Spurgeon Richardson
President and CEO
Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau

As president and CEO of the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau (ACVB), Spurgeon Richardson has worked to position tourism as one of the city’s top economic drivers, helping to bring more than 38 million visitors in 2006, generating more than $11.4 billion in visitor spending ($28 million a day) and sustaining more than 225,000 jobs. In 2007, close to 60,000 hotel rooms were occupied each night in metro Atlanta, which remains the top visitor destination in Georgia.

Prior to joining the ACVB, he was president and general manager of Six Flags Over Georgia. He began his 25-year career at the amusement park in the marketing department, serving most of those years as President and General Manager.

Active in many professional organizations, some of Richardson’s career highlights include: Past Chair for the International Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus, International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, Georgia Hotel and Travel Association, Cobb Chamber of Commerce and past President of the Southeast Tourism Society. Current Board positions include the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, Georgia Chamber of Commerce, Central Atlanta Progress, AAA South, the Alliance Theatre, the Travel Industry Association, the Tourism Development Authority of Georgia and the Rotary Club of Atlanta. He is also a member of the Advisory Board for the Georgia Department of Economic Development and the Board of Trustees for Leadership Atlanta.

Richardson was honored to carry the Olympic flame during the torch relay for the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games and 1996 Paralympic Games. He was the recipient of the Atlanta Advertising Club’s 1996 Silver Medal Award; Atlanta’s Distinguished Public Relations Award; the State of Georgia’s Partner Award; and the 2005 Georgia Governor’s Tourism Champion Award. Spurgeon has been consistently named as one of the “100 Most Influential Georgians” by Georgia Trend magazine for more than 20 years. He has been listed as one of the ‘100 Most Influential Atlantans’ and was selected as ‘Who’s Who’ in the hospitality industry by the Atlanta Business Chronicle. In recognition of his contributions to Atlanta he was presented with the Atlanta St. Patrick’s Day Foundation’s Tourism Award and The Atlanta Business League’s Distinguished Service Award. He is also a member of the Georgia Hospitality Travel Association’s Hall of Fame.

A native of Edison, Ga., Richardson received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Georgia. He resides in Brookhaven with his wife, Mary Frances. They have three children: Spurgeon III, Kathryn and Carter; and eight grandchildren. His advice to them: “Become the most enthusiastic and positive person you know.”

Richardson’s hobbies include country music, non-fiction reading, traveling, movies and serving on the Diaconate at Wieuca Raod Baptist Church and as Chairman of the Board for The Vinings Club. His favorite quotes include: “The speed of the leader determines the rate of the pack” and “Sitting on a ham sandwich starving to Death.”