(ATLANTA – November 30, 2003) This weekend, the Georgia World Congress Center, the Georgia Dome and Centennial Olympic Park will host a variety of events, creating a lot of hustle and bustle in the downtown convention corridor. From the SEC Championship Game to Festival of Trees to Holiday in Lights, the GWCCA campus is gearing up for a weekend full of excitement.

The 2004 SEC Championship Game returns to the Georgia Dome on Saturday, Dec. 4. This game pits two SEC teams, Auburn and Tennessee, to battle it out for the conference title. Gates open for this event at 3:30 p.m. and the action starts at 6 p.m. Guests are encouraged to arrive early to avoid traffic delays downtown. The SEC Football Coaches Luncheon will be held in the Thomas Murphy Ballroom located in GWCC Building B on Friday, Dec. 3. Join the head coaches of both the Western and Eastern Division Champions and get the “inside scoop” on their team’s road to Atlanta. This event is open to the public. Ticket information is available at www.secsports.com.

Pep rallies and parties will take place at the Georgia World Congress Center throughout the weekend. The largest, Dr Pepper SEC Fanfare – featuring sports-themed games and activities, will be located in GWCC Building C. This event is open to the public Friday, Dec. 3 from 2 p.m. - 9 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 4 from 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. Admission is $8 for adults and $4 for children (4 ft. and under).

The Georgia World Congress Center is also hosting Festival of Trees in Hall A1. This event features 150,000 square feet of decorated trees, wreaths, gingerbread houses and more. Festival of Trees is open to the public Saturday, Dec. 4 to Sunday, Dec. 12. Operating hours are 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. on Sundays. Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for children (age 2 - 12) and $5 for senior citizens. To kick this event off, the Children’s Christmas Parade will take place on Saturday, Dec. 4 from 10 a.m. to noon at Centennial Olympic Park.

Once in Centennial Olympic Park, stay for the magical Holiday in Lights spectacular. Walk through the Park’s illuminated winter wonderland highlighted by Atlanta’s only outdoor ice skating rink. Holiday in Lights is free and the ice-skating rink admission fee is $5 per person plus a skate rental fee of $2 for a complete hour and a half of ice-skating. For more information on the ice skating rink, call 404.222. PARK. Don’t miss the performance debut of Arista Records singer Keith Anderson in the Park on Saturday, Dec. 4. This free country western concert begins at 2 p.m. in the Southern Company Amphitheater.

Heavy traffic is expected in and around downtown this weekend due to the number of events taking place. Street closures for the parade will begin as early as 6 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 4. The GWCCA operates more than 4,000 parking spaces on campus, but the quickest way to and from these events is by taking MARTA to the GWCC/Dome/CNN/Philips station. For more information about getting to our campus, please visit our website (www.gwcc.com) and click on the Maps/Directions information page.