It’s the end of another year, and as the holiday spirit sets in, corporate offices around the metro are gearing up for next year’s events. While the planning process may not be as fun as the actual event, we here at Cobb In Focus think it should be. We caught up with some of the best event facilities around the area to help your business plan a one-of-a-kind experience. Whether you’re looking for high-tech meeting space or a relaxed mountain retreat, these establishments can accommodate events of any type or size.

The Georgian Club & Indian Hills Country Club

Best for: Business and play with fantastic skyline views and relaxing golf retreats

Located on the 17th floor of the Galleria Tower 100, The Georgian Club provides an ideal setting for any business event. Along with amazing views of the Atlanta skyline, club-sponsored events and catering options, the club offers eight private meeting rooms with audio/visual equipment and access to all needed resources including entertainment, linens and flowers. “We have three private meeting rooms, in addition to our main dining room, and can accommodate up to 120 people for a seated event and 240 people for a cocktail event,” says Mitch Rhoden, president of Futren, an Atlanta-based country club management company.

For those who want to utilize a more relaxed atmosphere, the Indian Hills Country Club in East Cobb features 27 holes, eight tennis courts, three swimming pools and a clubhouse with dining and year-round social events. “We often do day-long events where members will bring a group for a half day meeting followed by lunch and an afternoon of golf,” says Rhoden. Not only can you utilize meeting space, but you can do it worry-free with full service on-site catering and event planners to assist in menu planning, decorations and activities.

Note: Not a member? Not to worry! Events can be hosted at either The Georgian Club or Indian Hills Country Club if sponsored by a member.

Chattahoochee Technical College

Best for: A tech vibe with a sophisticated feel

With campuses located all over Atlanta, including Acworth, Dallas and Marietta, Chattahoochee Technical College can accommodate corporate events big and small. Their Appalachian campus has the capacity to host more than 500 people in their Education Center, while the Paulding campus offers smaller conference rooms for seating up to 12 people. “CTC offers flexible conference space great for trainings, seminars and banquets,” says Lori Bramlett, facility rentals coordinator at CTC.

Whether you’re looking for a nine-to-five meeting space or a Saturday luncheon, CTC works with each client to ensure all needs are met for the event. The North Metro campus, located next to I-75, offers classrooms and meeting space ranging in size for 10 to 400 people. “Its flexible conference room layout allows the facility to accommodate a wide range of events including training seminars, trade shows and banquets,” says Bramlett.

Kennesaw College for Continuing Education

Best for: Educationally-oriented events

From banquet-style events to theater-seated functions, KSU can accommodate and enhance all meeting and training requests. “The KSU Center is open Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. to provide space for meeting and training,” says Sherrie Gentry, KSU facilities manager. “Space can be reserved for as short as a half day or for as long as required to complete your training and meeting needs,” Gentry adds.

Among amenities such as door-front free parking, free Wi-Fi and state-of-the-art audio/visual and computer equipment, businesses can enjoy full conference services as well as a la carte services ranging from registration and payments to website design. They offer two large rooms including the functions room that accommodates 240 people in a banquet setting, or 400 people for a theater setting. They also provide large conference rooms that can seat up to 132 people.

The Cobb Galleria

Best for: Major size accommodations with convenient hotel access

The recently renovated Cobb Galleria, conveniently located near the intersection of I-75 and I-285, provides the ideal space for conventions, trade shows and corporate events. “We have a 25,000-square-foot ballroom that is divisible into six sections, 20 meeting rooms, and four boardrooms,” says Karen Caro, marketing manager at the Galleria. If size does matter for your event, the Galleria won’t have a problem. “We can accompany any size event, from 11 to 11,000,” Caro states. As for planning services, the Cobb Galleria can coordinate everything from Internet to food to electrical needs. You can even utilize their “one-stop option” Meetings Express for smaller meetings, or those under 200 people. Caro goes on to say that a dedicated Meetings Express Manager provides full-service meeting planning including logistics for room set-up, coordination of audio/visual and telecommunications, and management of event catering. Other amenities around the Galleria include a variety of on-site restaurants and shopping at nearby Cumberland Mall.

Barnsley Resort

Best for: Mixing business with pleasure

If you picture your next meeting alongside beautiful mountain views and historic venues, Barnsley Resort might be the place for you. “Located on 3,300 acres in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Georgia [Barnsley Resort] can create a one-of-a-kind meeting or event,” says Shelby Taylor, director of marketing and public relations for Barnsley Resort. The resort includes various areas including The Runs, a historic manor house ideal for events under the stars, and The Beer Garden, an outdoor venue perfect for social or evening events.

Along with the ability to host any type of corporate events, including team-building experiences and day meetings, Barnsley Resort offers a slew of activities including golf, a spa, clay shooting, hunting and horseback riding, just to name a few. Barnsley is dedicated to providing an exceptional experience so that the only thing you have to worry about is business. “Our experienced team oversees everything from menu planning to team-building activities, so you can focus on your agenda,” says Taylor. She goes on to say that a dedicated conference coordinator works closely with you to ensure an event that lives up your expectations.

Sterling Estates

Best for: Intimate gatherings in a versatile space

With experience hosting events such as wellness-focused presentations, corporate training and educational seminars, Sterling Estates, located in Marietta, can comfortably house any event. Sharon Eggiton, assistant executive director at Sterling, notes that the main gathering area includes a state-of-the-art multimedia room with a 165” screen, Wi-Fi connectivity and audio/visual hookups. This room accommodates 30–40 guests while the main dining room that overlooks a courtyard can comfortably accommodate up to 100 people. For lunch or dinner meetings, Sterling’s Casual Café can seat 25 guests. Feel like taking a break after a busy morning meeting? Take a dip in Sterling’s perfectly heated 92-degree saline pool. “We help with the planning and coordination of the events and recommend calling well in advance for availability to secure the best option for your event,” says Eggiton.

Brookstone Golf & Country Club

Best for: A relaxed retreat for all occasions

Located in Acworth, Brookstone Golf & Country Club is a full service facility that provides many amenities for all corporate events. Although private, Bethany Rogers, membership and tournament director says, “We offer family and corporate memberships depending on the individual needs.” But it’s not just golf—they offer Full Golf, Associate Golf, Tennis and Social memberships and host events including meetings, holiday parties and golf packages. For lunch or dinner meetings, Brookstone offers a conference room that is able to host up to 16 attendees. For private parties or all-day events, they recommend using the Azalea Lounge, which can hold up to 20 people. As for planning services, Brookstones’ private event director will take care of everything from menu planning to decorations, to planning contests and organizing prizes depending on the size of the group. Whether it’s a day on the golf course or an evening cocktail event (or both!), Brookstone Golf & Country Club will handle all of your corporate event needs.

Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse

Best for: Daytime luncheons for foodies of all kind

Nestled inside the Embassy Suites Atlanta – Kennesaw Town Center, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse gives corporate events major attention. “We work one-on-one with our event specialists to create a truly customized affair,” explains Stephanie Tobben, director of marketing and communications at Ruth’s Chris. With amenities like wall-mounted LCD screens and/or projection screens in all meeting and private dining spaces, Ruth’s Chris can satisfy the needs of any event. But remember to book early! “While we certainly try to work with clients no matter how far in advance (or not in advance) they book, it is always preferable to book as soon as you know you’re going to need the space to ensure you get your first choice of rooms and dates,” suggests Tobben. “Events that are booked at least 90 days in advance are ideal, but as long as we have the space, we’ll accommodate a group that calls two days before an event.”

Let’s not forget about what Ruth’s Chris does best: food. “When you host a meeting at Ruth’s Chris, food doesn’t have to be an afterthought,” Tobben notes. “Ruth’s Chris offers extensive catering options for virtually every event type. From breakfasts and luncheons to snacks, receptions and dinners, Ruth’s Chris Steak House can help you ensure your event is a great success.”

Want to check out the menus before you book? Head to ruthschris.net/private_dining/kennesaw and select “Our Menus.”

From relaxing retreats to informational seminars, these establishments will cater to your every event need. Whether you have five or 5,000 attendees, you’re sure to find what you’re looking for with these facilities.

Despite celebrating its 20th year of facilitating philanthropy, the Cobb Community Foundation (CCF) remains largely unknown to many Cobb residents. That’s changing, however, as CCF implements a strategy to enhance its visibility and triple assets in three years.

The Foundation started in 1993 when a “who’s who” of Cobb County—a group including the likes of Sen. Johnny Isakson and the late Marietta Daily Journal publisher Otis A. Brumby Jr.— “decided we needed a community foundation in Cobb,” explains CCF Founding Chair James L. Rhoden, Jr., principal owner of Futren Corporation.

The idea was to establish a philanthropic organization with non-profit 501(c)(3) status through which individuals, families, organizations and corporations could support charitable causes in Cobb County, such as education, the arts, health and historical, cultural and environmental resources.

Professionals would manage assets and a board of local citizens would oversee administration. Meanwhile, donors to the Cobb Community Foundation—one of 13 community foundations in Georgia today—could support projects they cared about and benefit from a maximum tax advantage and a higher deduction than allowed if the same gift amount was placed in a private foundation. For example, a donor could start for a minimum $5,000 investment—less than typically required by other community foundations, and substantially less than what would be required to establish a private foundation. Over time, these investments have grown to benefit the entire Cobb community.

Increasing Visibility, Assets

Initially, CCF was an affiliate of The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta. Established in 1951, it is the oldest of Georgia’s community foundations and, in terms of assets, by far the largest with more than $700 million in 2010.

Rhoden says that several issues, including a $50,000 fund minimum, brought about the transfer of CCF to the Community Foundation for Northeast Georgia (CFNG), where the assets slowly grew. Ultimately, Rhoden says, Cobb fund leaders thought they could manage the fund for less. In 2007, CCF gained tax-exempt status from the Internal Revenue Service and became a separate legal entity, although CFNG provided “back-office” administration until 2009.

In 2007, CCF had assets of about $2.4 million and ranked 12th of the 13 Georgia community foundations in terms of assets, according to a Georgia State University report. But, despite the recession, CCF’s assets have more than doubled since 2007 and stand today at about $5 million. About 60 percent of the growth has happened in the past 18 months, says CCF Board Chair David S. Fisher, a CPA and founding partner of Signature FD, LLC, a wealth management firm.

A partnership with the Cobb Chamber of Commerce, a strategic planning effort, and a new executive have helped stimulate recent growth. Going forward, Fisher says CCF has several three-year goals: building visibility; growing the board from the current 23 active members to as many as 30; and tripling assets from about $5 million to between $15 million and $17 million in three years.

That asset level represents financial sustainability for CCF, says Fisher. “For CCF, the majority of our fees need to come and should come from the (1.25 percent) administrative charges that we earn from the accounts that we manage,” he adds. “Our job is to safely hold and invest capital and report on that. As we grow and have larger expenses, we have to grow that part of the budget.”

Coming Together

The CCF-Chamber partnership started to take shape in 2011, says Rick Hamilton, CCF’s chair in 2012 and a CPA with HLB Gross Collins, PC, adding that most members of the CCF board were also active Cobb Chamber members. In late 2011 they proposed to Cobb Chamber President and CEO David Connell that CCF be housed at the Chamber’s headquarters at 240 Interstate North Parkway.

Connell and the Chamber agreed and, Hamilton says, “very graciously agreed to have CCF, provide signage and space and help with administrative work. It gave us access to meeting rooms, a boardroom and technology. It has been fantastic for us.”

Moving to the Chamber in the summer of 2012 also helped CCF’s visibility, Hamilton says. “It is a great relationship for us. The Chamber’s management is looking out for us and helping to get the CCF story out … in the last year we have come a long, long way.”

“Getting the story out” was a take-away of research done at about the same time by consultant Coxe Curry & Associates. “We learned that CCF was not very well known,” Hamilton says. “People did not know what the foundation is there for, what the mission is. That was a catalyst for some of the things we’ve been doing.”

The most significant, Hamilton says, was the hiring in March 2012 of an “outward-facing” executive director: Acworth Mayor Tommy Allegood. “That is the critical change that had the most impact,” says Hamilton. “It all came together. With Tommy housed at the Chamber, things began to fall in place. In the upper levels of Cobb’s business community, people get it now.” Current chair Fisher concurs. “The relationship with the Chamber is beneficial,” he says. “It has given us management and administrative support and allows Tommy to focus on other important parts of the job.”

Most important is “enhancing the visibility of the organization,” says Fisher, who gives Allegood high marks for connecting leaders of charities, businesses and other communities in Cobb County. “We think about it as being in the middle of the charitable ecosystem … the non-profit community and individual donors who have the financial capacity to fill their needs,” he says.

Allegood is quick to point out that the Chamber, while very important, is one of about 100 “Partners in Philanthropy” that also provide support for CCF with in-kind gifts and financial assistance. “A lot of our growth has to do with being out and telling our story in the community,” says Allegood. “People realize what a great advantage CCF is.”

Making Philanthropy Easy

There are currently 55 different funds and foundations in CCF. Among the better-known are the MUST Ministries Foundation Fund; Acworth Special Needs Development Fund; East, North and South Cobb Rotary Funds; Marietta and Metro Kiwanis Scholarship Funds; Cobb Landmarks & Historical Society; Humane Society of Cobb County Foundation Fund; United Arts of Cobb Fund; and the WellStar Angel Fund. Funds are managed by Atlanta-based asset management firm Wela Strategies.

While CCF offers many types of funds, Fisher explains they basically fall into one of two groups. The first is agency funds. These include money from non-profits who hire CCF to manage their assets. The second is donor-advised funds in which a donor—typically a family—wants to be actively engaged in giving.

While agency funds remain important, Fisher says CCF anticipates greater future asset growth in donor-advised family funds, “specifically families who take a long-term view and a family generational view. That’s where CCF excels.” A person in the high-income-earning years, or selling a family business or real estate faces a large tax impact, Fisher says. But those situations are perfect opportunities to use a community foundation to start a fund, reduce taxes and in later years choose what cause to support. “A family can always set up private foundation but there are significant costs involved,” says Fisher. “For a relatively modest cost (1.25 percent of assets), we run administration. You get the benefits of family foundation for a fraction of the cost.”

Moreover, Fisher adds, a rule of thumb is that unless a donor can put a minimum of $500,000 or more into a private foundation—the primary alternative to a community foundation—“it doesn’t make sense from a cost perspective.” Establishing a private foundation typically requires paying for the services of an attorney, a CPA or tax preparer and someone to manage assets, he says.

“We are unique in that lower ($5,000) minimum,” Fisher says. “Many community foundations have $25,000 or $50,000 minimum. We believe in making it easy for people to begin working with us. If a family wants the benefits of a private foundation, then a community foundation becomes the solution.”

As it has for the past 20 years, the CCF will continue its quiet philanthropic work in the Cobb community, and encourages more citizens to enjoy the benefits it has to offer.