Chamber Urges Citizens to Share Opinions about Conference Center

The Newnan-Coweta Chamber of Commerce, in cooperation with the City of Newnan Convention Center Authority, is encouraging citizens to weigh in on the need and feasibility of constructing a new conference center in the city. All citizens of Newnan and Coweta County are urged to fill out a Conference Center Survey online at www.newnancowetachamber.org before the deadline of July 7. Paper surveys are also available at the Chamber headquarters at 23 Bullsboro Drive in Newnan.

"While the prospect of a new conference center is exciting in terms of economic development for our city and county, we want to make sure we explore the issue thoroughly and get an accurate take on the potential demand for its services and community concerns before we take the plunge," says Candace LaForge, president of the Chamber.

In addition to the community survey, the Convention Center Authority has engaged PFK Consulting in Atlanta to conduct a feasibility study that will help measure demand and desirability for a conference center. The study will also deliver recommendations for the best size, location and configuration of a local facility to ensure that it is financially profitable and
self-sustaining. The Chamber has also hosted a series of focus group discussions about the potential project.

"We'll be hearing the results of our consultant's work and the focus groups next month, so it's important that we have the input from our community members by that time as well," says LaForge. "It only takes a few minutes to complete the survey, and I hope everyone will take the time to share their valuable opinions with us before July 7th."

To learn more about the survey, contact the Chamber at 770-253-2270 or info@newnancowetachamber.org.

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Proposed Conference Center-Take the survey!

The Chamber in cooperation with the City of Newnan Convention Center
Authority is currently assessing the financial feasibility of constructing a
conference center complex in the City of Newnan. Input from various
business groups, government agencies, civic organizations, and citizens is
critical to this evaluation process.

Background Information: The City of Newnan Convention Center Authority was
created in 1999 to promote tourism, conventions, and trade shows in the City
of Newnan through the creation of a local convention or conference center.
Such a facility would serve business and community meetings of various
sizes, locally and regionally, and could provide the community with a
larger-sized facility that is not currently available locally. A conference
center also would attract visitors' spending to the local economy as well as
provide additional new jobs. Funded by the City of Newnan hotel/motel
taxes, the Convention Center Authority received SPLOST funds from the 2002
special 1 cent tax.

The authority is currently awaiting a study that will help them determine if
such a project is feasible and desirable for the local community at the
present time, and what size, location and configuration a local conference
would need to be to ensure that it is financially profitable and
self-sustaining. The feasibility study - which will be returned to the
authority in the summer of 2008 - will be based on regional/national market
surveys and the experiences of similar-sized communities with their existing
and successful conference centers.

Two local developers with possible sites near Interstate 85 have approached
the Authority expressing interest in building private hotels and other
amenities in conjunction with the City conference center. If a conference
center project is deemed feasible by the study, the Authority will begin to
discuss the merits of all developers' proposals, to determine the best site
and plan for the conference center. To help that process, the Authority and
the Chamber of Commerce are seeking input from business groups, government
agencies, civic organizations, and citizens. As a part of conducting this
needs analysis to determine interest and usage potential of a proposed
conference center, the Chamber plans to host three focus groups in June and
has developed a survey for distribution throughout the community.

Your input is critical to this evaluation process. We encourage everyone to take
the survey at <http://www.conferencecentersurvey.com>
www.newnancowetachamber.org.