Atlanta

Business leaders optimistic about return of conventions, economic recovery this year

ATLANTA — Business leaders are cautiously optimistic the economy may be better this year.

Convention business is slow, but business leaders told Channel 2′s Dave Huddleston that it remains steady.

Last weekends big cheerleading competition is one example.

Throughout the second quarter, there’s one big convention every month, though they didn’t expect to see the same number of participants show up.

William Pate is the President and CEO of the Atlanta Convention and Visitor’s Bureau. He said the 40,000 people who attended the February cheer competition was a surprise.

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“We’ve been encouraged by the attendance at the shows that have already come,” Pate said. “The business is starting to come back.”

Pate said that before the pandemic, conventions were a $16 billion a year business, with 300,000 workers. He said that so far, the city has had one convention a month starting with the AmericasMart in January and Cheersport in February.

A dental convention is slated for March, and the Mizuno Volleyball qualifier for the Big South Conference will be in Atlanta in April. MomoCon, a comic book convention, is on track to be here in May.

After that, things really take off. Pate anticipates concerts, festivals and the baseball All Star Game will be back, and then we’re in the last half of the year.

“When you get to the fall, if it goes as we expect it to go, then you’re going to see a convention every week to 10 days,” Pate said. “Early indicators are looking really good.”

Pate said that before COVID-19, the hotel occupancy rate was 80%. They hope to be up to 50% by the end of the year. Pate also said economists think Atlanta will be one of the cities that leads the country in turning the economy around.

“We have a lot of things working for us,” Pate said. “One, we have a very good convention business and we continue to sell into that.”

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