Plan Your Meetings

Gwinnett Performing Arts Center

Northeast Atlanta (Gwinnett County)

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Watch for:

  • The Gwinnett Braves, the AAA franchise of the Atlanta Braves, are moving from Richmond, Va., to Buford. Opening day in their new stadium off I-85 at Exit 115 is scheduled for April 2009.
  • The Tiki Hut open-air restaurant opened in Lake Lanier Islands Resort.
  • The 122-room Holiday Inn Lanier Centre Hotel (formerly the Best Western Hotel) re-opened in downtown Gainesville after completing renovations.

Want to pamper attendees?

The Evergreen Marriott Conference Resort, nestled between the lakes and forests of Stone Mountain Park, has more than 32,000 square feet of indoor space and an additional 20,000 square feet of outdoor event space. Resort amenities include a full-service spa, Robert Trent Jones Sr. and John LaFoy-designed championship golf courses, riverboats, nightly entertainment, on-site dining and the attractions of Stone Mountain Park. The Emerald Pointe Hotel & Conference Center is part of Lake Lanier Resorts. The conference center has more than 21,000 square feet of meeting space, 23 meeting rooms (including ballrooms and an executive boardroom) and the Summit House, which has 1,900 square feet of outdoor function space around a private swimming pool and bar. Resort amenities include two championship golf courses, a beach and a waterpark, a full-service spa, an equestrian center and charter boats.

Want to break out of the boardroom?

The Georgia Club is a short drive from Gwinnett County. Its Southern-style clubhouse hosts catered affairs and business functions. Amenities include golf tournaments, poolside events and outdoor dining.

Want to team build?

At Lake Lanier, planners can organize cooking classes, waterbound scavenger hunts, nighttime golf games, sailing charters, casino nights and more. InnerWork can create outdoor trust-building, problem-solving and communication exercises for up to 500 people. The Stone Mountain Sky Hike Adventure Course has three levels of difficulty for hikers to explore; the trails wind through treetops, several feet above the ground. Dave & Buster’s has meeting space in addition to arcade games and customizable team-building programs. Malibu Grand Prix Racing has go-karts, bumper boats (in season), miniature golf, video games and rock-climbing. The Quest for Success Teamworks Program at Laser Quest introduces and reinforces four pillars of teamwork during laser tag matches.

Want artistic settings?

The Jacqueline Casey Hudgens Center for the Arts presents works by local, regional and international artists in a variety of mediums; event venues include the Entrance Tower, Grand Hall, Rowe Promenade, Kendall Rotunda and Weeks Sculpture Garden. For smaller groups, Buford’s Carisma Gallery has galleries featuring original art and home furnishings. Historic Stone Mountain Village has shops, restaurants and ART Station, a theater/art space.

Want to meet green?

The Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center is applying for LEED Silver-certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. Event spaces include the Blue Planet Theater, which has a water screen cascading into a 9-ft. infinity pool.

Want to take attendees back in time?

All aboard! Hold court in a retired Clinchfield Railway executive car, converted Southern baggage car or retired Southern Railway dining car at Duluth’s Southeastern Railway Museum. A theater/conference room, exhibit hall and outdoor pavilion also are available. The Gwinnett History Museum, housed in the Lawrenceville Female Seminary, has reception space in its galleries, which present regional exhibits of farm life, textiles, religion, schools and traditional music.

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What you should know
    A bustling suburban area 30 minutes northeast of downtown, Gwinnett County is a major shopping and entertainment destination. Gwinnett Arena presents major concerts and performances, and the Mall of Georgia, the largest mall in the state, has a Nordstrom, 225 stores and an IMAX theater. Major meeting venues in the area include the Gwinnett Center & Arena, which has a 50,000-sq. ft. exhibit hall and a 21,600-sq. ft. grand ballroom, and the North Atlanta Trade Center, which has 120,000 square feet of exhibit space. Gwinnett County also is home to two major Atlanta attractions, Lake Lanier Islands and Stone Mountain, both of which have convention resorts.
The 411:
  • 30 minutes northeast of Atlanta
  • 100 shops and restaurants
  • 4 major shopping malls
Gwinnett Center (Duluth)
  • 13,000 seats in the Arena
  • 50,000 square feet of exhibit space
  • 21,600-sq. ft. grand ballroom
  • 7,500-sq. ft. lakefront pre-function space
  • 6,000-sq. ft. junior ballroom
Evergreen Marriott Conference Resort (Stone Mountain)
  • 31,000 square feet of function space
  • 336 guest rooms and suites
  • 36 holes of championship golf
  • 4 onsite restaurants
Emerald Pointe Resort & Conference Center (Lake Lanier)
  • 21,000 square feet of function space
  • 1,900-sq. ft. lakeside venue
  • 23 meeting rooms
  • 18 holes of golf
  • 2 excursion yachts