The Jackson Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) officially handed over the keys of the Mississippi Telecommunications and Conferencing Center to SMG on October 1.

SMG currently manages the Capital City Convention Center, and this new contract for the Mississippi TelCom Center will allow the two buildings to meld seamlessly into the Jackson Convention Complex under one management company.

In 2004, the citizens of Jackson voted in favor of a referendum supporting the development of the Capital City Convention Center, the first phase being the Mississippi TelCom Center. Since opening its doors in January 2006, the Mississippi TelCom Center, under the management of the Jackson CVB, has exceeded the expectations projected by the consulting firm, C.H. Johnson Consultants. The building serves as venue for more than 200 event days each year, with a visitor spending economic impact in excess of $10 million since the building’s opening. The small and efficient TelCom Center staff has been the foundation for the facility’s success offering first class customer service, which will continue under the management of SMG.

“The TelCom Center has been a great asset to Jackson’s tourism industry bringing over 120,000 in attendance through its doors.

We are proud to pass the torch to a world leader in venue management, and we look forward to seeing the TelCom Center thrive in the very capable hands of SMG and surpass the success it has already achieved,” said Wanda Collier-Wilson, president/CEO of the Jackson CVB.

SMG, a specialist in venue management, marketing and development, was founded in 1977 with the management of their first facility, the Louisiana Superdome. The organization soon grew to manage more than 10 million square feet of convention and exhibition space and operate 98 percent of the publicly owned exhibition space operated by private companies in North America.

Due to their stellar reputation, SMG was selected as the facility management company for the Jackson Convention Complex and will soon celebrate the building’s grand opening on January 15-17, 2009.

“Having SMG manage both of these buildings as one large convention complex not only saves thousands of dollars in operating and staffing costs, but it also gives us the space and flexibility to book large meetings and shows that we would otherwise be unable to host anywhere in the Jackson metro area.

The Jackson Convention Complex really puts Jackson, Miss., on the radar of national and regional meeting planners,” said Linda McCarthy, general manager, Jackson Convention Complex/SMG.

The management change of the Mississippi TelCom Center will not interrupt service, and all contracts for meetings and events will be honored. For more information about booking the Jackson Convention Complex, existing contracts, business opportunities, and the grand opening, contact the SMG staff at 601.960.2321 or visit www.jacksonconventioncomplex.com.