Turner Field
Hit an Event Homerun at the Home of the Atlanta Braves
by Michael Dang | Published in March 2006 In Profile
There is a place situated near the hustle and bustle of downtown Atlanta where Tim Cox knows he can always turn to when planning any event. That place is Turner Field.
Not simply “The Home of the Braves,” Turner Field is also a unique entertainment venue available year-round for all kinds of events ranging from enormous concerts on-field to more modestly sized business meetings and celebrations.
“We’ve done many events over the years – honestly, since the building was under construction we’ve been doing events,” says Cox, president and co-owner of Presenting Atlanta, a full-service destination management company. “We have a long track record with them and they do a wonderful job.”
Originally built for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 1996 Summer Olympics, Turner Field was retrofitted for the Braves in time for their 1997 season. Today, Turner Field’s special events department books more than 300 events a year. On any given non-game day, there are often several events occurring simultaneously in its 16 rentable spaces, which include a spacious restaurant, a historical museum, a state-of-the-art club facility called the 755 Club and even the field itself. Cox has used the 755 Club extensively because its Champions Room has over 24,000 square feet of event space that can be transformed for any event. “The great thing about them is that they can handle a group from, say, 200 to 5,000,” says Cox. “And that’s the nice thing about it – you can create something different for all different size groups in that building.”
Using several amenities of Turner Field can give the average corporate meeting or event a unique twist. Clients can stroll over to visit the Ivan Allen Jr. Braves Museum and Hall of Fame to view over 500 artifacts depicting the history of the Braves or take a tour of the team’s clubhouse and dugout. Those in a more active mood can head over to Scout’s Alley, an interactive area where attendees can try out their pitching and hitting skills.
“Many clients like to set up scavenger hunts,” says Fernando Saenz, director of sales for Turner Field’s 755 Club. Saenz suggests the museum, where many planners set up team-building activities using trivia games.
“It’s just so unique and they’re not cooped up in one hotel room,” adds Sabrina Jenkins, director of special events for Turner Field. “They can take a tour and be re-energized for the next couple of hours.”
This year, Turner Field is expecting to expand its use of on-field events. Clients can plan large conferences on the field and stage elaborate multimedia presentations and then head up to the 755 Club for a reception. Last year, says Jenkins, a new event amenity was installed in center field: a 71-foot-tall, 79-foot-wide HD video board.
Michele Lend utilized almost all of the facilities when she planned an event involving over 7,000 guests in the span of two days for two pharmaceutical companies that were merging. The event involved over a hundred vendors that set up eight vignettes, including a jazz club, a sports club and a disco. Retired professional baseball players were also brought in to sign autographs for excited guests, and many of the attendees were also able to gain access to the field to hit a round of baseballs with a college baseball team. “It was pretty intense because we had all these vendors coming in,” says Lend, who is vice president of sales and marketing at Atlanta Arrangements, another DMC. “[Turner Field] did all the menus, thanks to ARAMARK, their exclusive caterer, and helped with all the logistics, including security. The clients sent a beautiful letter saying that it was the best party they ever had.”