Showcase Atlanta Selects 40 Downtown Small Businesses as Inaugural Recipients of Digital Marketing Grant

Showcase Atlanta Selects 40 Downtown Small Businesses as Inaugural Recipients of Digital Marketing Grant

Grant program will equip local businesses near Mercedes-Benz Stadium with AI tools and training to compete on a global stage

ATLANTA - Showcase Atlanta, Mayor Andre Dickens' citywide initiative to ensure Atlanta's small businesses, residents and culture take center stage during the historic run of global events coming to the city, announced the 40 inaugural recipients of the Showcase Atlanta Digital Marketing Grant. Facilitated by the Latin American Association (LAA), with support from Google, the program is designed to help independently owned small businesses within a 1.5-mile radius of Mercedes-Benz Stadium turn the spotlight of 2026 into lasting growth.

The program arrives at a pivotal moment. With FIFA World Cup2026™ bringing hundreds of thousands of visitors to Atlanta this summer-and Super Bowl LXII, College Football Playoffs, NCAA Final Four and other global events in the pipeline-the downtown core surrounding the stadium, State Farm Arena and Georgia World Congress Center (GWCC) will see a surge of foot traffic, search activity and consumer demand. The Digital Marketing Grant is designed to ensure the small businesses already serving the neighborhood benefit from that momentum.

"Showcase Atlanta is about making sure these global moments happen with Atlanta, not to Atlanta," said Showcase Atlanta Interim Executive Director Lamar Stewart. "That means our neighborhood restaurants, barbershops, bakeries and creative studios aren't just spectators during large events, they're owners of the moment. This grant, alongside support from the LAA and Google, places real tools in the hands of the people who built this city."

The Showcase Atlanta Digital Marketing Grant is a structured, performance-driven growth program that includes:

• Hands-on coaching on business fundamentals and using digital solutions
• Virtual training on how Google tools drive local engagement & track performance
• Peer to Peer Experience with a full range of business types and growth stages

The LAA will lead coaching & curriculum, with support from Google. Through a series of programming, participants will learn the fundamentals of running effective online engagement and marketing campaigns, from creative best practices to performance assessment. The LAA's role reflects Showcase Atlanta's commitment to inclusive, multilingual small-business support, and ensures that every owner-regardless of prior digital marketing experience-leaves the program with skills that outlast the grant itself.

The 40 selected businesses reflect the full texture of downtown Atlanta, ranging from restaurants and retail to personal care and creatives. Spanning neighborhoods including Castleberry Hill, Sweet Auburn, South Downtown, and more, the group represents the independently owned businesses that give the area its distinct character and that stand to benefit from increased visibility heading into the FIFA World Cup 2026™.

Onboarding for the inaugural class is underway, so that campaigns will already be live in time to capture momentum heading into the summer.

Showcase Atlanta will continue to announce additional grant, training and activation opportunities for small businesses, creatives, and community organizations throughout 2026. Businesses, residents and partners are encouraged to visit showcaseatlanta.com to stay connected.

# # #

About Showcase Atlanta

Showcase Atlanta is a City of Atlanta initiative, led by Mayor Andre Dickens, built on a simple and powerful conviction that major global events should happen with Atlanta and not to Atlanta. Through neighborhood kickoffs, pep rallies, international delegation receptions and small business readiness tools, Showcase Atlanta creates pathways for residents, entrepreneurs and community organizations to participate in, and be celebrated on, the world stage. Showcase Atlanta is made possible through the commitment of partners, including the Atlanta Fulton County Recreation Authority; Presenting Sponsor, Delta Air Lines; Delivered by UPS; Silver Sponsor, Arrive; and Bronze Sponsor, Flock Safety. For more information, visit ShowcaseAtlanta.com.

###

For more information about the City of Atlanta, please visit www.atlantaga.gov or watch City Channel 26. Follow the City of Atlanta on Facebook and Twitter @CityofAtlanta.