Georgia World Congress Center facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Georgia World Congress Center |
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| Address | 285 Andrew Young Intl Blvd NW |
| Location | Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 33°45′31″N 84°23′54″W / 33.758652°N 84.39841°W |
| Owner | State of Georgia |
| Opened | September 8, 1976 |
| Expanded | 1985, 1992, 2002 |
| Enclosed space | |
| • Total space | 3,900,000 sq ft (360,000 m2)(90 Acres) |
| • Ballroom | Yes |
| Parking | Over 5,600 spaces |
| Public transit access | Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority
Green Line
Blue Line
at GWCC/CNN Center Red Line
Gold Line
at Peachtree Center |
The Georgia World Congress Center (GWCC) is a huge place in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, where big events happen. It's like a giant meeting and exhibition space. It covers 3.9 million square feet, which is about 90 acres! More than a million people visit it every year.
The GWCC is special because it's the world's largest convention center to be LEED certified. This means it's recognized for being environmentally friendly. It's also the fourth-largest convention center in the entire United States.
It first opened in 1976 and was the very first convention center in the U.S. to be owned by a state government. The Georgia General Assembly created the Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA) in 1971 to build and run it. This authority also helped create other important places in Atlanta, like Centennial Olympic Park and Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The GWCCA owns Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which is home to the Atlanta Falcons football team and Atlanta United FC soccer team.
Besides hosting big conventions and trade shows, the GWCC also holds fun events. For example, it hosts SEC Football Fanfare every year. This is a two-day festival for thousands of Southeastern Conference football fans. The popular TV show Family Feud even taped some of its episodes here in 2015-2017 and again in 2020-2021.
The GWCC is located right in downtown Atlanta. It's next to the CNN Center and State Farm Arena. You can easily get there using public transportation, specifically the MARTA train to the GWCC/CNN Center stop. It's important to know that the Georgia World Congress Center is different from the Georgia International Convention Center, which is a smaller place near the airport.
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Exploring the Georgia World Congress Center Layout
The GWCC is made up of three large buildings, called Building A, Building B, and Building C. These buildings are connected and offer a lot of space for different events.
What You'll Find Inside Each Building
Together, the three buildings have twelve big exhibit halls. They also have 105 meeting rooms and two large ballrooms.
- Building A has three exhibit halls. It also has the Sidney Marcus auditorium, which can seat 1,740 people.
- Building B is the biggest building. It contains five exhibit halls. It also has the huge 33,000 square-foot Thomas B. Murphy Ballroom.
- Building C is the newest building. It features four exhibit halls. It also has the 25,700 square-foot Georgia Ballroom.
Other Cool Features and Services
The GWCC offers many helpful services for visitors. You can find a FedEx Kinko's office there if you need to print or ship something. There are also coffee shops, a gift shop, and internet access. They provide telephone service and full IT support. A concierge desk is available to help you with information. Plus, there's a food court and another restaurant for when you get hungry.
Interestingly, freight train tracks run right through the middle of the complex. To connect the exhibit halls on opposite sides of the tracks, there are special pedestrian bridges. This makes it easy for people to move around.
A Look Back at the GWCC's History
The Georgia World Congress Center has a rich history, growing into a major landmark for Atlanta.
The 20th Century: Opening and Olympic Games
The GWCC first opened its doors in 1976. It was named the George L. Smith II Georgia World Congress Center. This was to honor George L. Smith II, who was an important leader in the Georgia House of Representatives.
When it first opened, it had 350,000 square feet of exhibit space. Over the years, it grew much larger with expansions in 1985, 1992, and 2002.
A very exciting time for the GWCC was during the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. The center hosted many Olympic sports. These included handball, fencing, judo, table tennis, weightlifting, and wrestling. It also hosted parts of the modern pentathlon. The GWCC was also home to the International Broadcast Centre. This is where media from all over the world reported on the Games.
The 21st Century: Challenges and Community Service
In November 2001, former President George W. Bush gave a speech at the GWCC. He used the phrase "let's roll!" to encourage people. This phrase came from a brave passenger on a hijacked plane during the September 11 attacks.
On March 14, 2008, a tornado hit downtown Atlanta. The Georgia World Congress Center was badly damaged. The roof had holes, and there was water damage from rain and broken pipes. Many events had to be canceled right away.
However, the GWCC team worked incredibly fast to fix everything. They repaired the facility in time to host the FIRST Robotics World Championship in April 2008. It was also ready for the International Career Development Conference (ICDC) for DECA students. FBLA-PBL, another student business organization, also held its National Leadership Conference there in 2008 and again in 2016. DECA returned for its ICDC in 2018 with over 19,000 attendees.
In 2009, the center hosted the Soul Train Music Awards. This was the first time the awards show was held outside of Los Angeles.
More recently, in April 2020, the GWCC helped the community during the COVID-19 pandemic. A part of the center was turned into a temporary 200-bed hospital. This helped treat patients with milder symptoms, allowing other hospitals to focus on those who were very sick.
Keeping Everyone Safe: GWCC's Own Police Department
The Georgia World Congress Center has its very own police department. It's called the Department of Public Safety. This department was created in 1995 by state law.
Their main job is to keep the Congress Center, Centennial Olympic Park, and Mercedes-Benz Stadium safe. The department has both police officers and security officers. They patrol the area using bikes, Segways, and vehicles.
