Greetings from the Intern!

Hi, Athens Fans! I couldn't be more excited to be the new Communications & PR Intern for Visit Athens, GA! For the next few months, you'll be reading about my experiences in Athens, along with tons of other events and news from one of the greatest little cities in America.

My name is Clare and I'm a senior at UGA. I'm studying Mass Media Arts and Communication Studies and I'll be graduating next spring. Where has the time gone? Regardless, the last three years have been the best years of my life and Athens deserves a lot of credit for that. I LOVE THIS CITY. LOVE IT. I love the fall football traffic and empty streets in the summer. I love brunch at The Grit and late nights at Georgia Theatre's rooftop bar. More than that, I love sharing Athens to my friends living in college towns that may not be as great as Athens. Bless their hearts. I love talking to people about Cali & Tito's Lomo Saltado and the incredible walking trails at the State Botanical Gardens. 

I feel so grateful to have this opportunity to write about Athens for visitors and residents, too. I've traveled a lot in my life and spent last spring writing and studying in Rome, Italy. I adored every minute of my time abroad. I came home knowing I could thrive in the travel industry as a career. So, I spent this summer working close to home at Cobb Travel & Tourism and as the Communications Intern at the Athens CVB, I have the opportunity to share my voice with you fine folks!

If you have anything in particular that you would like for me to cover (a certain restaurant to review, activity recommendations, etc.) please write it in the comments section at the bottom of the blog! I definitely want to write about things you all want to read about. We're also very active on Facebook & Twitter, and I'll be managing a lot of that, so follow us there too.

Plan Some Together Time! Reunion Planning Workshop Feb. 12

Reunions continue to grow in popularity as groups, friends and extended families make extra efforts to reconnect by bringing everyone together for reunion weekends. College towns like Athens, Georgia aren't just perfect spots for sorority or fraternity reunions, but also for families, groups of old friends, and other social groups. The extensive selection of low- or no-cost attractions and recreation spots keeps attendees of all ages engaged in a full weekend of activities, any hour of the day or night.

The Athens Convention & Visitors Bureau is offering a free Reunion Planning Workshop on Saturday, February 12, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon at Holiday Inn Express, located at 513 W. Broad St. in Athens. We'll have educational sessions to show how you can plan a fun reunion on a budget, including tips and tricks for reserving hotels, selecting venues and planning itineraries. You'll also learn what complimentary services are available through the Athens CVB. Another great session is an introduction to genealogy research techniques. Light refreshments will be provided during the breaks.

Added bonus: prize giveaways are planned during the breaks!

You'll be able to speak with representatives of local hotels, attractions, event facilities and other reunion services at the workshop.

All of this is absolutely free; however, we do need you to pre-register ahead of time. For more informatin or to reserve a spot, please contact April Skelton at 706.357.4430 or askelton (at) VisitAthensGA (dot) com.

Go! Text! Win!

All the details on this Saturday's contest!

Text "DAWG" to 95495 this Saturday, November 14 to enter.

One luck dog will receive 2 nights at the all-new Hotel Indigo plus entertainment and dining, a value of more than $700. Experience trend-setting Southern culture beyond the hedges.  

For official rules, click here. 

FAQ

Are you just going to bug me with lots of texts? You can choose to opt-in to receive future information from Athens about upcoming events and specials.  Or you can opt-out.  It’s up to you.

Will you give my information to anyone else? No.  We never give our patrons information to other organizations.

How does this work? It’s just like sending a text message.  Open up a new text message.  Type in 95495 as the recipient.  Type dawg as the text.  Now hit send!  It’s that easy!  You’re all entered.

Who can enter? Anyone who loves Athens and would be interested in returning for a special weekend!

Remember this contest is Saturday only so don't forget & text to win! Good Luck!

Be Ready!

As you might have noticed on our Facebook or Twitter, we will be launching a new contest this weekend. I can't give away all the details, but here's what you need to know:

1. It's on Saturday.
2. It's 1-day only.
3. Be on the lookout for CVB staff & volunteers. We'll have on shirts that clearly identify us. Don't worry about interrupting your tailgate to find us on Saturday, we will be out & about all day at different locations.
4. The winner will be announced by half-time of the UGA vs. Auburn game.
5. There lucky winner will win an Athens prize package valued at $700.

See you Saturday!

Hotel Indigo: Making Athens Greener

New hotels seem to pop in downtown Athens, GA almost as frequently as new bars. Most are your typical chains, but Hotel Indigo plans to shake that up when it opens its doors in late August.

Hotel Indigo will be the first green hotel in Athens. To be certified as a green hotel, the hotel must be certified by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, and must meet the system's criteria for environmentally sustainable construction.

During our hard hat tour on Thursday, the Athens CVB had the chance to view many of the features that will help make Hotel Indigo so unique. Three of the factors that stood out to me include:

1. Priority parking for hybrid cars- Move over luxury gas-guzzling vehicles. Long given the front-row treatment at hotels, hybrids are taking your spot at Hotel Indigo. As a green hotel, Hotel Indigo plans to give priority parking in the front of the hotel to those hybrid vehicle owners leading the way to a greener earth.
2. Local, local, local- One of the requirements in LEED certification is that a large portion of supplies and materials for the building must come from within a 300-mile radius. A perfect example of this within Hotel Indigo comes from the model hotel room on-site. The rooms will feature hardwood flooring from Shaw Industries, based out of my home turf Dalton, GA (just a 2.5 hour, very boring drive away from Athens!). All of the wood for the furniture came from a location in South Carolina, & the framing for photos is made by local Athens carpenters who use refurbished wood. The photos themselves are music posters from local bands. Hotel Indigo plans to include one well-known band (in the model room it was Pylon) as well as one lesser known, "rising star". Finally, while Starbucks coffee will be offered in the main areas of the hotel, each room will feature coffee from local favorite Jittery Joe's.
3. Natural Light- The hotel is designed with the sun in mind! The rooms face North & South, and as the sun rises & sets East to West, you never have to deal with the usual glaring blindness. With large, beautiful windows in each room, hotel patrons will be encouraged to allow the natural light from the sun illuminate their rooms during the day.
   

Do you think Hotel Indigo will be a successful addition to Athens?

Annual Tourism Breakfast and Hospitality Awards

This past Friday, May 15, the Athens Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Athens Welcome Center hosted hospitality industry representatives and local elected officials at the annual Tourism Breakfast at the the University of Georgia Center for Continuing Education. In addition to a Mayoral proclamation that recognized May 9-17, 2009, as Tourism Week in Athens, the CVB also presented the annual Athens Hospitality Awards.

The Hospitality H.E.R.O.E.S. (Hospitality Employees Recognition of Excellent Services) of the Year award recognizes a front-line employee who has exceeded normal expectations to provide excellent service to visitors and residents. This year's winner is Lesley Nelms, Executive Housekeeper for Hilton Garden Inn. Among other efforts, Ms. Nelms worked almost 48 non-stop hours during the surprise snowstorm this year to keep guests comfortable. Click here to learn more about the award and see the winner's speech.

The Classic Host Award recognizes a local individual committed to bringing to Athens a new convention, meeting, or event generating a significant economic impact. The 2009 Classic Host Award winner is Johnny Fowler. Fowler routinely secures and serves Athens' largest convention, the Northeast Georgia Methodist Conference. The convention has met in Athens 10 of the past 11 years, bringing 3,000 attendees and an economic impact of between $2 and $3.5 million annually to Athens. Click here to learn more about the award and see the winner's speech.

The Louis Griffith Hospitality Leadership Award honors an outstanding individual in the local hospitality industry who displays foresight and exceptional leadership skills to impact the Athens-Clarke County hospitality industry and the community as a whole. This year winner is E.H. Culpepper. Culpepper has served Athens for over five decades and has included numerous leadership roles on the local, regional and state level. Click here to learn more about the award and see the winner's speech.

Check out Mayor Heidi Davidson's comments on tourism below.

Athens: Life Unleashed

I'm really excited about this new Athens blog! The Athens Convention & Visitors Bureau and our interns want to help others stay in-the-know about what's going on in our eclectic college town. From the coolest new restaurants to roadside wonders to the hottest annual events and live music spots, our staff and interns are out and about town a lot and want to share what we love about Athens. Stay tuned!