Atlanta Galleria Now

Tenant Times: June 18, 2013

The Tenant Times is a regular feature designed to keep you up to date on the Atlanta Galleria’s tenants. The Atlanta Galleria Office Park is home to some of the Southeast’s leading companies — so there’s always interesting news. If you’re a Galleria tenant and would like us to feature your news, email us at sursery@thewilbertgroup.com.

Network Expansion. Atlanta Galleria tenant Digital Insurance, an employee benefits company, has acquired Fallick Insurance of Mountain View, Calif. Fallick joins the Los Altos/Silicon Valley office of Digital Benefit Advisors, a division of Digital Insurance, according to a Digital Insurance press release.

“Fallick Insurance is an excellent addition to our network,” said Mike Sullivan, executive vice president and chief marketing officer at Digital Insurance, in the release. “For the past 10 years, [Fallick Insurance has] taken a strategic approach to business and provided employee benefits solutions to about 175 small and medium-sized companies throughout the Bay Area. With Digital’s communications platform and health care reform expertise, their clients will now receive even greater value.”

Partnership Takes Off. Atlanta Galleria tenant Travelport, a services provider for the global travel industry, recently announced the early renewal of its long-term content agreement with WestJet, a Canadian airline.

Through the agreement, WestJet’s full flight, fare and services information will be available to Travelport-connected travel agents. The information will be available through Travelport’s web-based applications.

Stepping Up. Atlanta Galleria tenant CSE, a marketing, advertising and production agency, is producing a new reality television series called “Step Wars,” which is set in the world of step competitions at the country’s top historically black colleges and universities. The unscripted series will air on Bounce TV, a broadcast television network for African Americans.

CSE is also in negotiations to produce Bounce TV’s Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football package, according to a CSE press release.

Good Publicity. Atlanta Galleria tenant QuantiSense, a provider of business intelligence software for retailers, was referenced for its analytics tools in a recent article on CFO.com. The article featured Destination XL’s CFO Dennis Hernreich and mentioned the difference QuantiSense made in streamlining Destination XL’s retail operations.

To read the article, click here.

Galleria Chat: June 13, 2013

The Galleria Chat appears on this blog each week. The Chat provides a hearty helping of events and announcements to keep you in the know about the area surrounding the Atlanta Galleria Office Park. So without further ado…

Wild Fun at the Library: The Zoo Atlanta ZooMobile will be at the West Cobb Regional Library this Saturday from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Attendees will be able to hear from Zoo Atlanta experts and maybe meet a new animal friend or two. The presentation is meant for children ages 4 and up. The event is free, but space is limited, and registration is required at the library. For more information, visit Marietta Patch.

Juneteenth Concert: Enjoy free music underneath the stars in Marietta Square this Friday at the Cobb County NAACP Branch’s Juneteenth concert, which will feature jazz, R&B, spoken word and other genres. The concert begins at 4 p.m. and will last until 10:30 p.m.

Attendees are welcome to bring their picnic baskets and blankets. For more information please call (770) 425-5757.

Saddle Up: The Cobb County Classic Rodeo is coming to Jim R Miller Park in Marietta this weekend. The two-day event will begin at 8 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday. The rodeo will include bull riding, bareback riding, steer wrestling, team roping, tie-down roping and barrel racing. Tickets are $15 dollars for adults and $12 for children. Some of the proceeds will benefit the Cobb County Sheriff Mounted Patrol Unit. For more information call (770) 684-7277.

Shop of Horrors: The Carnival of Doom and the Out Of Box Theatre are showing Roger Corman’s classic B-movie “The Little Shop of Horrors” this Saturday evening at the Artisan Resource Center in Marietta. The movie starts at 8 p.m. The center is located at 585 Cobb Parkway South.Burnt Hickory Brewery will be providing those who are over 21 with a beverage created just for this event. Tickets are $8.50 if you preorder and $10 at the door. For more information please call (678) 653-3236 or visit www.carnivalofdoom.com.

Galleria Chat: June 6, 2013

The Galleria Chat appears on this blog each week. The Chat provides a hearty helping of events and announcements to keep you in the know about the area surrounding the Atlanta Galleria Office Park. So without further ado…

Video Games Come to Life. It’s rare that video-game music becomes iconic, but that’s exactly what happened with the Legend of Zelda line of games. The “Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses” world tour stops by the Cobb Energy Centre on Thursday, June 6, bringing to life the land of Hyrule with a breathtaking four-movement symphony.

If you’re a fan of the games—or just a fan of music—you will not want to miss out on this concert. The concert begins at 8 p.m. Tickets range from $45 to $125 plus applicable fees and can be purchased online.

Kevin James at the Energy Centre. If comedy is more your style, the Cobb Energy Centre also has an event for you this week. Kevin James, producer and star of movies like “Paul Blart: Mall Cop” and the television show “The King of Queens,” will perform on Saturday beginning at 8 p.m.

Tickets for this event are $37.50 to $63 plus applicable fees. For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.

Donuts with Dad. The Smyrna Public Library is hosting an early Father’s Day event called “Donuts with Dad.” Kids of all ages are invited to bring their fathers to the library on Saturday, June 8, at 11 a.m. for some breakfast bites. Registration is required, which you can do here.

Rough Rolling Marietta. The Marietta Derby Darlins are hosting a roller derby event this Saturday at the Cobb Civic Center. Come out to see bouts between the Rome Rollergirls and Marietta Derby Darlins starting at 4 p.m. Tickets are only $15 in advance.

Learn more about roller derby and the Derby Darlins at www.mariettaderbydarlins.com.

Galleria Chat: May 30, 2013

The Galleria Chat appears on this blog each week. The Chat provides a hearty helping of events and announcements to keep you in the know about the area surrounding the Atlanta Galleria Office Park. So without further ado…

Stars and Strings: The Cobb Symphony Orchestra returns to Marietta Square for a free outdoor concert under the beautiful night sky this Saturday at 8 p.m. The concert will feature the Cobb Symphony Orchestra Jazz Band. You can set up your lawn chairs or picnic blankets after 4 p.m. Admission is free, but there are a limited number of tables that will be available for a fee. For more information, call the Marietta Parks and Recreation Department at (770) 794-5601 or visit Marietta.com.

Kung Fu on the Mountain: The Atlanta Kung Fu and Sanda Center conducts its free Kung Fu on the Mountain workshop each Saturday morning at 8 a.m. on Kennesaw Mountain. The group starts out at the base of the mountain, working on different hand techniques as they continue their trek. At the top, different forms of martial arts are practiced and shared with each other. The event ends with a relaxing “cool down” walk down the mountain. The workshops are a great way to get in shape, meet new friends and learn different forms of martial arts. For more information, visit Kennesaw Patch.

Check Mate! Enjoy coffee and chess this Saturday at 3 p.m. at the Cool Beans Coffee Roasters on the Marietta Square. The event is conducted by the Marietta Chess Club, and players of all skill levels are welcome. For more information on the event, visit www.MariettaChess.com.

Puppy Love: Come by Haven the Dog Spot at 736 Johnson Ferry Road in Marietta this Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. for a dog-adoption event held by the Mutt-Madness rescue organization. Dogs of all ages and energy levels will be available for adoption. 

For more information on Mutt Madness, visit the organization’s website.

Tenant Times: May 29, 2013

The Tenant Times is a regular feature designed to keep you up to date on the Atlanta Galleria’s tenants. The Atlanta Galleria Office Park is home to some of the Southeast’s leading companies — so there’s always interesting news. If you’re a Galleria tenant and would like us to feature your news, email us at sursery@thewilbertgroup.com.

Four Years of Distinction and Running. For the fourth consecutive year, Atlanta Galleria tenant Batson-Cook Construction has been named one of the nation’s top healthcare general contractors by Modern Healthcare magazine.

Batson-Cook ranked 12th in the magazine’s 2013 Construction and Design Survey, which ranks general contractors on the contract value of the healthcare construction it completed during the preceding year. The firm has been rising in the rankings since placing 27th in 2010.

The general contracting and construction management firm delivered more than $190 million in healthcare facilities last year. “Batson-Cook Construction is honored to be named among the ‘best of the best’ nationally for our healthcare construction,” said Randy Hall, CEO of Batson-Cook, in a press release. “I am proud of our team, which brings experience and innovation to the pre-construction, construction management and general contracting phases of these complicated projects.”

New Marketing Tool. Digital marketing technology provider Silverpop has launched Universal Behaviors, a program that allows marketers to craft highly individualized marketing campaigns by accounting for an individual consumer’s real-time online behavior.

“Marketers are being bombarded with a tremendous amount of data about their customers, which often seems like noise,” said Bryan Brown, director of product strategy for Silverpop, in a press release. “Universal Behaviors removes any remaining barriers to the vision of delivering true one-to-one communications to limitless numbers of customers.”

Award-Winning Executive. John Short, senior vice president of human resources at Digital Insurance, has received the Pegasus Award, a prestigious distinction awarded by the Society for Human Resources Management, for his outstanding individual achievement.

Short, who oversees a workforce of more than 350 employees located throughout the United States, beat out HR representatives from more than 50 Atlanta companies.

“Digital Insurance offers an environment that encourages innovative ideas and stimulates professional growth,” Short said in a press release.

National Recognition. Fresenius Healthcare has been recognized for its outstanding health care case management with two “Case In Point” Platinum Awards from Dorland Health, which publishes Case In Point magazine.

The healthcare company’s UltraCare Renal Case Management Nurse Call Center also received an award from the magazine naming it the nation’s best managed care nurse call center.

Give to Those in Need: Donate Blood on Wednesday, June 5

The statistics are startling: One out of every five people entering a hospital needs blood, and every year five million Americans require a blood transfusion.

On Wednesday, June 5, workers at the Atlanta Galleria Office Park and members of the surrounding community can do their part to help meet this tremendous need by donating blood. From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., a LifeSouth Bloodmobile will be in the visitor parking lot of Galleria 100. Travelport and the Galleria Athletic Club are sponsoring the event.

Appointments for blood donations are preferred, but walk-ups also are welcome. To schedule an appointment, visit this sign-up sheet.

The entire donation process will take approximately one hour, but the actual donation time will only take about 10 minutes. Photo IDs are required to donate. Remember to eat iron-rich foods such as spinach, beans or red meat and to drink plenty of non-caffeinated beverages before donating. Snacks and drinks will be provided to donors to help them refuel.

If you have questions about donating blood in general, visit the “Frequently Asked Questions” page of LifeSouth’s website. If you have questions or comments about Tuesday’s event, email Jim Suess at jim.suess@travelport.com.

Galleria Chat: May 23, 2013

The Galleria Chat appears on this blog each week. The Chat provides a hearty helping of events and announcements to keep you in the know about the area surrounding the Atlanta Galleria Office Park. So without further ado…

Keeping It Local. What could be better for your summer cookouts than fresh ingredients? Stock up on fresh fruits and vegetables grown by local farmers at the Smyrna Fresh Produce Market, now open every Saturday morning through the fall.

The market is open from 8 a.m. to noon at the First Baptist Church of Smyrna, located at 1275 Church Street. For information on becoming a vendor, call Keep Smyrna Beautiful at 770-431-2863.

Brown Bag and Music. The next-to-last installment of this spring’s Brown Bag Concert Series takes place today on the Marietta Square. Meet up with friends and grab lunch at any of the great restaurants around the Square and enjoy some free live music at Glover Park from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.

The last concert of this season’s series will take place on May 30. The series will resume in the fall. The concerts are hosted by the Marietta Welcome Center and the Cobb County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Vacation! Are you in the mood for a vacation? How about “National Lampoon’s Vacation”? Come watch a showing of this classic comedy starring Chevy Chase as Clark Griswold this Friday at the historic Strand Theatre. “Lampoon’s Vacation” is the first movie of the Earl Smith Strand Theatre’s Summer Movie series. Admission is $9, and the show starts at 8 p.m.

For tickets you can go to the theater’s box office Monday through Friday or visit the theater online at www.earlsmithstrand.org.

Political Banter. Join radio talk-show host Herman Cain on the Marietta Square this Friday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The free event will feature remarks by the former presidential candidate as well as an extended question-and-answer session.

Galleria Chat: May 16, 2013

The Galleria Chat appears on this blog each week. The Chat provides a hearty helping of events and announcements to keep you in the know about the area surrounding the Atlanta Galleria Office Park. So without further ado…

Opa! This weekend marks the 23rd year of the Marietta Greek Festival at the Holy Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church. The festivities feature the very best Greek cuisine and desserts, a Hellenic dance program, a Greek marketplace and tours of the Byzantine-style church’s interior.

The event runs Friday from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m.; Saturday from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.; and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Admission is only $3 and is free for children ages 12 and younger.

Holy Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church is located at 3431 Trickum Road in Marietta. Because the festival activities will stretch across the church’s grounds and parking lots, shuttles will be available from Simpson Middle School, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints on Trickum Road, Lassiter High School and the Shallowford Crossing Shopping Center.

Click here for more information on the festivities and parking. 

Community Dinner. Smyrna Food Truck Tuesdays kicked off its summer season this week at Taylor-Brawner Park. Each Tuesday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., residents are invited to the park for dinner with a number of rotating food trucks, including favorites like Hail Cesar, Happy Belly, Ibiza Bites, Freckled & Blue and King of Pops.

Stay up to date on the latest food truck news on Smyrna Food Truck Tuesday’s Facebook page.

Adopt-a-Thon. There’s no end to the joy a pet can bring. Find your new best four-legged friend at the Cobb County Animal Control Adopt-a-Thon this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the shelter’s grounds.

The event features special rates on adoptions, food vendors, demonstrations by police K-9 units, a DJ and raffle prizes. Also, local Marietta author Ed T. Payne will be signing copies of his children’s book “The Daily Rounds of a Hound.”

Admission is free. Cobb County Animal Control is located at 1060 Al Bishop Drive in Marietta. For more information, visit www.cobbanimalcontrol.org.

A Dynamic Duo. Two soulful musicians come together for one amazing show at the Cobb Energy Centre on Wednesday, May 22, at 8 p.m.

“Jazz Roots: Satin and Soul” features David Sanborn, a six-time Grammy Award winning jazz and R&B alto saxophonist, and Jonathan Butler, a guitar and vocal star whose music fuses his African roots with gospel and jazz sounds.

Tickets range from $31 to $77 plus applicable fees. Visit the Cobb Energy Centre online for more information and to purchase tickets.

Networking in the Gardens with Cobb Young Professionals

Looking to make new connections in the Cobb area? The Cobb Young Professionals, which holds events for local young professionals in their 20s and 30s, is hosting a special networking event on May 30 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. in the Galleria Gardens. But rest assured: this is not your average happy hour.

Upscale Southern cuisine served by popular food truck Freckled & Blue, drinks from Red Hare Brewery and live music by acoustic rock band The Goodbye Machine will set the stage for an evening of business networking.

Come enjoy entertainment, refreshments and even a game of cornhole while you connect with other young professionals who work in Cobb County.

This event is free for Cobb Chamber members and $10 for non-members. Click here to register.

The Cobb Young Professionals is a group within the Cobb Chamber of Commerce that is dedicated to the career development of young professionals.

Tenant Times: May 14, 2013

The Tenant Times is a regular feature designed to keep you up to date on the Atlanta Galleria’s tenants. The Atlanta Galleria Office Park is home to some of the Southeast’s leading companies — so there’s always interesting news. If you’re a Galleria tenant and would like us to feature your news, email us at sursery@thewilbertgroup.com.

Excellence in Marketing. CSE, an independent marketing agency, took home two Silver Ex Awards during recent ceremonies in Chicago. The awards honor event marketing.

CSE received the awards for the The Essence Music Festival Presented by Coca-Cola, which won in the Best Multicultural Event Campaign category, and The Dew Tour Events for Pantech Wireless, which was honored in the Best Activation of a Sports Sponsorship category.

This year’s Ex Awards drew more than 800 entries from around the globe.

“All of this enormous recognition is a testament to the ingenuity, vision and passion of the talented team we've assembled,” said Lonnie Cooper, founder and CEO of CSE, in a press release. “I could not be more proud of our agency and the direction in which we are headed.”

In the Air with Al-Futtaim. Atlanta Galleria tenant Travelport, a provider of transaction-processing software for the global travel industry, has announced a three-year renewal of its partnership with Al-Futtaim Travel, a corporate- and leisure-travel management firm.

Travelport will continue to supply software and consulting services to Al-Futtaim and will also help the firm strengthen its online business.

“Supporting travel providers such as Al-Futtaim Travel in this fast-changing and dynamic industry is a key objective for Travelport,” said Rabih Saab, president and managing director, Middle East and Africa, for Travelport, in a press release. “Recent research, co-sponsored by Travelport, showed that online sales are expected to reach $15.8 billion [in the Middle East] by 2014. We are therefore working very closely with our customers, such as Al-Futtaim Travel, to share our online expertise and industry-leading technology solutions to enable them to make the most of this opportunity now and in the future.”

Promotions to Partner. The Shopping Center Group, a retail-only real estate advisory firm, has promoted nine of its employees to partner.

See the recent article on CoStar’s website for a full list of the promoted employees and their new roles.