Leading up to FIFA World Cup, Atlanta is investing over $950 million in city developments that will also impact its meetings and events offering.
Atlanta will host eight matches in June and July at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, but FIFA’s presence will be trumpeted across the city.
“It certainly is wonderful to have something like FIFA in the very near future because it helps people to make decisions about moving projects forward. We’ve certainly seen a lot of that happening in the city,” said Charlene Lopez, executive vice president and chief sales officer at Atlanta CVB.
From hotels to venues and everything in between, here’s what’s happening in Hotlanta.
New FIFA-Generated Facilities in Atlanta
Centennial Yard is a 50-acre plot in the heart of the convention district that will feature a plaza, new restaurant concepts, residential and hospitality spaces and nearly a million square feet of retail space. When all is said and done, Centennial Yard will feature four hotels, one of which, Hotel Phoenix, opened its doors in December.
Centennial Yard will also be home to a 5,300-seat Live Nation music venue, set to debut in 2027.
A new live entertainment experience—Cosm—is bringing all 104 FIFA matches to Atlanta. The immersive sports and entertainment concept is debuting its third location in Atlanta with other locations in Dallas and Los Angeles.
“The goal of Cosm is that they want to be in a city like Atlanta because we are known as a sports mecca,” Lopez said. “This allows the everyday person to have as close to a live entertainment experience as possible without being at the actual game or concert.”
Atlanta’s CNN Center is evolving into The Center, an elevated mixed-use destination to “work, dine, watch, create and celebrate.” The Center’s new developer, CP Group, is revitalizing the CNN Center’s food court and transforming it into the largest bar in the city.
[Related: F1 is Fueling Meetings in Atlanta and Four Seasons Opens a Resort in Puerto Rico]
Another revitalization project, South Downtown, is restoring the old brick buildings in Atlanta’s original downtown. The buildings will maintain their historic charm while upgrading the indoor facilities to a more modern appeal.
The project will add art galleries, entertainment venues, restaurants, residential and office space and a new tech hub.
“We still have over 60 Michelin restaurants. We still have a vibrant arts community. We still have the charm of the South,” Lopez said. “But you add that to having the amazing venues and the convention center and the hotel package. Having all of that together makes it a very memorable and exciting package for planners.”
Georgia World Congress Center’s 50th Anniversary
Georgia World Congress Center (GWCC) is approaching its 50th anniversary. GWCC—a LEED-certified convention center with 1.5 million square feet of exhibit space—opened its doors in September 1976; the first-ever show it hosted was The Bobbin Show.
Annie Roper, communications specialist at the Georgia World Congress Center Authority, said they are leaning into that history as they celebrate the campus’ legacy and anniversary.
The Congress Center is also accompanied by the following properties as a part of its campus, which includes Centennial Olympic Park, Mercedes-Benz Stadium and the Signia by Hilton Atlanta. Centennial Olympic Park, which is approaching its 30th anniversary, is a legacy of the 1996 Summer Olympic Games.
GWCC started out as a 350,0000-square-foot exhibit space, and now boasts 12 exhibit halls, two ballrooms, three auditoriums and nearly 100 meeting spaces.
“Our approach is more about telling the story of how the Congress Center has helped shape downtown Atlanta over the past five decades and continues to play a role in the city’s future,” Roper said. “So, when we think about innovation and the future, it’s really about continuing to build on that foundation and ensuring the campus remains a place where global events and new ideas can thrive.”
