Special to The Mississippi Link
In January of 2009, Jackson, Mississippi will open its doors to the luxurious Jackson Convention Complex.
The complex’s management recently gave the media a hard-hat tour of the work in progress on the state-of-the-art facilities.
Facilities
The 330,000-square-foot structure features a crystalline folding glass façade, and includes a 60,000-square-foot exhibit hall, a 25,000-square-foot carpeted ballroom, ten meeting rooms, 33,000 square feet of carpeted pre-function lobby and registration space, and an outdoor patio overlooking downtown Jackson. The Jackson Convention Complex also has a 10,000-square-foot kitchen.
The Jackson Convention Center has so much more to offer besides meeting space. It also offers outstanding food and beverage selections by Savor Jackson™ catering by SMG, world class service, and the kind of hospitality that can only be found in Jackson.
The Jackson Convention Complex will draw conventioneers, meeting planners and promoters from across the world. According to C.H. Johnson Consulting, Inc. – experts in convention, sport and real estate consulting, the Jackson Convention Complex is projected to host 164 events and an estimated 79,600 attendees during its first year of operation.
The Jackson Convention Complex allows Jackson to host conventions with up to 7,000 attendees at any given time. Prior to the construction of the complex, there was no place in the metro area large enough to host such events. “The Jackson Convention Complex is crucial to our local economy,” said Linda McCarthy, general manager.
Though the opening is more than eight months away, regional and national conferences, consumer trade shows and events are already scheduled to take place
“Our maxim is Jackson Convention Complex – Where Mississippi Meets the World,” said Micah Allen, director of Sales.
Management Team
The overall development and operations of the Jackson Convention Complex is overseen by a nine-member Commission made up of local business and community leaders.
After a competitive nationwide search, the Commission for the Jackson Convention Complex chose SMG to manage the facility. Founded in 1977, SMG is the world leader in venue management, marketing and development. SMG manages more than 10 million square feet of convention and exhibition space, and operates 98 percent of the publicly owned exhibition space operated by private companies in North America.
The Jackson Convention Complex is part of more than $2.4 billion in development taking place in downtown Jackson, which will set a new standard in tourism, entertainment and conventions in the capital city.
Today, construction is only 264-257 days away from completion. The Jackson Convention Complex is being built on time and under budget and will open in early January of 2009.
Watch construction progress online at www.jacksonconventioncomplex.com.
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