Athens CVB Newsletter November 2013

Athens Now:

The monthly newsletter of the Athens Convention & Visitors Bureau

In This Issue...

Athens Food Scene Shines

Sam Saussy New Sales Manager

Hotel Indigo Athens Receives Award

M&C Sales Updates

Check this Out!

Extranet Access

Athens Food Scene Shines in Georgia Trend's Silver Spoon Awards

Athens is a rising star on the food scene. Food critic Krista Reese, in presenting Georgia Trend magazine's Silver Spoon Awards, has high praise for Athens, saying:

"In Georgia, only Athens comes to mind as having some potential to reach that kind of goal [an authentic dining scene in which the restaurants drive a tourist industry,] with its many inexpensive but high-quality restaurants, walkable downtown and generally amiable lifestyle. Why? Surely relatively inexpensive real estate is a part of the formula, but it can't hurt that all are college towns, offering a plentiful supply of entrepreneurial young people who seem to egg each other on. Nor can it be an accident that a nearby enclave of culinary-minded farmers supplies and inspires those young chefs with labor-intensive but long-term vision for organic produce and humanely raised livestock and poultry on sustainable small farms."

Read more here, including Five & Ten's most recent Silver Spoon Award.

Sam Saussy to join CVB as Sales Manager

The CVB is thrilled to announce that Sam Saussy has accepted the position of Sales Manager, which recently became open due to Christina Garmon's move to The Classic Center Theatre staff. The CVB has long been impressed with Sam's initiative, work ethic, and dedication to customer service, along with an outgoing personality that will serve us all well in his new role in sales. We are excited to have him as part of the CVB team.

As sales manager, Sam will be responsible for uncovering new business, handling single-property groups in a reactive manner, as well as servicing accounts.

Sam is a graduate of Appalachian State University and has been Parking Operations Manager for The Classic Center for the past two years.

Our thanks to Classic Center management for their support of Sam's new role within the organization! Sam's first day at the CVB will be December 2, 2013.

Hotel Indigo Athens Receives Award

A hearty congratulations to Hotel Indigo Athens on their receipt of the "Quality Excellence Award," given to the top three Hotel Indigo hotels in the brand. It is based specifically on Overall Guest Satisfaction Reviews annually. Great job, Hotel Indigo Athens team!

Athens to host State RVIC Conference

Athens has been selected to host the 2014 Georgia Regional Visitor Information Center (RVIC) Conference February 26-28, 2014. This conference will bring managers from RVICs throughout the state to Athens, where they will experience many of our top tourist attractions firsthand. This conference is an important opportunity to promote Athens to Visitors Center employees who have direct contact with hundreds of thousands of travelers annually. Our thanks to Evelyn Reece at the Athens Welcome Center for her work in bringing this important conference to Athens!

M&C Sales Updates

CVB Director of Sales Tripp McKenney, along with The Classic Center's Alicia Brasher, represented Athens at the Georgia Society of Association Executives (GSAE) Tradeshow & Luncheon on Wednesday, November 13, at the Georgia International Convention Center in College Park.

October Bookings included 16 future conventions projected to generate 13,146 room nights, 10,752 attendees, and $3,766,985 in direct local spending.

Check this Out!

Former UGA Public Affairs associate director (and CVB Advisory Board member) Larry Dendy has a new book, Through the Arch: An Illustrated Guide to the University of Georgia Campus. Congratulations to Larry on this lovely and informative book that should be of interest to all who love Athens and UGA. The book is available locally at UGA Press and Avid Bookshop.