VenuesNow 2025 All-Star Honoree: Kelvin D. Moore

KELVIN D. MOORE
SVP & General Manager
Savannah Convention Center / Georgia World Congress Center
Authority

FIRST INDUSTRY JOB:
My first real paid job in the business was as an audio technician at SeaWorld San Antonio, running sound for various show venues. During my college years in Boston, my first “gig” was as a drummer in a jazz trio—not much money, but an unforgettable experience.

A popular destination city now has an equally impressive large-scale meeting facility with the completion in February of a $276 million expansion at The Savannah Convention Center.
Marking the facility’s 25th anniversary in 2025, the major refresh and modernization doubled the venue’s size to 660,000 square feet.

“Cutting the ribbon on a project that doubled our size and elevated Savannah into the next tier of competitive destinations was especially rewarding,” says Kelvin D. Moore, Senior VP and general manager of the Savannah Convention Center. “It marked the completion of a long-term vision and the start of a new era for the SCC.”Moore, a 30-year industry veteran, admits that often the biggest successes are also the biggest challenges.

“When I arrived in Savannah in February 2024, the expansion project was significantly behind schedule and morale was low,” he confides. “My focus became getting the project back on track – restoring momentum by increasing urgency and being hands-on, working closely with the state, developers, contractors and staff to remove roadblocks and push the project forward.”

The team rallied to not only finish the job, but mitigated customer impact and delivered operational readiness.

“I deeply believe in and aim to practice the mantra ‘Each one, reach one’ – lifting others through mentorship, leadership development and community engagement,” says Moore.
With renovations completed and events on the calendar like the Georgia Data Collection Conference and the State of Georgia Tourism Conference, Moore is turning his attention to the development of a new headquarter hotel, with groundbreaking anticipated within the next month.

“Even in an uneven economy, demand is strong – but organizers, producers and attendees have more options than ever and are more selective,” Moore says. “That’s created opportunities to be more creative and entrepreneurial in finding new ways to deliver exceptional attendee experiences and measurable value.”