In 2016, NFL owners voted to bring the 2019 Super Bowl to Atlanta to be played in the brand new, state-of-the art Mercedes-Benz Stadium.  This is first time since 2000 that Atlanta has been selected to host the game.  Super Bowl LIII will be played on February 3, 2019 and is expected to bring in more than 100,000 visitors and bring in several hundred million dollars in economic activity to the City of Atlanta.  That is great news, but what does it mean for the GMA Mayors’ Day Conference which is scheduled for January 25-28, one week before the game?

Part of the bid package that Atlanta submitted to entice NFL owners to come to Atlanta, was full use of hotel space beginning on Monday, January 28.  The city has put a block on all group hotel accommodations, including meeting space and sleeping rooms, at all major hotels in downtown Atlanta, beginning on Monday, January 28.  As past attendees know, the GMA Capitol Connections Breakfast is typically held on Monday morning and following the breakfast, training courses are conducted.  With no hotel meeting space to use on Monday, solutions had to be found to accommodate an exciting breakfast that would attract members, as well as members of the Georgia Legislature.

New Venues

The 2019 GMA Mayors’ Day Conference will return to the Atlanta Hilton and Towers.  Over the past two years, the Atlanta Hilton has undergone a complete multi-million-dollar renovation.  The transformation includes the lobby, meeting space, restaurants and bars, as well as contemporary upgrades to all guest rooms.  The new space is gorgeous and functional.

The Capitol Connections Breakfast has been relocated to the Georgia Railroad Freight Depot, directly across the street from the Capitol.  The new Governor, Lt. Governor and Speaker of the House will be invited to address attendees and, as usual, all members of the Georgia Legislature will be invited to attend, providing a great opportunity for networking with state leaders.  After breakfast, GMA members are encouraged to visit the Capitol to celebrate GMA Day at the Capitol.   Shuttle service from the Atlanta Hilton to the Georgia Freight Depot will be available from 7:00 am through the lunch hour.

To accommodate membership needs for training courses, course offerings have been expanded on Friday, January 25 and Saturday, January 26.
 

New Schedule