By Elliott Brack, editor and publisher | Joseph (Joey) Dennis didn’t plan his background to become the general manager of Gwinnett’s Infinite Energy Center. But he couldn’t have planned better, as it takes a person of varied skills to be on top the many aspects of such a facility.
The Center has 750,000 square feet under roof. Its leader must find, promote and schedule many multi-day events, sometimes several activities the same day, or host 25,000 people packed into its walls on a busy day, and make sure all are well-fed and happy.
Joey has such at varied background. Originally from Huntsville, Ala., he was an expert in heating and air conditioning by the time he was out of high and technical school, something he has finds valuable for the Center, with its constant air conditioning needs, and even looking out for its 17,000 square foot ice rink for hockey events.
Dennis
He and his wife, Teresa, who he met in high school and have been married 40 years, live in Buford. They have two daughters, and two grandchildren. He first came to Gwinnett when the Civic Center was being built, and signed on early with the construction team, back in 1991. Though he left the area for a while, he returned in 2001 as its assistant general manager and has led the team running the Center since 2011.
Keeping the Center running efficiently is no easy task. “Bookings for our space are always a challenge. If you add an event here, you might have one falling out the other end. After all, some of these touring road shows are in Nashville tonight, and our place the next night, so changing a schedule can affect the entire Southeast. It’s a chain reaction, and we work against many changes.”
There are about 700 events at the Center each year, 120 of them in the Arena. “We had over a million people visiting our venues last year, and we’ll do about 120 events in the Arena alone. The Ringling Brothers Circus is here for 18 performances in 10 days, we have 36 pro hockey games, and now nine lacrosse matches a year with the Swarm, and we won’t know until the last moment if the sports teams will make the playoffs. We leave little holes in the schedule for such…..and hope.”
The Center has announced it is to expand, though plans are not finalized. Expected is a high-rise Marriott Hotel on site, plus at least doubling the exhibit space to more than 100,000 square feet (from today’s 50,000). That Center will also get more entertainment and dining facilities. Joey says: “People want to park their car, go eat, and go to a show. And be safe. That’s what the expansion will be about.” There are 4,000 surface parking spaces, another 1,000 in the deck. There will be more deck parking in the future.
Joey gives credit to county officials originally planning the Center doing it in the right manner. “It’s built for what was best for the community in general, such as major concerts, plays and music in the Theatre, meetings in the ballrooms, and functions in the Exhibit Hall. In some places, sports teams rule the show. Not here. All the profits we generate stay with the Center, and go to the general fund for improvements. We’ve got to keep the Renewal Fund intact, for instance, as it’ll have to fund a new roof after 24 years.”
Overall, Joey Dennis works at the Infinite Energy Center for “…our two clients, the one coming in the front door, and those performers or exhibitors using the back door. We try to make it easy for both.”
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