Athens Meeting FAQ

1. How many square feet does The Classic Center have?
   The Classic Center boasts approximately 180,000 total gross square footage, including meeting, prefunction, and exhibit space plus a 2,053 seat performing arts theatre.
    
2. How many meeting rooms does The Classic Center have?
   The Classic Center has 29 breakout rooms.
   
3. How many hotels rooms are within walking distance to The Classic Center?
   There are over 1,000 total rooms downtown and 2,050 rooms in Athens-Clarke County.
   
4. How old is The Classic Center?
   The center was built in 1996 and was most recently expanded in 2006.
   
5. What free amenties are offered to meeting attendees at The Classic Center?
   All meeting packages include FREE wi-fi access throughout the facility and FREE parking in The Classic Center parking deck.
   
6. What is the average size of meetings held at The Classic Center?
   The Classic Center can comfortably accommodate groups of up to 3,000.  Average meeting size ranges between 500 and 1,000.
   
7. What about other meeting facilities?
   Athens has a variety of meeting facilities.  The Athens Convention and Visitors Bureau is not a membership bureau and represents ALL Athens-Clarke County venues.  View all Athens meeting facilities.
   
8. What is the distance from the airport to downtown?
   The distance from Athens-Ben Epps airport to downtown is three miles.  Atlanta's Hartsfield Jackson International Airport is approximately 80 miles, with regularly scheduled airport shuttle service.
   
9. What is hotel-motel tax in Athens?
   7%, in addition to 7% sales tax for a total of 14%.
   
10. Is it safe to walk downtown?
    Athens was ranked the second safest city in Georgia in 2005, with a national ranking of 136 out of 371 by Morgan Quitno, a publisher of annual and monthly state rankings and city rankings publications. Of course, visitors should follow standard safety practices, just as they would in any city.
    
11. What dining, shopping and entertainment options are in downtown Athens?
    Athens' vibrant, historic downtown lies just across the street from The Classic Center, and features a successful mixture of over 65 specialty retailers, 55 popular eateries, and 40 taverns and nightspots that play gracious host to our world-famous music scene.
    
12. How can I get more information on planning a meeting, conference, or convention in Athens?
    The Athens Convention and Visitors Bureau offers full servicing for every step in the process.  Contact Convention Sales Director Mark Adams at 706.357.4430, toll-free 800.653.0603, or madams@visitathensga.com. 
    Or, submit a Request for Proposal.