Atlanta Galleria Now

Galleria Chat: May 31, 2012

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

Small Businesses of the Year. The Cobb Chamber of Commerce will host its annual Small Businesses of the Year Awards on June 4 as part of its First Monday Breakfast.

The ceremony will unveil the Top 25 Small Businesses of the Year, an overall Small Business of the Year winner and the Small Business Hall of Fame inductees. A panel of independent judges selects the Businesses of the Year.

The awards begin at 7:30 a.m. Admission is $60 for the general public and $40 for Chamber members.

Chenoweth in Concert. In a rare concert appearance, Emmy Award- and Tony Award-winning actress and singer Kristin Chenoweth comes to the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre on June 22.

Chenoweth will debut songs from her latest album, titled “Some Lessons Learned,” and will also perform some of her other Broadway show tunes. The show starts at 8 p.m.

Tickets start at $37 and can be purchased through Ticketmaster. Those purchased through Ticketmaster will include additional fees.

GR8 Technology Conference. Technology enthusiasts should look forward to Microsoft’s GR8 Atlanta SharePoint Conference at 8 a.m. on June 26 at the Cobb Galleria Centre.

The conference will provide presentations and session tracks designed to address the technology and business issues confronting company executives, project managers, IT staff and developers.

Registration is $149. Pre-register now for a chance to win an Xbox 360.

Summer Music. Summer’s here and that means it’s time to get outside and enjoy some local music. The city of Smyrna’s Summer Concert Series kicks off on Saturday, June 9, at the Village Green with a performance by The Mustangs. The group specializes in Top 40 and classic-rock hits from the past 40 years.

The show is slated to run 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. and is free to the public. Other concerts in the series are scheduled for July 14 and August 4.

Meanwhile, Galleria workers living in the Marietta area can look forward to the Glover Park Concert Series, which continues on Friday, June 29, from 8 to 10:30 p.m. with a performance by China Grove, a Doobie Brothers Tribute Band.

Galleria Chat: May 24, 2012

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

Perry Takes the Stage. Local Tyler Perry fans have lots to look forward to in early June. That’s when two plays by the movie comedy director and actor will visit the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre.

Perry’s “Madea Gets a Job,” which chronicles his famous comedic character Madea as she works in a retirement home, will be performed at the center on June 6-7. “The Haves and Have Nots,” a comedy that details one family’s struggle to make ends meet, will be at the center on June 8-9.

Tickets can be purchased online or through Ticketmaster for $27. Those purchased through Ticketmaster will include additional fees.

The Blade Show. Area knife collectors will want to be at the Cobb Galleria Centre on June 8-10 for the Blade Show, which is billed by its organizers as the largest knife show in the world.

The show will feature seminars and displays from nearly 1,000 manufacturers and custom knifemakers. The event also will include competitions.

Tickets can be purchased on the show’s website. One-day tickets start at $15. An all-weekend, early-bird ticket is available for $25.

Small Business Expo.  Looking to learn successful small-business strategies and mingle with almost 400 other small-business owners? The Cobb Galleria Centre will be hosting the Atlanta Small Business and Entrepreneur Expo from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on June 9.

Hosted by Jayvon Q. Bowens, CEO of Entourage Industries, the event will feature five guest speakers, an exhibit hall, raffles and door prizes.

Tickets are $20 and can be purchased here.  

Sparkle and Hustle with Tory Johnson. “Good Morning America” contributor and New York Times bestselling author Tory Johnson brings her one-day “Sparkle and Hustle” seminar to the Cobb Galleria Centre on June 15. The event starts at 9 a.m. The seminar is geared toward women looking to start their own small business.

The event will include 10 speakers with successful businesses, remarks from Johnson and several networking opportunities.

An early-bird registration price of $77 is currently available. Regular registration is $97 per person. To purchase a ticket, visit the seminar’s website.

Cobb Galleria to Host Second Annual Digital Summit

The Cobb Galleria Centre will soon play host to Digital Summit 2012, a two-day conference focused on technology, digital marketing and social media. The conference will take place May 9-10.

Billed as Atlanta’s largest technology conference, Digital Summit will feature more than 50 presentations on such topics as customer engagement, social media marketing, analytics, email and online video. Executives from such firms as Google, Turner, Twitter, ESPN, Pandora and Adobe will share their digital expertise.

This year’s conference features more start-up- and entrepreneur-focused content and more networking opportunities than past ones, according to event organizers.

Digital Summit is presented by TechMedia. Conference registration starts at $345 and can be completed online.

Galleria Chat: May 3, 2012

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

Bonnie’s Back. Grammy-winning Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Bonnie Raitt will bring her blues-, rock- and soul-infused sound to the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre on May 9 at 7:30 p.m.

Raitt will perform music from her new album “Slipstream,” which was released in April. “Slipstream” is the 62-year-old slide guitarist’s first album since 2005 and the first on her own record label. The album features music produced by Joe Henry and includes covers of Bob Dylan’s “Million Miles” and Loudon Wainwright III’s “You Can’t Fail Me Now.”

Marc Cohn is the opening act.

Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster and range in price from $45 to $105, not including processing fees.

Romney’s Coming to Town. The nearby Cobb Galleria Centre and Cobb Energy Centre will be the sites of a fundraiser and private reception for Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney on June 11.

For details about the Romney events, visit the Marietta Daily Journal.

Cobb’s Relay. The Relay For Life, a walk held to raise money for cancer research, will be held in May at Jim Miller Park in Marietta. The race involves an overnight, relay-style walk around a track, and lasts from 7 p.m. on Friday, May 11, to 7 a.m. on Saturday, May 12.

For more information or to sign up, visit the event’s website or Facebook page.

Want to Go to Key West This Weekend? Pollo Tropical opens its second Atlanta location tomorrow at the Akers Mill Shopping Center.

As part of its grand opening celebration, the restaurant, which features a variety of Caribbean-style grilled chicken dishes, will give away a free trip to Key West for one of the first 100 customers who show up at the restaurant with his or her bags packed. The winner will be allowed to choose a guest and both will then be escorted to the airport.

The grand opening celebration lasts from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., and the winner will be announced at 11 a.m. Participants are urged to line up early.

More information about the event can be found here.

Galleria chat: April 5, 2012

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

Messy Photo Contest. This year’s spring cleaning could do more than just make your home look better – it could win you some money. Submit a photo of your worn-out shoes, tackiest outfit, or dirty room - or all three – in our neighbor Cumberland Mall’s contest, and you could win a $150, $250 or $2,500 gift card to use at the mall.

Finalists will be announced on April 10. For more information and to enter, visit Cumberland Mall’s Facebook page.

Easter Hunt. Cumberland United Methodist Church invites you and your kids to an Easter egg hunt this Saturday. The search for eggs runs from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and is free to everyone.

Cumberland United Methodist Church is located at 2375 Paces Ferry Road in Smyrna. For more information, visit the church’s website.

Be A Leader. Do you know a high-school student that has the makings of a leader? Cobb Youth Leadership (CYL), a program that develops leadership skills through a series of retreats, is accepting applications from rising juniors.

Supported by the Leadership Cobb Alumni Association, CYL gives high-school students a chance to network and receive education on topics such as college and community involvement. The cost of the program is $400.

Visit the Cobb Chamber of Commerce’s website to fill out an application. For more information about the program, visit this page on the Chamber’s site.

Not as Healthy. Cobb County was ranked the sixth healthiest county in Georgia in the 2012 County Health Rankings, compiled by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The ranking represents a drop for the county, which traditionally has ranked in the top five.

Ranking factors include number of adult smokers, number of obese adults, the teen birth rate, number of uninsured residents, number of children living in poverty, level of residents’ education, number of fast food restaurants and air pollution.

While not in its usual top five spot, “Cobb still ranked better than the state average in each category except excessive drinking and air pollution,” noted a Smyrna-Vinings Patch article.

Adopt-A-Thon. Find your next furry friend at the Cobb County Animal Control’s upcoming Adopt-A-Thon, to be held on May 19 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event will feature discounted adoption rates as well as food vendors, police K-9 demonstrations, a raffle and a chance to talk with the shelter’s veterinarian.

The shelter is located at 1060 Al Bishop Drive in Marietta. For more information, visit

the Cobb County Animal Control website or call 770-590-5614.

Become a Better Knitter. Want to learn how to knit? Or maybe you’re a long-term knitter looking to expand your skills. Then the upcoming Stitches South may be for you. The conference will take place at the Renaissance Waverly Hotel and Cobb Galleria Centre on April 19-22, and will feature classes, fashion shows, an exhibit hall for vendors and several dinners, among other activities.

Visit the event’s website for schedule details and registration packages.

Galleria Chat: March 22, 2012

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

Home Sweet Home. Buying a home can be a daunting undertaking, especially in today’s tougher lending environment. If you’re looking for some help with this stressful process, the Real Estate Gallery of Georgia’s 2012 Georgia Home Show has got you covered. The show will be held in Galleria 600 on March 28 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

In addition to its session on homebuying, the show will feature presentations on “greening” your home, the latest design trends and building a real estate portfolio.

Registration is free, and attendees are welcome to bring their lunch. Dessert will be provided. To view the show agenda and register, visit the show page. For more information on The Real Estate Gallery, visit the firm’s website.

Speaking of Homes … Producers of a new NBC reality show called “Home Transformers” will be at the Atlanta Home Show at the Cobb Galleria Centre this weekend to look for contestants. The producers are looking for homebuilders, decorators and craftsmen.

The producers “are looking for contestants who can bring different skills and expertise to the table but still have one, big passion in common: creating a WOW factor,” according to a statement on the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s The Buzz blog. “This competition series will feature amazing craftsmen who will rebuild and transform rundown homes across America into epic and unforgettable creations!”

The casting crew will be at the show from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday. If you or someone you know is interested in being interviewed, email hometransformersatl@gmail.com in advance of the show. For more details, visit The Buzz.

Stop It in Its Tracks. Incidents of diabetes are spreading: 8.3 percent of the U.S. population now has the disease. Learn how to prevent diabetes or how to manage the disease if you already have it by attending “Focus Stop Diabetes,” a day-long expo to be held at the Cobb Galleria Centre on March 31.

The expo will feature healthy-cooking demonstrations, health screenings, exercise demonstrations and numerous seminars on diabetes-related topics. Both admission and parking are free. To view the agenda and register for the event, visit the expo website.

Celebrating Women. Friday evening brings the YWCA of Northwest Georgia’s 27th Annual Tribute to Women of Achievement, which will honor women who have exhibited great leadership in the region.

A silent auction will begin at 5:30 p.m., and the awards dinner starts at 7 p.m.

Fifteen Cobb County women will be honored at the dinner. To purchase a ticket, visit the YMCA of Northwest Georgia’s website. You can also find the names of honorees on Smyrna-Vinings Patch.

Rockin’ with Daughtry. All work and no play makes for one dull week, so take a break from the routine on Tuesday evening by seeing the rock band Daughtry perform at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. The show starts at 8 p.m. and features two opening acts: the pop group SafetySuit and singer-songwriter Mike Sanchez.

Daughtry, fronted by former “American Idol” contestant Chris Daughtry, is touring in support of “Break the Spell,” the band’s multi-platinum third album.

Tickets start at $32.50 and can be purchased at the box office or online at Ticketmaster.com. Tickets purchased through Ticketmaster will feature additional fees.   

Galleria Chat: March 8, 2012

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

• Looking to Get LinkedIn? On Monday, March 12, Juanita McDowell, the owner of the InMotion Real Estate Institute in Smyrna, will teach a three-hour class on how business professionals can best use the social network LinkedIn. The class, which costs $49, begins at 10 a.m. at the institute, located at 5020 Highlands Parkway SE.

The class will cover a range of topics, including putting video on your profile page, generating sales leads, status-update strategy, securing recommendations and LinkedIn etiquette.

For more information, visit Smyrna-Vinings Patch.

• Collecting Information about Collections. Does your business need to know more about how to collect payments from troublesome clients? If that’s the case, “Collections 101,” a Cobb Chamber of Commerce seminar that will be conducted by Neil Wilcove of Freeman Mathis & Gary, may be for you.

The session will be held from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Thursday, March 22, and will cover when to hire an attorney, preventative measures, demand letters, how lawsuits work and contractual clauses that deter clients from walking away from their debts.

The registration deadline is at noon on Wednesday, March 21. Tickets are $40 for the general public and $25 for chamber members. For more information and to register, visit the chamber’s website.

• A Remodeler’s Paradise. Those looking to remodel their homes or spruce up their gardens will want to stop by the 34th Annual Atlanta Home Show, to be held at the Cobb Galleria Centre on March 23-25. Roughly 350 exhibitors will be at the show to display the latest home products and services.

Additionally, the show will feature a number of speakers, including Anthony Carrino and John Colaneri of HGTV’s “The Kitchen Cousins,” Tonya Williams of HGTV’s “Designed to Sell,” and Dave Baker of Atlanta radio station AM 750’s “The Home Fix-It Show.”

General admission is $10. For complete information, visit the show’s website.

• A Surprising Combination. One might not think of Johnny Cash and the art of ballet as a good combination. However, “The Man in Black,” a ballet set to the music of the country-music legend, is winning rave reviews; Dance Magazine labeled the production “ingenious.”

“The Man in Black” will be at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre from March 23-25. Tickets range from $20 to $135 and can be purchased at the center or through Ticketmaster. Purchases made through Ticketmaster will include additional processing fees.

• Baby Needs a New Pair of Shoes. A new shoe store, Clarks, has opened in the Cumberland Mall. The store is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and on Sunday from noon to 6 p.m.

The store is located on the lower level near the Center Court entrance.

Let's Do Lunch: Buckhead Pizza Co. (with video)

The Atlanta Galleria Office Park is surrounded by great lunch spots and as part of our Let's Do Lunch multimedia campaign in March, we'll be reporting on some of the best places in the area to take care of those noontime hunger pangs.

In today's report, Neha Ali goes undercover to find out what's on the menu at Buckhead Pizza Co. in the Cobb Galleria Centre (and after you've checked out the video, click here for a coupon to the pizza joint).

Related Links:

• Let's Do Lunch: Buckhead Pizza Offers Deal for Atlanta Galleria Tenants

• Let's Do Lunch: Jocks & Jills in the Cobb Galleria Centre

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Let's Do Lunch: Jocks & Jills in the Cobb Galleria Centre

The Atlanta Galleria Office Park is surrounded by great lunch spots and during March, we'll be reporting on some of the best places in the area to take care of those noontime hunger pangs. In today's report, Neha Ali goes undercover to find out what's on the menu at Jocks & Jills in the Cobb Galleria Centre.

Galleria Chat: Feb. 23, 2012

The Galleria Chat is a weekly feature that appears on this blog each Thursday. The Chat will provide you with a hearty helping of links to stories and announcements to keep you in the know about the area surrounding the Atlanta Galleria Office Park. So without further ado …

• Letting Go. So, you’re ready to sell your small business. What are your options? You can find out by attending “Business Succession Plans for Small Businesses” a Cobb Chamber of Commerce educational session that will be held on Tuesday, March 13, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Attorney Dennis Summers of Taylor English Duma LLP will outline the differences between selling your firm to a strategic buyer, a private equity buyer and an employee stock ownership plan.

The registration deadline is Monday, March 12, at noon. Admission is $40 for the general public and $25 for Chamber members. Click here to register.

• Let Your Voice Be Heard. Bob Ott, commissioner of Cobb County’s District Two, which includes the Atlanta Galleria Office Park, will hold a town-hall meeting on Wednesday, March 14, at 7 p.m. to provide an update on county projects in the area and to allow constituents a chance to discuss any issues they would like to raise. The meeting will be held at Vinings Estates, located at 655 Crescent Ridge Trail SE in Mableton.

• It’s Alive … and It’s Now on Stage. The stage version of Mel Brooks’ classic comedy “Young Frankenstein” will be at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre from Thursday, March 29 through Sunday, April 1. Winner of the 2008 Outer Critics Circle Award and the Broadway.com Audience Award for Best Musical, the play features songs – including “Transylvania Mania,” “He Vas My Boyfriend” and
“Puttin' on the Ritz” – written specifically for the stage.

For show times and ticket information, visit ticketmaster.com or call (800) 745-3000.

• Hitting the Road. With a sunny weekend apparently in store, it might be a good time to dust off the bicycle and get some exercise. Each Saturday at 10 a.m., the Atlanta Cycling store, located south of the Atlanta Galleria at 4335 Cobb Parkway, conducts a leisurely paced 22-mile ride around the Vinings area. The ride is free and lunch is provided afterwards. For more information, visit Smyrna-Vinings Patch.

• Crafts as Far as the Eye Can See. If you’re in the market for homemade jewelry, furniture or clothing, the American Craft Council Show will be the place to be. The show will be held at the Cobb Galleria Centre from Friday, March 9, to Sunday, March 11, and will display the works of more than 225 crafters. One- and two-day passes can be purchased for $13 and $20, respectively, onsite. Discounted tickets also are available online.