HHC Annual Meeting returns to One Hancock Plaza on March 29th

Festivities to include 4:00 p.m. rededication in honor of associates

     GULFPORT, MS (March 22, 2007) - Hancock Holding Company, the parent company of 108-year-old Hancock Bank, will host the company's Annual Meeting at Hancock's One Hancock Plaza headquarters next week for the first time since Hurricane Katrina pummeled the 15-story tower with relentless winds, flying debris, and storm surge.

     Slated for March 29, 2007, at 5:30 p.m. on the second floor of the restored downtown Gulfport facility, the meeting coincides with Hancock's annual Joint Board of Directors Meeting earlier in the day and a 4:00 p.m. rededication of One Hancock Plaza (OHP) honoring all Hancock associates.

     "March 29, 2007, will be an historic occasion for our Hancock family as we welcome our directors and shareholders back to One Hancock Plaza and rededicate the bright new building to our Hancock associates for their commitment to the company's core ideology, especially in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. The day will be filled with memories, accolades, and visions of future opportunities for Hancock and our associates," said Hancock Holding Company Chief Executive Officer John M. Hairston.

     One Hancock Plaza sustained heavy damages from Katrina and has been undergoing an extensive $35-million-plus restoration that began just a few weeks after the storm's landfall. Within hours of Katrina, Hancock associates at OHP and throughout the company's four-state market rallied in a determined, team-oriented response to serve customers and launch immediate recovery efforts.

     "On Thursday (March 29), we will celebrate our return to One Hancock Plaza. Most importantly, we will pay tribute to all of our associates - many of whom faced devastating losses from the storm -for their sacrifices to keep Hancock strong. Our associates' actions after Katrina exemplified the values our founders set forth 108 years ago and reiterate that the source of Hancock's successes is our people," added CEO Carl J. Chaney.

     Builders continue to finish each floor of OHP for occupancy; and Hancock officials anticipate all tenants and Hancock departments to return to OHP by early summer.

Click here to view the invitation to the One Hancock Plaza Rededication at 4:00 p.m. on March 29th

— 30 —

FOR MORE INFORMATION