Kristin Edwards remembers the first time she watched a small town remake itself into a destination. It wasn’t on a map or in a development plan; it was on a weekend calendar of events.
“I was seeing events nearly every single weekend,” she said. And she wanted in.
That appetite for festivals, programming and place‑making is what brought Edwards closer to home this January as the new executive director of the Johns Creek Convention & Visitors Bureau.
A hometown journey
Born and raised in Gwinnett County, Edwards has local roots that read like a love letter to the region. She graduated from Buford High School, earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in marketing in 2014 and launched her career in healthcare marketing at a sleep medicine facility in Johns Creek.
Volunteer work with the Lake Lanier Convention and Visitors Bureau — where her mother once worked — first planted the tourism seed. “Whenever I had a day off, I was in their office, just trying to learn,” she recalled.
Building a career on events
Edwards’ professional path has been steady and strategic:
- event planner for the City of Duluth, managing some 75 festivals a year
- a stint at the Gwinnett Chamber planning business and networking events during the pandemic
- building an events calendar from the ground up as director of special events in Winder, GA
- most recently, managing Atlanta’s Nightlife Division within the Mayor’s Office of Film, Entertainment and Nightlife
That Atlanta role expanded her view of how cities support nightlife economies — everything from restaurants and hotels to late‑night barbershops and entertainment venues. She served as a liaison to businesses navigating permitting and city processes, helping to troubleshoot and connect people to the right departments.
Awards and a reputation for execution
If there is a theme to Edwards’ career, it is excellence in execution. She is, by her own account, an award‑winning festival director. Over the years, she has earned at least two dozen honors from the Southeast Festivals and Events Association.
Those trophies include Event Director of the Year, Best Festival, Best Children’s Programming and Best Marketing Campaign — recognition that signals both creative vision and flawless delivery. While at the City of Duluth, she also won a Best Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Initiative award for the Pride Pop‑Up event — the first government‑hosted Pride celebration in Gwinnett County.
“We were intentional about inclusion,” she said. “We wanted everyone to feel welcome.”
Home and family priorities
When she became pregnant, family priorities shifted. Edwards wanted to be closer to loved ones, so she and her husband moved from Atlanta to Johns Creek. Just minutes from family in Gwinnett County, she delivered at Emory Johns Creek.
After looking for something that would combine her skills and interests, the CVB job became available. With a mixture of professional aspiration and hometown pride, she applied her event and marketing experience to a role that had never been a full‑time position.
“I am a team of one,” she laughed. “But we have a board, and I have a great group of people to work with.”
She officially started at the Convention & Visitors Bureau on January 12.
Small staff, big expectations
That small staff footprint frames Edwards’ immediate challenge: to make a measurable impact with limited resources. Historically, the Johns Creek CVB operated with part‑time contractors and volunteer energy from the board. Edwards is shifting the bureau from a passive presence to a proactive force.
“We were here, and that’s it,” she said of the visitor bureau’s previous posture. “I want to come in and make an impact and let people know that we’re here and we’re going to make a difference in this community.”
Practical, place‑specific priorities
Her priorities are pragmatic. Johns Creek is not yet a major overnight destination, she acknowledged, but it is attracting business travelers and day‑trippers — and that is fertile ground.
Her first focus is on drawing neighboring communities into Johns Creek for dining, parks, golf and the award‑winning events that are already putting the city on the map.
Those events have momentum. The city recently received regional recognition for two celebrations — an award for best event photography for the Diwali Market and a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion award for the Juneteenth Celebration. Edwards is eager to capitalize on that recognition.
“We have award‑winning events,” she said. “We just need to make sure people know about them.”
Awareness and relationship building
Awareness is at the heart of Edwards’ strategy. She is auditing how residents and visitors prefer to receive information — social media, a monthly newsletter, an improved website or even print — and she’s listening closely to the businesses the CVB is meant to serve.
In the first two months on the job, she has spent much of her time building relationships with hoteliers, restaurateurs and event partners, fielding requests and pivoting marketing to meet needs in real time. When a local restaurant reached out about slow Valentine’s Day ticket sales, Edwards and her team changed marketing strategy and helped the event sell out.
Big picture opportunities: World Cup 2026
Thinking bigger, Edwards is already eyeing international moments that could lift Johns Creek’s profile. The FIFA World Cup this year, with matches in Atlanta, presents a rare opportunity.
“With downtown Atlanta hotels projecting high rates during tournament weeks, many visitors will look to surrounding cities for lodging,” she noted. “People are going to stay 25, 30 miles away. We’re going to promote Johns Creek hotels, our restaurants, parks, golf [and] wellness options — and the fact that we are a welcoming, diverse community.”
Diversity as a competitive advantage
Diversity is central to the city’s identity and to Edwards’ vision. She sees Johns Creek in the same way she sees transformed places like Greenville, South Carolina: intentional about programming, inclusive in offerings and determined to become a destination in its own right.
“We have a very, very diverse group of people — age, income, cultural backgrounds,” she said. “That’s something to celebrate and to build upon.”
In Johns Creek, Diwali and Juneteenth are not just calendar entries; they are programming that signals “welcome.”
Infrastructure and accountability
Part of the infrastructure that will support growth in the city is already underway. Edwards points to the forthcoming Medley mixed‑use development, slated to open in stages starting in October 2026. The project will add apartments, townhomes, retail and a Trader Joe’s. A hotel is expected to follow later.
Edwards also understands stewardship. The CVB is funded by hotel/motel taxes — public dollars that must be put to clear community benefit. She is mindful of accountability and outcome: tracking how promotions convert to visits, how events attract diverse audiences and how partnerships grow the local hospitality and dining ecosystems.
Coming full circle
If the last few years are any indication, Kristin Edwards knows how to get people to look. She’s not just promoting events, she’s crafting a narrative for a city that’s quietly becoming a destination.
For a woman who began her career volunteering in a tourism office and spent early weekends chasing festivals, that feels like coming full circle — and the start of something larger for Johns Creek.
For more about the Johns Creek Convention & Visitor’s Bureau, visit visitjohnscreek.com.
