William Pate
President
Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau
As president of Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau (ACVB), William Pate is in charge of maintaining tourism as one of the city's top economic drivers. The industry brought more than 37 million visitors to Atlanta in 2007, 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 ACVB, Pate served as vice president of advertising and public relations for BellSouth, one of the world's largest communications companies. Pate spearheaded the development and marketing of the BellSouth brand both nationally and internationally.
Pate also held positions at MCI, where he supervised domestic and international advertising and public relations and at Knapp Inc., an Atlanta-based marketing services firm specializing in solutions for large corporations. He also spent six years at the Southeast Dairy Association, producing advertising and marketing programs.
He began his career in non-profit, working in public relations positions with Goodwill Industries and the American Red Cross. Pate has received many awards and honors for his work from both Advertising Age and the American Marketing Association. Pate is the former chairman of the Atlanta Sports Council, Chick-fil-A Bowl and ACVB. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Alliance Theatre Company, The Association of National Advertisers and The Ad Council. He is also a member of the American Advertising Federation, the Georgia State University Board of Trustees and the Public Relations Society of America.
A native of Atlanta, Pate grew up in Decatur and attended Georgia State University, where he received his undergraduate degree in journalism and his graduate degree in communications. He and his family are members of St. Thomas More Catholic Church.
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