Business View Magazine November-December 2018

36 37 pleasure of one indoor and two outdoor pools. Tucker acknowledges, “Of course, the Hilton and Holiday Inn hotels are both full-service and have restaurants onsite, but the way we are positioned in the city, there are another 87 restaurants within a 1.5 mile radius of us, in addition to our campus restaurants. There are also 13 shopping complexes and smaller strip shops, and the Mall. Along with our 400-plus onsite guest rooms, there are 1,700 more rooms within a five mile radius.We’re right in the heart of it all, and only five miles from the airport.” The Greenville community gets very involved when large events come to town–visitors don’t get lost in the shuffle, they are made to feel special and treated with true southern hospital- ity. Tucker notes, “All our local vendors for food, utilities, landscaping, technology, and entertain- ment are important to help us deliver exceptional experiences for our guests. It’s definitely a team effort for everyone. Our own team is involved with just about every non-profit in the commu- nity; serving on local boards and assisting with fundraising activities.We’re blessed to host many of their galas to raise funds, independently.We love to give back.” Something else that sets the GCC apart from other area venues: The Hilton is the contracted caterer at the Center, but outside catering services are also allowed. If a guest needs to bring a local restaurant in with food, or perhaps has a family member that’s a caterer, they can do that. That GREENVILLE CONVENTION CENTER Mechanical Services Company Passionate about Energy Efficiency Piedmont Service Group is a privately held HVAC mechanical services company serving property owners and operators throughout the Piedmont region of Virginia and the Carolinas. Since 1971, we have partnered with commercial, industrial, institutional, and government organizations to maintain their buildings for safe, healthy, and energy efficient operation. Piedmont Service Group’s Controls Division also provides a total building control solution to integrate HVAC, lighting, security, access, energy management, and other building functions in one easily monitored and maintained environment. www.piedmontservicegroup.com Our HVAC Service Includes: n Operational Assessments n Planned Maintenance n Emergency Repair n Energy Optimization PREFERRED VENDOR n Piedmont Service Group www.piedmontservicegroup.com    kind of flexibility doesn’t happen with many fa- cilities. The building has so much to offer – from built-in concessions to drive-in capabilities, and 25-foot ceiling heights to accommodate all man- ner of consumer shows. Tucker says, “We do a Na- tional Dealer Conference for local business, Grady White Boats, where they can showcase their large marine craft in our facility and bring dealers in from all over the country. The same with Hyster Yale, also based in Greenville. They manufacture forklifts and bring in distributors from across the U.S. for their National Dealer Conference.” Tech-wise, the facility’s infrastructure is fabu- lous for all types of events. In-floor boxes, located 12 feet apart, house electrical data, internet, and phone lines, to avoid running cords throughout the building for trade shows. In addition to the easy-access floor boxes for electrical and data needs, the exhibit hall houses multiple points for water line connections. Beyond the standard equipment, screens, and projectors for audio-vi- sual presentations, every event is customized to the technology needs of the customer. The GCC has hosted numerous tech conferences with 500 to 1,000 attendees using multiple devices at one time. So, wireless internet speed has to be the best for streaming live feed to everyone’s phones, tablets, and laptops. “Our facility is large enough in size, now, to ac- commodate anything we would need for the next 15 to 20 years,” says Tucker. “We do have addi- tional space for expansion in the future; however, we can already accommodate about 85 percent of all the events out there, with rooms and sup- porting factors from the additional hotels.We are passionate about what we do, and I can’t reiter- ate enough, just how much it means to deliver unique and authentic experiences to our guests.”