

Builders’ skills to admire. Well thought-out architecture of the Exhibition Centre is notable for its extraordinary convenience and functionality. Thus, the ten out of twelve exhibition halls are compactly arranged around the central park that allows visitors and exhibitors to move quickly around the complex. Most of the rooms are on the ground floor, which is very convenient for stand mounting and delivery. The four-lane feeder road connects the motorway to the Exhibition Centre. There are spacious parklands, 6 restaurants for 2,100 seats and 10 cafeterias for 600 seats in the Centre’s territory. There is a parking for 7,000 spaces in a few minutes’ walk from the fairgrounds. There are 3,000 parking spaces in a multi-storey car park and 6,000 parking spaces within the close radius.

Continually growing number of exhibitors and visitors to NürnbergMesse Exhibition Center tells its own tale: about 30,000 companies, one third of which arrive in Nuremberg from abroad, represent their production there every year. The number of visitors is impressive enough: annual activities of the Exhibition Centre are visited by nearly 1 million people; and about 40% of them belong to the so-called higher categories: business owners, executive directors and CEOs; nine out of ten visitors to influence the decision on purchase. NurembergMesse Exhibition Complex events are precisely tailored to the relevant target groups: electronics and information technologies, packaging, building and construction, social health and public care, consumer goods.

It is very easy to reach the Exhibition Centre. It is only fifteen minutes from the city centre to the exhibition site by underground, and the entry ticket for the event gives the right to travel free to the fairgrounds on public transport. It is also possible to come here by bus.


NürnbergMesse has achieved its main strategic goal by founding its four subsidiaries which are engaged in organizing exhibitions around the globe. These divisions are presented in China, North America, Italy and Brazil. The program includes more than 20 exhibitions worldwide.

Every year the Exhibition Center contributes some millions euro to the country’s economy. The company belongs to the city administration (49.97%), Bavarian Government (49.97%), Nuremberg Chamber of Commerce (0.03%) and the Frankish Union of Craftsmen (0,03%). The total investment in the centre’s construction was 653 million euro for the entire period of its existence.

NurembergMesse is one of today’s fastest-growing exhibition companies in Europe. The Exhibition Complex is even one of the 20 largest in the world and the 10 largest in Europe. The company’s portfolio covers some 120 international exhibitions and conventions at the Nuremberg location and worldwide.

NurembergMesse Company’s success is undeniable - despite the unfavorable economic situation its revenues were 200 million euro in 2010, having increased by 30% in comparison with 2008 (the year is taken for comparison as more significant); as compared to 1997, when an ambitious program of expand was undertaken, they had grown by 5 times. CEO of the company, Bernd A. Diderihs, says about the mid 90’s: “Nobody knew us; we were too insignificant; the competitors thought little of us and laughed at us. Today, their faces do not grin. Such large-scale exhibition centers as Cologne, Hannover and Berlin, are already feeling the hot breath of us”. It is very significant that the heavy 2009 NurembergMesse had passed without any loss.

Business and Exhibitions magazine

The capital of the U.S. state of Georgia, Atlanta is not the biggest city in the U.S.A.  In terms of population (about 600 thousand people), it only takes the 33rd place. However, the development of exhibition infrastructure is ahead of many. One of the nation's largest venues for exhibitions and conventions is situated there.

In the 2000’s Atlanta and its suburbs (the total population is 6 million people) has evolved most rapidly in the United States, becoming one of the leading international business centers. To a large extent, implementation of the Olympic Games in Atlanta in 1996 contributed to this, and gave a powerful impetus to the development of the city in the subsequent years. During preparation for the Games large urban areas were involved into the economic cycle. Thus, Centennial Olympic Park was laid out on the area of ​​10 hectares in the heart of the capital of Georgia, huge sports facilities were raised, the world’s largest aquarium was built; the international headquarters for CNN, the building of “The World of Coca-Cola”, Children’s Museum and the National Museum of Patriotism were also among the large constructions.

The fact that Atlanta is a major transportation hub in the U.S. has also contributed to the rapid economic development.   Located only in 16 km from the city, the local airport is one of the busiest terminals in the world. Between the airport and business districts there is a direct rail communication. Six major national and regional highways pass through the area of Atlanta and its suburbs; there is also an extensive network of local roads. All of this was the important preconditions for development an active exhibition work and formation of one of the largest in the country (the fourth in area) exhibition and congress complex in the city.

Its story began in 1971 when the Assembly State of Georgia has established a special Council for the Development of the World Exhibition and Congress Centre (Georgia World Congress Center - GWCC) in order to promote international trade and creation of the exhibition complex in Atlanta. At the initiative of the Board an action plan and projects of the future center were developed. In October of 1974 construction of the first pavilion was begun; the pavilion was opened in 1976. Its area was 30 thousand square meters. It consisted of three exhibition halls, a conference hall for 1740 seats and 27 meeting rooms. In September of the same year, the first exhibition of the American Association of clothing manufacturers was held in that pavilion.

In 1981, the State Assembly announced the second phase of the exhibition center. Its outcome was the opening of the second pavilion in 1985. By 1992 it was expanded, that added in tote about 60 thousand square meters of exhibition space (five exhibition halls), 47 meeting rooms and reception hall with the area of ​​3.1 thousand square meters.

Georgia World Congress Center – GWCC

Along with the development of exhibition and congress center an indoor stadium for 72.3 thousand seats (Georgia Dome) was begun to build by the decision of the State Assembly. It was intended mainly for the matches of the local team of American Football “Atlanta Falcons”. However, it could be used for concerts or other events. The stadium was opened in 1992 in conjunction with extensions of the second pavilion of the exhibition center and it became a part of the overall exhibition, congress and sports center, managed by a single administration (Georgia World Congress Center Authority).

In 1996, the exhibition halls and the new Georgia Dome stadium, along with a large Olympic Stadium were the main objects involved most actively in the Olympics, what contributed greatly to the success of this grand event.

In 1999, the State Assembly approved the financial plan for the next phase of development of the exhibition and congress center GWCC, whereby the third pavilion was being constructed with the area of ​​40 thousand square meters. It included four exhibition halls, two conference halls, 29 meeting rooms and reception hall with the area of ​​2.4 thousand square meters. That made ​​the World Exhibition and Congress Center in Atlanta one of the largest in the U.S.A. The opening of the new pavilion took place in 2002.

The most grandiose building of the complex of the exhibition, congress and sports center is the stadium Georgia Dome. Prior to the opening of the stadium Millennium Dome in London in 1999, Georgia Dome was the world’s largest indoor sports complex. Construction of the stadium in Atlanta cost 214 million dollars. Its construction took 110 thousand cubic meters of concrete and 8.3 tons of metal. The stadium occupies 4 hectares, its height is 90 m, and the area of the buildings on four floors is 150 thousand square meters. The roof is mounted out of 130 fiberglass panels coated with teflon, and its area is ​​35 thousand square meters. The original architectural appearance of the Georgia Dome stadium became a hallmark of Atlanta.


In the immediate vicinity of the exhibition and congress center and the Georgia Dome stadium the Olympic Park (Centennial Olympic Park) is situated; it is the place that is a pleasure to the eye with its fountains, gardens and sculptures. It is a vivid reminder of the Olympics held here in 1996. The proximity of these sites offers great opportunities for the organization of key actions: exhibitions and conferences, sporting events, concerts, receptions and entertainment.

An integral part of the exhibition and congress infrastructure of Atlanta is Georgia International Convention Center - GICC. It was opened in 2003 and is located in an area about 15 hectares. The complex includes the main building, equipped with the latest technology for conferences and congresses. There is a showroom with the area of ​​13,5 thousand square meters, a conference room, a reception hall, meeting rooms and a spacious restaurant. Near the main building there are two hotels for 430 and 147 rooms, opened in 2010. Special cableway connects the congress center with the airport of Atlanta.


Exhibition and congress infrastructure of Atlanta has a high level of technical support, which attracts the organizers of major events. One example of a large-scale exhibition in the Congress Center GWCC is the International Exhibition of Woodworking (International Woodworking Machinery & Furniture supply Fair). It takes, as a rule, all 12 exhibition halls of the center, connected by special transitions. Various techniques traditionally exhibited in this exhibition require large capacity of power supply that is provided by the power plants of the congress center. Relevant engineering services are involved in water and gas supply, provision of audio and video equipment, installation of lighting systems.

Technical services of the center have to solve complex tasks during one of the most important exhibitions of wireless technology CTIA Wireless in the world, which brings together companies from dozens of countries. Almost every its exhibitor - a manufacturer of high-tech equipment and software – call for a reliable wireless connection to the Internet, fiber optic communications, equipment for teleconferencing, uninterrupted access to e-mail. The annual success of this exhibition confirms the high technical capabilities of the exhibition complex and its leadership in the use of high technology.

All exhibition and congress infrastructure of Atlanta has an area of ​​about 350 thousand square meters. This makes it possible to maintain an active work on organizing exhibitions, congresses and conferences both of national and international significance. Every year more than 20 leading industry trade shows and dozens of different forums are held there.