SMG Wins Fourth Public CC Bid in Past Year, Tops 14 Million Square Feet of Prime Space
November 10, 2011
In a little over one year, West Conshohocken, Pa.-based SMG has won its fourth public bid to manage the Jekyll Island Convention Center on the Georgia Coast, which is set to open in the second quarter of 2012, giving the management firm more than 14 million square feet of prime space it now oversees.
The newest win was from the Jekyll Island Authority that selected SMG among three respondents to a request for proposals for management.
Earlier this year, SMG was selected to manage Chicago’s McCormick Place Complex, the largest convention center in North America, as well as the Montego Bay Convention Centre, overlooking the Caribbean in Jamaica.
In addition, late last year, SMG was selected unanimously to manage Detroit’s Cobo Center, with major renovations helping to regain positioning of the historic venue.
“We are proud of the reputation we have built in this space, and always appreciate the municipal clients who recognize the value of our brand and our leadership team,” said Wes Westley, SMG president and CEO.
He added, “SMG has the proven experience and systems to deliver on the promise of service excellence we have built over the past 34 years.”
In all, SMG manages 68 convention venues, and, with the addition of McCormick Place and Cobo Center, SMG now manages nine of the 40 largest venues in North America, according to SMG officials.
SMG doesn’t just manage convention center, the firm also is responsible for the management and marketing of more than 220 public assembly facilities including arenas, stadiums and performing arts venues in nine countries.
“For years we have noted the parallels of value of the SMG brand with those of the major hotel chains,” said Gregg Caren, SMG’s senior vice president of strategic business development.
He added, “Like the Hyatt roots that launched SMG at the Superdome in 1977, we have built a very specialized hospitality focused business that understands the needs of our municipal owners, destination marketing partners and — most importantly — our national and local event planning clients that have come to trust us.”
Some of SMG’s services include venue management, sales, marketing, event booking and programming, construction and design consulting, and pre-opening services, as well as food and beverage operations through its concessions and catering company SAVOR, currently serving more than 100 accounts worldwide.
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