ATLANTA – Threats of canceled conventions and lost jobs in North Carolina and Mississippi could not have come at a better time for Georgia.

Laws passed in the Tar Heel and Magnolia states that are viewed as discriminatory to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people come on the heels of Gov. Nathan Deal’s veto of similar legislation in Georgia — and just in time for The Peach State’s biggest business recruiting event of the year.

The Red Carpet Tour, with about two dozen top economic development prospects, is making its way across Georgia this week. The four-day schmooze-fest designed to lure companies to Georgia is capped by VIP access for the first and third rounds of the Masters golf tournament in Augusta.

Industry observers say recruiters are no doubt emphasizing Georgia’s newly burnished reputation for tolerance at every turn, even though a new “religious liberty” bill is likely to come up in Georgia next year.

They may even use it to try to lure payments technology firm PayPal, which announced it was no longer planning a 400-person operations center in Charlotte.

Read more from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.