As Coweta County continues to grow, does the county need larger or different kinds of meeting space to accommodate that growth? And if so, what kind(s) of space would best suit the county’s needs? These are the questions to be explored by a new ad hoc meeting space committee of the Newnan-Coweta Chamber of Commerce, which is forming now to help the county as it plans for growth.

Chaired by the brother-sister team of John Hanna and Jennifer Hanna, co-owners of Contemporary Catering, the committee will engage the Coweta community to determine various perspectives and ideas about meeting space, attempt to quantify the need for space, and explore various options for meeting needs that are identified by the community.

As caterers and event planners, the Hannas bring a unique perspective to their task. “Our business gives us some direct insight into how people in the community feel about the restrictions on size and in some cases alcohol consumption that currently exist in facilities in our county,” said John Hanna. “The largest venue in Coweta currently is the fairgrounds, which is run by the County. It’s a great facility and they do a fantastic job with it, but its maximum capacity is 500 for a non-seated event, and alcohol isn’t allowed on the premises. We’ve heard several people express a desire for something larger and with fewer restrictions.”

“There have been occasions when groups we’ve worked with have had to make the decision between capping their attendance or moving their event to another county,” said Jennifer Hanna. “If our exploration shows that this is a common issue, we’d like to make sure Coweta citizens have some other options right here at home.

“We’re currently forming the committee, and we hope to produce a survey early in 2008 to collect the thoughts and opinions of as many Coweta citizens as we can. Once we have an idea of the need, we’ll study other kinds of venues throughout the state, including event facilities, conference centers and hotel/conference centers as options before finally reporting our findings and recommendations to the Chamber.”

To learn more about the work of the Chamber’s Meeting Space Committee, or to share your opinion on the topic, contact the Chamber at 770-253-2270 or email info@newnancowetachamber.org.

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