Business View Magazine | November 2019

179 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2019 THE SAVANNAH CONVENT ION CENTER hosted a record-number 170 events this past year. One of SCC’s advantages in the competitive world of convention centers is its location – Savannah is one of the top visitor locations in the world and consistently lands in Condé Nast’s Travel and Leisure rankings of Top Ten Cities to Visit in North America. “Our popularity as a destination has increased,” says SCC’s Board Chairman, Mark Smith. “There are so many more conventions desiring to come to Savannah.” Smith adds that within Savannah, itself, SCC’s location offers another “strategic” advantage. “The Center is right across the river from the city’s main historic district - the largest historic district in the United States at 2.5 square miles - and River Street is the main attraction of Savannah,” he explains. “It would be comparable to Bourbon Street in New Orleans, or the Riverwalk in San Antonio, or Broadway in Nashville. And it is easily accessible by a quick free water ferry ride.” In addition, right next door to the Center, on the 2,000-acre Hutchinson Island, is the Westin Savannah Harbor Resort. “It’s not just a hotel,” says Smith, “it’s an urban resort. It comes with a signature, 18-hole golf course, a spa, and an automobile race track. Another unique feature is that Savannah is the third busiest container port in the country. These huge container ships pass by the facility on a regular basis during one’s visit to the Center.” Another advantage that SCC has is its relationship with its sister organization, the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. “We capitalize on their many resources including systems, benefits, legal, security, and experience in facility management,” notes General Manager, Sherrie Spinks. “As a small facility, we have increased capabilities in these areas. For example, our bandwidth is much larger than most convention centers our size.” The Center utilizes cutting-edge IP Cameras with high-end, analytic capability. With over 140 feeds, the security department is able to have a clear picture of the environment inside and outside of the facility. To keep up with the demand for high speed internet, the Center more than doubled the bandwidth of its circuit. So, visitors to the facility have access to that high speed internet via a