CONRAC, Convention Center Carve A Connection

TECHNOLOGY

CONRAC, Convention Center Carve A Connection
By Al Snedeker

Making connections is what air travel is all about. And that’s also what Hartsfield-Jackson’s Consolidated Rental Car (CONRAC) facility will be all about – efficiently connecting passengers with rental car services.

But for the Georgia International Convention Center (GICC), CONRAC will mean much more. Once complete next year, CONRAC and its Automated People Mover (APM) train will feature a stop at the GICC, making the convention center the only one of its kind in the United States with a direct connection to an international airport.

“This is very big for us,” said GICC Executive Director Hugh Austin. “A direct link to Hartsfield-Jackson will virtually eliminate ground transportation costs associated with getting attendees to and from the convention center.” Austin knows CONRAC will make the GICC a more competitive convention center.

To capitalize on its upcoming APM connection to the Airport, GICC is ready to get the word out with a new marketing campaign this summer. The campaign, which highlights CONRAC and the APM, will target meeting and convention planners.

CONRAC, Convention Center Carve A Connection

The marketing campaign will also tout phase one of College Park’s Gateway Center, which will feature two new hotels steps away from the GICC and the APM stop. When complete, the Gateway Center will have 475,000 square feet of office and retail space and more than 815 new hotel rooms.

“A direct connection to the world’s busiest airport, quick access to a state-of-the-art rental car facility, plus world-class accommodations right on site – all of this is opening us up to new markets around the world for the GICC, particularly in central and south America,” said Austin.

CONRAC, Convention Center Carve A Connection

Conventioneers needing to rent cars will likely add to the current 2 million-plus rental car transactions processed each year at Hartsfield-Jackson. The 67.5 acre CONRAC facility will be located across Interstate 85 from the Airport and will house all Airport rental car companies and operations, including customer service, administrative offices, ready/return parking, fueling and maintenance facilities.

The APM is designed to transport more than 10,000 passengers an hour to and from the Airport along a 1.6 mile long elevated guideway. The trip between the terminal and the CONRAC APM station will be approximately five minutes.