Month: January 2011

Romance blossoms at Titanic Museum Attraction in February and someone will win a free romantic getaway trip

Posted by Erin Freeman – January 31, 2011

Pigeon Forge, Tenn. – Romance and adventure were in the air when Titanic set sail on April 10, 1912.  Fourteen couples traveling on Titanic were on their honeymoon, including nine in first class.  There were also many young brides-to-be sailing to America to start a new life in a new country.  Titanic Museum Attraction’s Sweetheart Month – which takes place throughout February – pays tribute to romance and the lasting love of devoted couples everywhere.

Watch the WJHL-TV (CBS) segment below from 11 Connects about Sweetheart Month at the Titanic Museum Attraction.

In honor of the Titanic’s romantic history, Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge is giving away a FREE Vow Renewal on the Titanic Museum’s Grand Staircase which includes a two-night stay at the Wilderness at the Smokies Resort in Sevierville, Tenn. and two tickets to the Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies in Gatlinburg, Tenn. The Vow Renewal ceremony will take place in elegant style on Titanic’s million-dollar Grand Staircase and will be presided over by the ship’s captain.

Titanic Museum Attraction is looking for couples who got married in a very unique way or have a unique story to tell about their wedding day.  Beginning now, anyone who thinks they have an amazing love story can go to Titanic Museum Attraction’s website at www.TitanicPigeonForge.com and fill out the entry form.

Read the complete story of the Titanic Museum Attraction’s Sweetheart Month contest here.

The video in this post is the property of WJHL-TV and is used by permission.

Media Contact
Rick Laney
(865) 584-0550
rlaney@ackermannpr.com

East Tennessee Medical Group Achieves MGMA “Better Performer” Status

Posted by Lisa Hood Skinner – January 31, 2011

ALCOA, Tenn.—  East Tennessee Medical Group (ETMG), voted for the last two years as Blount County’s leading healthcare facility, has been named a “better performer” for 2010 by the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA). ETMG was recognized by Performance and Practices of Successful Medical Groups: 2010 Report based on 2009 Data for superior operational performance compared with similar medical group practices nationwide.

The MGMA report, a benchmarking standard among medical groups for over a decade, was produced using data from respondents to the MGMA Cost Survey: 2010 Reports Based on 2009 Data as well as data from a questionnaire that assessed management behaviors, practices and procedures of better performers. The report profiles medical practices that have demonstrated success in one or more areas: profitability and cost management; productivity, capacity and staffing; accounts receivable and collections; patient satisfaction; and managed care operations.

East Tennessee Medical Group, 266 Joule St., Alcoa, was founded in 1994 by nine physicians with over eighty years of collective medical experience. Now, over 15 years later, the group boasts 40 physicians representing12 specialties in one centralized location. ETMG utilizes the most advanced technology East Tennessee has to offer, including a state-of-the art 64 Slice CT Scanner, electronic medical records, digital X-ray, ultrasound and a Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS). ETMG’s recent awards include being voted as the number one healthcare facility by The Daily Times Readers’ Choice Awards for two consecutive years, and the TECHMED award for its outstanding use of patient care technology and its innovative use of electronic medical records (EMR) in its practice.

“East Tennessee Medical Group’s physicians, healthcare providers and staff are delighted to receive this “better performer” designation. We have long been recognized locally for cutting-edge healthcare, as evidenced by our ranking as the number one healthcare facility in Blount County by The Daily Times Readers’ Choice Awards. It is only fitting for ETMG also to receive recognition on a national level,” said Ron German, CEO, East Tennessee Medical Group.

East Tennessee Medical Group is a 50-provider multi-specialty medical group in Alcoa, serving Blount County for over 15 years. For the second consecutive year, ETMG has been recognized as the #1 Healthcare facility in Blount County by The Daily Times Readers’ Choice Awards. For more information, call 984-ETMG or visit its website at www.etmg.net.

About MGMA

MGMA is the premier membership association for professional administrators and leaders of medical group practices. Since 1926, MGMA has delivered networking, professional education and resources, and political advocacy for medical practice management. Today, MGMA’s 22,500 members lead 13,700 organizations nationwide in which some 275,000 physicians provide more than 40 percent of the health care services delivered in the United States.

MGMA’s mission is to continually improve the performance of medical group practice professionals and the organizations they represent. MGMA promotes the group practice model as the optimal framework for health care delivery, assisting group practices in providing efficient, safe, patient-focused and affordable care. MGMA is headquartered in Englewood, Colo., and maintains a government affairs office in Washington, D.C. Please visit mgma.com.

Media Contact:
Ron German
East Tennessee Medical Group
(865) 984-ETMG

Wilderness at the Smokies draws major sporting events including the upcoming K2 Volleyball Tournament

Posted by Erin Freeman – January 25, 2011

SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. — Local, regional and national sporting events are flocking to the new Wilderness at the Smokies resort in Sevierville, Tenn.  Conveniently located, Wilderness at the Smokies resort provides a perfect year-round location for sporting events large and small and is quickly becoming a favorite of sporting event organizers.

This weekend, the K2 Wilderness at the Smokies Volleyball Tournament will take place at the resort.  The Knoxville News Sentinel said 120 teams from around the Southeast, including North Carolina, Virginia and Georgia, will converge (on Wilderness at the Smokies) for the weekend.  Read the entire Knoxville News Sentinel story here.

Wilderness at the Smokies has hosted major national youth sporting events including gymnastics competitions, cheerleading competitions, basketball, karate, volleyball, BMX Biking and power tumbling.  The most recent (and one of the largest) was the Smoky Mountain Gymnastics Vacation Classic which took place over a four-day period.  There were nearly 7,000 people at the Smoky Mountain Gymnastics Vacation Classic.

To assist with the setup for sporting events, Wilderness at the Smokies has its own sports court flooring and can provide up to 20 volleyball courts and nets or, if the sport is basketball, five sets of basketball hoops.

Attached to the 200,000 square-foot Sevierville Event Center, Wilderness at the Smokies has restaurants, gift shops, convenience stores, game rooms, a 36-hole championship golf course, mini-golf, lounges, a deli, two outdoor waterparks and a five-acre indoor waterpark, it isn’t necessary to leave the 700-acre resort. Coaches, athletes and spectators can even get to/from the event center without ever going outside – making Wilderness at the Smokies one of the Southeast’s only year-round destinations for sporting events.

Media Contact
Rick Laney
(865) 584-0550
rlaney@ackermannpr.com

Ackermann’s Rick Laney talks travel and tourism changes in the Smoky Mountain Region with WBIR (NBC) television

Posted by Erin Freeman – January 19, 2011

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Ackermann PR ’s Rick Laney sat down to talk with WBIR (NBC) television about dramatic changes taking place in the tourism industry in and around the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  In recent years, Ackermann identified some significant shifts taking place in the local travel and tourism industries and conducted a private study of visitors during 2007 and 2008 (with updated data for 2009 and 2010).

Two key figures came to light through the study:  The Smoky Mountain Region is drawing a huge number of first-time visitors every year (as high as 41 percent in some areas) and traditional tourism cycles that tied closely to the school year had disappeared and the Smoky Mountain Region is now a year-round destination.

Click on the image below to watch the entire report from WBIR television.

Click to watch complete WBIR segment

Titanic Museum Attraction sponsors romantic Valentine’s Day vacation giveaway

Posted by Erin Freeman – January 18, 2011

Pigeon Forge, Tenn. – Romance and adventure were in the air when Titanic set sail on April 10, 1912.  Fourteen couples traveling on Titanic were on their honeymoon, including nine in first class.  There were also many young brides-to-be sailing to America to start a new life in a new country.  Titanic Museum Attraction’s Sweetheart Month – which takes place throughout February – pays tribute to romance and the lasting love of devoted couples everywhere.

Romance is alive and well at Titanic Museum Attraction.

In honor of the Titanic’s romantic history, Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge is giving away a FREE Vow Renewal on the Titanic Museum’s Grand Staircase which includes a two-night stay at the Wilderness at the Smokies Resort in Sevierville, Tenn. and two tickets to the Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies in Gatlinburg, Tenn. The Vow Renewal ceremony will take place in elegant style on Titanic’s million-dollar Grand Staircase and will be presided over by the ship’s captain.

Titanic Museum Attraction is looking for couples who got married in a very unique way or have a unique story to tell about their wedding day.  Beginning now, anyone who thinks they have an amazing love story can go to Titanic Museum Attraction’s website at www.TitanicPigeonForge.com and fill out the entry form. Get your family involved as well. You can have your parents, grandparents, friends, etc. fill out contest entry forms about your wedding. Make sure that each entry includes the same “Bride and Groom” information.

On Valentine’s Day, one of the couples will be selected and awarded with the Vow Renewal package. You must fill out a contest entry form on the website to win. Winners will be notified after Valentine’s Day and the Vow Renewal must be scheduled and executed by Dec. 31, 2011.

It really is that simple!  Entries will only be accepted until Feb. 13, 2011, so hurry and beat the crowd! Contestants must be 18 years of age to enter.  The prize package does not include travel, airfare or other accommodations.

Although it has been open less than a year, the Titanic Museum attraction already is recognized as one of the Great Smoky Mountain area’s top attractions, and according to owner John Joslyn, the museum is just getting started.  Valentine’s Day will be celebrated all 28 days of February at the Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge during the museum’s first annual “Sweetheart Month.”

The Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. is open daily at 9 a.m.  Reservations are strongly suggested (many days sell out entirely). Or, passengers may purchase tickets online at www.titanicpigeonforge.com or by phone at 800-381-7670.

Cedar Bay Entertainment owns and operates Titanic Museum Attraction in Branson, Mo.and Pigeon Forge, Tenn.  A privately owned-and-operated entertainment and development company, Cedar Bay is headquartered in Branson, Mo., the site of its first Titanic Museum Attraction.  Since it’s April 2006 grand opening, Titanic Branson has welcomed nearly 3 million guests.

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Disclaimer:

The contest will be open only to legal residents of the United States and the District of Columbia who are 18 years of age or older at the time of entry. The contest winner will be selected by a panel of Titanic Judges. The most unique wedding story, to be determined by the panel of Titanic Judges, will win. Winner will be notified by telephone and/or email.


Media Contact
Rick Laney
(865) 584-0550
rlaney@ackermannpr.com

New Name, New Start for Favorite Neighborhood Restaurant

Posted by Erin Freeman – January 14, 2011

Carly Harrington of the Knoxville News Sentinel shares a story today of how a favorite neighborhood restaurant was saved and relaunched by local owners.

Find out more about the story behind the re-opening (and renaming) of the Sequoyah Grille on the KNS website.

The Sequoyah Grille Facebook page also offers information about the restaurant and its offerings.

Climbing the Fence of Success

Posted by Ryan Willis – January 11, 2011

Knoxville, Tenn. – Before closing the book on 2010, Invisible Fence® Brand recognized their most successful dealerships of the year during the company’s 2010 International Dealer of the Year Awards.  Recipients from across the United States and Canada were honored during a ceremony in Naples, receiving recognition and a cash reward for their prosperous years. 

“Each year we take time to honor and reward our dealers and distributors for their hard work and dedication to Invisible Fence,” said Lori Sharp, Invisible Fence Brand Manager.  “They are truly the heart and soul of our company and vital members of the Invisible Fence team.  Much of our success can be attributed to dealers like the ones we recognize with these awards.” 

The 2010 Dealer of the Year Awards were presented to four different dealer size levels along with a new market dealer category.  The winner in the Premier Division, the largest division, was Invisible Fence® Brand by StayDog.  This Malvern, PA dealership, is led by John Dehaven and Kelly Cancelmo.  

This year’s Pinnacle Division recipient was Invisible Fence® Brand of Shelby, owned by Mike and Kate Lochner, located in Shelby Township, Mich. 

Invisible Fencing of Memphis was named the Dealer of the Year in the Platinum Division.  Owned by Barney Raborn, Invisible Fencing of Memphis makes its home in Memphis, Tenn. 

In the Power Division, Invisible Fence® Brand of Annapolis Valley was named Dealer of the Year.  This dealership is based in Hantsport, Nova Scotia and owned by Pamela Murray and Peter Andresen. 

This year’s Pride Division honoree was Invisible Fence of Central PA.  This award is given to the top new dealership established within the last 18 months.  Located in Altoona, Pa., Invisible Fence of Central PA is owned by Matt Wagner. 

Each year Invisible Fence® Brand recognizes dealers and dealerships that represent ideal business models in the company’s network.  Award recipients excel in a variety of critical business areas including marketing, sales and customer service. 

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About Invisible Fence
Invisible Fence® Brand is the original electronic fence containment system sold nationwide by professional dealers who offer custom installation and certified Perfect Start™ Pet Training to create an environment of safety and freedom for pets. For more information, visit www.InvisibleFence.com.

Media Contact:
Mike Cohen
(865) 584-0550
mcohen@ackermannpr.com

Cityview Magazine’s new issue features Titanic Museum, Wilderness at the Smokies and McGhee Tyson Airport

Posted by Erin Freeman – January 11, 2011

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The new issue of Cityview Magazine (Jan./Feb. 2011) is packed with great information.  The “Knoxville’s Top Entrepreneurs” story features 9-year old Luke Copas, who wrote a book about the Titanic last year that was published with some help from Titanic Museum Attraction owner Mary Kellogg-Joslyn (Luke’s on the cover!).  You can read Luke’s entire story here.

While people love to complain about the high cost of air travel, there are plenty of affordable destinations available from Knoxville’s McGhee Tyson Airport.  One of them is sunny Miami – and Cityview editor Colleen Oakley highlights some of Miami’s best restaurants, clubs, museums and places to stay in the current issue.

Ever wonder what’s coming next to Wilderness at the Smokies resort in Sevierville?  Check out the fascinating “5 Minutes With …” story about Pat and Pete Helland, owners of Wilderness resort, to find out.  You’ll not only find out what they plan next for their wildly successful waterparks, but the background about these amazing brothers (referenced in the story as “The Wright Brothers of the resort scene”).

Cityview Magazine is available at stores and bookstores throughout Tennessee as well as online at www.CityviewMag.com.  Don’t miss this month’s issue!

Media Contact:
Rick Laney
(865) 584-0550
rlaney@ackermannpr.com

Ackermann PR names Laney Vice President

Posted by Ryan Willis – January 5, 2011

Knoxville, Tenn. – Cathy Ackermann, president and CEO of Ackermann PR, announced today that Rick Laney has been promoted to Vice President, Ackermann PR, effective immediately.

Rick Laney

With two decades of senior-level marketing management experience – combined with a background in print and broadcast journalism – Laney has a clear understanding of both marketing strategy and communications expertise.  He has won statewide journalism awards in Ohio and Tennessee and garnered 20 ADDY Awards.  Laney has been at Ackermann PR as a Senior Account Executive since 2008 and oversees the travel and tourism practice area for the firm.  His clients include Wilderness at the Smokies resort, Titanic Museum Attraction, Water Magic, Cellular Sales Verizon Wireless, among others.

“Since joining Ackermann PR, Rick Laney has worked to establish very strong relationships with our clients,” said Cathy Ackermann.  “He always strives to consistently and enthusiastically exceed expectations for our clients as well as for our company.  We appreciate the strong leadership and innovation he brings to every project.”

For the past three decades, Ackermann PR has been one of Tennessee’s premier public relations and marketing firms.  With offices in Dallas, Washington, D.C. and Knoxville, Ackermann PR is one of only two public relations firms in Tennessee listed as one of the nation’s “Top 100” by PR Week Magazine.

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Media Contact
Ryan Willis
(865) 584-0550
rwillis@ackermannpr.com

Titanic Museum Attraction prepares for world-class ice carving competition on Saturday, January 22

Posted by Erin Freeman – January 4, 2011

Pigeon Forge, Tenn. – World-class professional ice sculptors from around the globe will compete at the Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge this month as part of the museum’s amazing kick-off to 2011.  This unique, family-oriented special event at the World’s Largest Titanic Museum Attraction is entirely FREE of charge.

Titanic's First Class Maid Jaynee shows off an amazing ice scuplture

The Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge will host the outdoor event with a major ice carving competition on Saturday, Jan. 22 between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.  Due to anticipated interest, visitors are advised to arrive early for the best views to watch all the ice carving action.

“This exciting one-day event will be produced by Titanic Pigeon Forge under the auspices of the National Ice Carving Association,” said John Joslyn, owner of the Titanic Museum Attraction.

“Visitors will be invited to come to Titanic’s outdoor staging center and watch professional and amateur sculptors turn 250-pound blocks of ice into frozen works of art. Kids and parents can view sculptures in progress, talk to the artists and learn the secrets of championship ice carving from the most accomplished ice artists in the entire world.”

Professionals and amateurs will compete for prize monies ranging from $500 to $2,000. The official NICA Judging Panel will announce the competition winners and award prizes at 3 p.m.

“After watching these artists at work, people will want to stick around to see if their favorite sculptor is the big-prize winner,” Joslyn said.

Although it has been open less than a year, the Titanic Museum attraction already is recognized as one of the Great Smoky Mountain Region’s top attractions, and draws approximately 100,000 visitors each and every month.

“As we begin 2011, Titanic Pigeon Forge is locking-in exciting, seasonal events to add fresh, new excitement to the already super-charged museum attraction,” Joslyn said. “Each of our special events is carefully selected for their entertainment and educational values as well as their ability to tie into and enhance Titanic’s rich legacy.”

The Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee is open daily at 9 a.m.  Reservations are strongly suggested (many days sell out entirely). Or, passengers may purchase tickets online at www.titanicpigeonforge.com or by phone at 800-381-7670.