Spotlighting Atlanta’s Collaborative Hospitality Community

By Taylor Boser

Published July 24, 2024
Last Updated November 27, 2024

Atlanta prides itself on being a collaborative hospitality community. Whether you’re hosting a meeting, convention or event here, you have access to more than 200 acres of event space at Georgia World Congress Center, the world’s most efficient airport at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and a MICHELIN Guide dining scene.

A Destination that Values Collaboration Over Competition

Finding the right people to work with can make a huge difference for your event. Collaboration among various destination management companies (DMC) in Atlanta is commonplace. That mindset spreads to the hotels, venues, caterers and transportation companies that collaborate to provide a seamless experience.

Destination South Meetings & Events, Juice Studios and Presenting Atlanta regularly collaborate for the greater good of the Atlanta community. Cynthia Alford is president and owner of Destination South. Kris Shea is vice president of sales at Juice Studios. Richard Jones is the principal of Presenting Atlanta.

Working together stems from a challenge affecting the hospitality industry that led them to combine forces for a positive solution. 

“We all coordinated our efforts and explained that this impacts groups coming and said it’s not just about our business; this is about the city,” Jones said. 

“The collaboration between the hotels and the restaurant community — everybody wants to work together because we all love the city, and Southern hospitality is alive and well,” Alford said. “We want to put our best feet forward, and many times that’s when we’re locking arms as a hospitality community.”

Kick-off to Super Bowl LIII

When Super Bowl LIII came to Atlanta in 2019, each of their companies was approached to submit a bid to host an event for the main Super Bowl sponsors. Alford, Jones and Shea decided their companies should team up to support what needed to be done for the event. Through their collaborative efforts, they received an award for excellence in site inspection from Association of Destination Management Executives International (ADMEI).

Celebrating the MICHELIN Guide

The MICHELIN Guide made its debut in Atlanta in 2023 with 45 restaurants. Five received one MICHELIN star, two received a Green star, 10 received Bib Gourmand recognition and 30 were recommended restaurants. 

“We knew what the impact was for the city on this and how important it was to make the city shine compared to the other cities where they have launched the MICHELIN Guide,” Shea said.

The MICHELIN Guide launch event allowed Alford, Jones and Shea each to have a role in highlighting Atlanta’s culinary scene. 

“We felt very proud to be able to be a part of that,” Jones said. “It was great to tell people, ‘Yes, we’re all working on this together.’ The more that Atlanta shines, the more we’re all going to do.” 

These three destination management companies have worked together for events big and small, including the opening of Signia by Hilton Atlanta and ASAE, which brings together hospitality professionals and industry partners. 

Collaboration doesn’t stop with the DMCs. They bring together collaborative groups of venues, suppliers and more to help bring these events to life. Their love of Atlanta and the common goal of working together for the greater good makes their partnership stand out and showcases how Atlanta is on a different level.

Meet Cynthia Alford

Cynthia Alford, DMCP, is co-founder, president, managing director and tireless leader of Destination South Meetings and Events. She was born and raised in Peach County, Ga., located about two hours from Atlanta. She moved to Atlanta in 1991. Her favorite things about the city are that it is a melting pot of cultures and the Southern hospitality. 

Destination South

Destination South focuses on destination management, event production and meeting management for the Atlanta, Savannah and Charleston, S.C., areas. Destination South assists with events ranging in size from 50 to 40,000 attendees.

Meet Kris Shea

Kris Shea, DMCP, is one of the founding partners at Juice Studios. Originally from Augusta, Ga., she moved to Atlanta in 1989. She says while Atlanta has plenty of entertainment and sports, it’s the people that make the city so special. 

Juice Studios

A one-stop-shop for your next corporate event or meeting, Juice Studios specializes in event planning, meeting planning and destination management services.

Meet Richard Jones

Principal of Presenting Atlanta, Richard Jones was raised in Atlanta’s Buckhead neighborhood and has more than 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry. He loves what Atlanta has become — a city with an eclectic vibe.

Presenting Atlanta

In business for more than 47 years, Presenting Atlanta focuses on meetings. Team members anticipate the unexpected, are adaptable to changing situations and utilize contacts and resources for seamless events.

Let Discover Atlanta’s award-winning team and services help you plan your next event.

A Chicago transplant, Taylor loves exploring what makes Atlanta the place to be. Name a popular festival, food hall or brewery to check out and she will be there.