When Helicopter Association International (HAI) opened registration this fall for its upcoming Heli-Expo, it presented a new venue to would-be attendees: Atlanta. The annual event, next scheduled for March 4 to 7, 2019, will be hosted in the Southern city for the first time.
Heli-Expo traditionally rotates among about a little more than a handful of cities, with Anaheim, Orlando, Las Vegas, and Dallas being among the most frequent of locales. The locations have been limited by a series of requirements, including a need for about one million square feet that houses displays from the more than 700 annual exhibitors, nearby hotel rooms that can accommodate an annual attendance of around 18,000 people, and the ability to bring the roughly 60 helicopters into the show floor.
Another factor that HAI officials learned to play a key role has been transportation to and from the host city. This became an issue when HAI tried to extend Heli-Expo’s reach to Louisville, Kentucky.
“There are only so many convention centers that can meet that requirement in locations that are suitable during the January to March season in the U.S.,” said Matt Zuccaro, president and CEO of HAI. “We look at new venues very closely to ensure we provide our members, exhibitors, and attendees with a location where they can easily and comfortably conduct business, learn about industry advances, and network with other rotorcraft professionals.”
In Atlanta, organizers are enthusiastic that all the requirements line up: the Georgia World Congress Center (GWCC), which hosts roughly 500 events a year and more than three million attendees, is among the largest convention facilities in the country with 1.4 million square feet of exhibit hall space and more in the works.
Organizers have scoped out the helicopter arrivals and entry, finding ready access. As for transportation, Atlanta Hartsfield is among the nation’s busiest airports, accommodating a multitude of connections, and connects to the local light transit system, Marta. Answering concerns about hotel space, more than 11,000 rooms are around the convention center itself, with a total of 90,000 in the region.
Zuccaro further believes the location is key for the industry. “We also take into consideration the number of our operator members and manufacturers in the region of the location,” he said, calling Atlanta “a vibrant center of helicopter activities inclusive of numerous mission profiles serving the greater good of society.”
GWCC “more than meets our space requirements,” he added, noting it will be similar to Las Vegas in that Heli-Expo will span two exhibit halls. The convention center has three halls in all. Heli-Expo will take place in Halls B and C with a temporary connector for visitors to traverse between the two. The convention center is currently constructing a permanent connector that will add about 100,000 more square feet and will have the look of an exhibit hall while providing easy access between B and C. The permanent structure, however, is not slated for completion until December 2019.
HAI has planned for registrations next to both halls, with the parking deck and walking traffic accessing Hall B. Shuttles, meanwhile, will drop off at Hall C side. The facility housing Hall C, the newest of the three, is three levels, while Hall B’s structure is four levels, providing ample space for the hundreds of education courses, seminars, workshops, and forums that occur during Heli-Expo. The helicopter industry career fair and military to civilian transition workshops were being planned for the C side.
Also important to HAI is the attractions and nearby venues that can be a draw for attendees and their guests. “The GWCC sits in the middle of the downtown area and is within easy walking distance of a substantial number of hotels, restaurants, and entertainment venues,” Zuccaro said. The convention center is situated next to the homes of the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena (the San Antonio Spurs are in town on March 6) and the Atlanta Falcons at the new Mercedes Benz Stadium.
Exhibitors already have begun lining up to book events at the Mercedes Benz Stadium, which opened in August 2017. While it has a retractable roof, Charlotte Zilke, director of conventions for HAI, cautioned helicopters are not anticipated to be approved for landing on the field through that roof. She added that she had already received requests about that.
Also next to the GWCC is the College Football Hall of Fame, an interactive museum that opened in August 2014 and enables visitors to test their kicking ability, call historic plays, give broadcasts, or virtually deck themselves in favored team colors. That will be the site of Heli-Expo’s Welcome Reception. Another attraction next to the convention center is the Centennial Olympic Park, which is nearly the end of Phase 2 of a $27 million renovation.
“From major renovations to the adjoining Olympic Park, and the adjacent World of Coke and Aquarium, the community has done a wonderful job of developing the area to support fans, visitors, and people attending conventions,” said Zuccaro.
HAI hosted exhibitors at the new location last May, Zilke said. “Exhibitors were really excited about the city,” she said, adding that bodes well for the 2019 event.
Zuccaro agrees. “We are very excited to bring HAI Heli-Expo 2019 to Atlanta, and our early projections indicate this could be a really special event,” he said. “The city itself is accessible and friendly, and we’re confident that anyone coming to our show in Atlanta will quickly understand why we feel this site is such a great choice.”