Month: February 2011

Susie Millar, descendant of RMS Titanic engineer, to visit Titanic Museum Attraction and unveil new exhibit

Posted by Erin Freeman – February 28, 2011

PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. – Thomas Millar of Belfast, Ireland was an engineer for Harland & Wolff, the British heavy industrial company that specialized in ship building.  In the early 1900s, the company designed and built the RMS Olympic and her sister-ships, the RMS Titanic and HMHS Britannic. At Harland & Wolff, Millar worked as an engine fitter and helped build the engines for both the Olympic and Titanic.

Susie Millar

In 1912, just three months after his wife died leaving the 33-year old Thomas to raise the couple’s two young boys, he decided that he would sail on the Titanic to New York where he would start a new life for himself and his sons.  He signed up for a job as an assistant deck engineer on the Titanic and made plans to leave Ireland and start again in America.

Just before boarding the Titanic, Millar gave each of his sons – 11-year old Thomas Jr. and 5-year old William Ruddick – a shiny, new penny.  The boys, who were being left with their aunt, were told to keep the pennies and not spend them until their dad returned to get them.

Around 11:40 p.m. on the fourth night Millar was at sea, his plans made a dramatic turn as the result of an iceberg.  Thomas Millar’s body was never found after Titanic sank.

Susie Millar, Thomas’ great granddaughter, will visit Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge during March when the museum honors the hardworking, skilled Irish laborers helped build Titanic in Belfast.  Millar, who still resides in Belfast, recalls her grandfather, William Ruddick Millar, reading books to her about Titanic when she was a young girl.

“The whole world has a fascination with the Titanic,” Millar said. “Strangely, Belfast has not been one of those areas terribly interested in the Titanic until recently.  The largest man-made movable object on the face of the Earth at the time – the Titanic – was designed and built right here in little, tiny Belfast. With the approaching Centennial, the people here in Belfast are finally interested in learning about Titanic.”

Susie Millar, who was a longtime television reporter in Ireland,  will arrive in Pigeon Forge on Saturday, March 19, 2011 and will be at the Titanic Museum Attraction daily through Wednesday, March 23, 2011.  In honor of her visit, Titanic Museum attraction has prepared a special display focused on her great grandfather, Thomas Millar.  The highlights of that display are the actually pennies handed to Thomas Jr. and William Ruddick by Thomas Millar just before he climbed aboard Titanic.

Thomas Millar

“I’m proud to keep Thomas Millar’s short story alive,” Susie Millar said. “He was so young – and it’s an honor for me to tell people about him.  It’s thrilling for me personally to see how many people are still interested in Titanic.”

Throughout the entire Month of March the Titanic Museum Attraction honors the Irish—the spirited, irrepressible, hardworking men and women from the Emerald Isle. Come prepared to be entertained with the music, song and folklore that accompanied these courageous souls on their voyage to America.

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.  Approximately 100,000 “passengers” have visited the Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge every month since its grand opening in April 2010.

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.

###

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

Ackermann PR Joins Social Slam 2011 Sponsorship Team

Posted by Erin Freeman – February 23, 2011

Social Slam 2011, Knoxville, TN, April 13. A conference for digital media in business.Knoxville, Tenn. – Ackermann PR is proud to announce it has joined the sponsorship team for Social Slam 2011, a national digital media business conference to be hosted in Knoxville, Tennessee, on April 13, 2011.

The event promises to bring together some of the brightest minds in social media in North America to teach business leaders how to get serious about digital media marketing.

“We support Social Slam 2011 because of the experience represented by the event’s speakers and panelists,” said Cathy Ackermann, CEO and owner of Ackermann PR. “This is not a conference about hypothetical business practices. The participants will be discussing their actual work in the field and sharing their experiences in creating measurable and effective digital media business opportunities.”

The event, organized by Social Media Club Knoxville, is bringing a collection of some of the nation’s best-known experts in digital and mobile marketing to the Knoxville Convention Center for a one-day business-oriented conference.

“This event is a valuable opportunity for Knoxville-area business leaders,” said Shane Rhyne, Digital Business Strategies Manager for Ackermann PR. “The speakers and panelists represent a who’s who of experts in our industry. Having them all together for a single conference is gaining a lot of attention. Business leaders from across the nation are making travel plans to attend this event.”

The event will feature nationally-acclaimed keynote speakers, including:Guest speakers and panelists for Social Slam. Jay Baer, Christina "CK" Kerley, Trey Pennington, Brian Winter, Eric T. Epperson, Amy Howell, Billy Mitchell, Deborah Weinstein, Jeremy Victor, Mark Schaefer, Ryan T. Sauers, Glen Gilmore, Anne Deeter Gallaher

Additional panel discussions will feature nationally-recognized authorities on:

  • Social media’s reinvention of public relations
  • Building a business case for social media
  • Critical digital media mega-trends
  • Social media and business-to-business (B2B) marketing

Seating is limited for the event. Tickets are available from the event website at www.SocSlam.com for $49 through February 28. In March, the price will increase to $59, and in April, any remaining available tickets will cost $69.

For additional information about the event, the speakers and panelists, registration and materials, visit the Social Slam website at www.SocSlam.com.

About Social Media Club Knoxville

Social Media Club Knoxville is a networking organization for Knoxvillians currently using social media personally and professionally, and those seeking to learn. SMC Knoxville is a chapter of the international SMC headquartered in San Francisco, California. SMC is a non-profit organization designed to promote media literacy, support sharing among practitioners, encourage adoption of industry standards, and promote ethical practices through discussion and actions. For more information about SMC, visit www.socialmediaclub.org

Girl Scout Cookie Distribution Impresses UT Logistics Expert

Posted by admin – February 21, 2011

Knoxville, Tenn.  — Stacked to the ceiling of a West Knoxville warehouse, hundreds of palettes of Girl Scout Cookies were ready to be sorted and distributed to Girl Scout Troops throughout the region on Monday. 

“We’ve been looking forward to the arrival of these cookies for months now,” says Booth Kammann, CEO of the Girl Scout Council of the Southern Appalachians.  “The Girl Scout Cookie Program accounts for more than half of our operating budget, so this is a critical step.”

Associate Professor of Logistics at the University of Tennessee, Dr. Mary Holcomb, Ph.D. visited the warehouse to observe the process, as volunteers began to sort and distribute hundreds of thousands of boxes of cookies. 

“It’s phenomenal how much product they run through the warehouse in such a short amount of time,” says Dr. Holcomb.  “There was clearly an enormous amount of planning leading up to today.”  Kammann estimates that on Monday alone 12,000 cases, which equates to 144,000 boxes, will be distributed to the greater Knoxville area, with even more cases scheduled to be distributed the following day.

Photo Courtesy of Daniel Andrews

Dr. Holcomb points to the Girl Scouts color-coded system as a key component of the program’s success.  “It’s visually-driven, making the process of sorting the cookies very accurate and highly efficient.” 

As the cars, vans and SUVs, lined up outside the warehouse, staff and volunteers worked side by side.  “We know we have a lot of work to do in a short amount of time, but we’re happy to do it,” says Kammann.  The Girl Scout Troops in the Southern Appalachians Council benefit directly from the cookie sales; proceeds range from $0.55 per box to $0.75 per box, estimates Kammann.  Girls set goals and determine how these proceeds are used, including support of troop activities and community service projects.

Similar distribution centers are bustling with activity in Chattanooga and the Tri-Cities this week.  Between all locations, volunteers will distribute more than 1 million boxes of cookies this week. 

In 2010, the Girl Scout Council of the Southern Appalachians sold more than 1.6 million boxes of Girl Scout Cookies.  A total of 9,235 Girl Scouts participated last year, but Kammann says the process would not be possible without adult volunteers.  “This is a logistical feat and we greatly appreciate our volunteers who make it happen.”  Dr. Holcomb agrees, “The concerted effort of these well-trained volunteers is extremely valuable to the process.” 

While Girl Scouts are beginning to fill pre-orders this week, booth sales of Girl Scout Cookies begin on Saturday, February 25.  For a list of booth locations in our region, you can visit the council’s website at www.girlscoutcsa.org.   

###

About Us
The Girl Scout Council of the Southern Appalachians has 21,000 girl and adult members stretching from North Georgia to Southwest Virginia. Service centers are located in Chattanooga, Knoxville, and Johnson City. Our mission is to build girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. The council offers financial assistance to ensure that every girl who wants to be a Girl Scout has the opportunity to join this vibrant organization.

Monica Kessi, M.D., Joins Vista Radiology from Hawaii

Posted by Lisa Hood Skinner – February 16, 2011

KNOXVILLE, TENN. –Board certified radiologist, Monica Kessi, M.D.,  has joined Vista Radiology P.C. from Hawaii, working remotely from her Kihei office while improving Vista’s turnaround time, efficiency and patient service.

Monica Kessi, M.D.Although Dr. Kessi will be a member of Vista Radiology in Tennessee, she will continue to live and work on the island of Maui in Hawaii.  Vista’s  Internet-based infrastructure and Picture Archiving Computer System (PACS)  allows her to read radiology films after Vista’s East Tennessee-based physicians go home in the evenings. 

The six-hour time difference between Tennessee and Hawaii makes this method of reading MRIs, CTs and ultrasounds more efficient, thus decreasing turn-around time and on-call coverage costs.

She joins Vista following a diagnostic neuroradiology fellowship with the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology in St. Louis, Mo.  She completed her diagnostic radiology residency at St. Louis University Hospital and transitional internship year with Emanuel Hospital in Portland, Ore.  She received her medical degree from Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland, Ore. 

Dr. Kessi completed post-baccalaureate/premedicine studies at Portland State University in Oregon after graduating magna cum laude from the University of Portland.  Her memberships include the American Roentgen Ray Society, American Association for Women Radiologists, American Society of Neuroradiology and American Society of Emergency Radiology. 

Established over 40 years ago as Fort Sanders Radiology, Vista Radiology is the largest and most sub-specialized radiology practice in East Tennessee. With 38 Board-Certified radiologists, Vista is uniquely positioned to provide the highest available level of radiology expertise, including 24-hour teleradiology services and sub-specialized radiographic interpretations.

Vista Radiology also specializes in non-surgical, minimally invasive treatments such as endovascular repair of aneurysms, acute stroke treatments, breast biopsy, radiofrequency ablation and UFE, in Knoxville and the surrounding areas.  Vista’s membership includes fellowship trained specialists in body / cross sectional imaging, MR imaging, musculoskeletal radiology, neuro-interventional radiology, neuroradiology, cardiac imaging & thoracic radiology, vascular & interventional radiology, women’s imaging / breast intervention, PET & nuclear medicine, and pediatric radiology.

Vista provides radiology services for 9 East Tennessee hospitals:

  • Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center
  • Fort Sanders Parkwest Medical Center
  • Fort Sanders Sevier Medical Center
  • Fort Loudoun Medical Center
  • Roane Medical Center (Harriman, TN)
  • East Tennessee Children’s Hospital
  • Sky Ridge Medical Center (Cleveland, TN area)
  • Claiborne County Hospital (Tazewell, TN)
  • Lakeway Regional Hospital (Morristown, TN)

Additionally, Vista services outpatient facilities such as:

  • Fort Sanders West Diagnostic Center
  • Thompson Cancer Survival Breast Center
  • Thompson Cancer West
  • Parkwest Comprehensive Breast Center
  • The Breast Center and LeConte Medical Center
  • Diagnostic Health, Knoxville (formerly HealthSouth ODC)
  • Diagnostic Health, Nashville (formerly HealthSouth ODC)
  • Healthstar Physicians, P.C.

For more information about Vista Radiology, please visit their website at http://vistaradiology.com/.

###

CONTACT:
Charles McRae, Administrator
Vista Radiology, P.C.
(865) 595-4100

Jason Brant Deen, M.D., Joins Vista Radiology

Posted by Lisa Hood Skinner – February 16, 2011

KNOXVILLE, TENN. –Diagnostic neuroradiologist, Jason Brant Deen, M.D., is joining Vista Radiology P.C., following his fellowship with the Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston Salem, N.C., where he was a radiologic clinical instructor.

Dr. Deen received his medical degree from East Carolina University School of Medicine in Greeneville, N.C. He completed his diagnostic radiology residency at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, Ga., and his transitional year internship at Brackenridge Hospital in Austin, Texas. 

He received his undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and his Master’s degree in physiology from North Carolina State University in Raleigh, N.C. Deen is certified by the American Board of Radiology to perform diagnostic radiology and will practice in the Knoxville area.

Deen is a member of the American College of Radiology, American Roentgen Ray Society, American Society of Neuroradiology, Association of University Radiologists, and the Radiological Society of North America. Since 2007, he has given didactic and case-based lectures to radiology house staff and faculty on various neuroradiologic topics.

Established over 40 years ago as Fort Sanders Radiology, Vista Radiology is the largest and most sub-specialized radiology practice in East Tennessee. With 38 Board-Certified radiologists, Vista is uniquely positioned to provide the highest available level of radiology expertise, including 24-hour teleradiology services and sub-specialized radiographic interpretations.

Vista Radiology also specializes in non-surgical, minimally invasive treatments such as endovascular repair of aneurysms, acute stroke treatments, breast biopsy, radiofrequency ablation and UFE, in Knoxville and the surrounding areas.  Vista’s membership includes fellowship trained specialists in body / cross sectional imaging, MR imaging, musculoskeletal radiology, neuro-interventional radiology, neuroradiology, cardiac imaging & thoracic radiology, vascular & interventional radiology, women’s imaging / breast intervention, PET & nuclear medicine, and pediatric radiology.

Vista provides radiology services for 9 East Tennessee hospitals:

  • Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center
  • Fort Sanders Parkwest Medical Center
  • Fort Sanders Sevier Medical Center
  • Fort Loudoun Medical Center
  • Roane Medical Center (Harriman, TN)
  • East Tennessee Children’s Hospital
  • Sky Ridge Medical Center (Cleveland, TN area)
  • Claiborne County Hospital (Tazewell, TN)
  • Lakeway Regional Hospital (Morristown, TN)

Additionally, Vista services outpatient facilities such as:

  • Fort Sanders West Diagnostic Center
  • Thompson Cancer Survival Breast Center
  • Thompson Cancer West
  • Parkwest Comprehensive Breast Center
  • The Breast Center and LeConte Medical Center
  • Diagnostic Health, Knoxville (formerly HealthSouth ODC)
  • Diagnostic Health, Nashville (formerly HealthSouth ODC)
  • Healthstar Physicians, P.C.

For more information about Vista Radiology, please visit their website at http://vistaradiology.com/.

                                                                                        ###

CONTACT:   
Charles McRae, Administrator
Vista Radiology, P.C.
(865) 595-4100 

Titanic Museum Attraction’s First Class Maid Jaynee to perform and serve as judge for 2011 Dancing With The Knoxville Stars

Posted by Erin Freeman – February 15, 2011

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – When the 2011 Star 102.1 FM “Dancing with the Knoxville Stars” benefit for East Tennessee Children’s Hospital takes place this Thursday, Titanic Museum Attraction’s First Class Maid Jaynee will take center stage.  As both a judge and performer for the third annual dance competition, Jaynee will be doing the three things she enjoys the most; singing, dancing and representing East Tennessee’s most popular destination, Titanic Museum Attraction.

Titanic First Class Maid Jaynee

She’s the face of the Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. and Branson, Mo.  You see her on billboards and commercials and hear her on the radio.  Her name is Jaynee (Peters), and she has been the First Class Maid aboard the Titanic since the beginning.

From the early age of 14, Jaynee performed in theatre and musical productions throughout England.  Because her mother was a professional Vaudeville and music hall performer, Jaynee grew up “backstage” and in dance studios.  Later, her mother owned and operated the largest dance theatre apparel store in all of Southern England.

Jaynee was cast with the Jack Mansell Dancers at the age of 19 and traveled to America to perform with “Viva Las Vegas.”  Touring throughout the United States in various productions, she met her husband while performing in a musical production in Montgomery Ala.  They developed their own show – “The Best of Vaudeville and the Movies” – and performed all over the country, eventually arriving in Branson, Mo.  In Branson, Jaynee and her husband performed their own act at a variety of venues before she landed aboard the Titanic Museum Attraction.

Today, Jaynee plays herself, First Class Maid Jaynee, and is proud to be considered a spokesperson for the World’s Largest Museum Attraction in both Pigeon Forge and Branson.  “I consider it a privilege,” Jaynee said, “to participate in the 2011 Dancing with the Knoxville Stars.  This is event is so much fun, but – more importantly – it supports East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, one of our area’s most important assets.”

Dancing with the Knoxville Stars 2011 benefit for East Tennessee Children’s Hospital is this Thursday evening at Knoxville Expo Center (5441 Clinton Highway in Knoxville).  Doors open at 6 p.m. and the show starts at 7 p.m.

Contestants in this year’s Dancing with the Knoxville Stars are:

  • Marc Anthony (Morning Show Host Star 102.1). Marc will be partnered by Emily Loyless.
  • Ashley Johnston (Biggest Loser) – Ashley will be partnered by J.W. Becker.
  • Mike Witcher (Meteorologist WBIR) – Mike will be partnered by Rhonda Becker.
  • “Farmer Charlie” (Farm Bureau Insurance spokesman) – Charlie will be partnered by Kelli Rainey.
  • Michele Silva (Anchor, WVLT) – Michele will be partnered by Mark Becker.
  • Allison Fulmer (Public Relations) – Allison will be partnered by Hayden Escobar.
  • Jamie Lynn Drohan (Reporter WATE) – Jaime Lynn will be partnered by Jeremy Norris.
  • Mike Griffith (Sports Writer, Knoxville News Sentinel) – Mike will be partnered by Suzanne Devan.
  • John Elliott (Owner, Elliott’s Boots) – John will be partnered by Lisa Turner.

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.  Approximately 100,000 “passengers” have visited the Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge every month since its grand opening in April 2010.

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.  For more information about the 2011 Dancing With The Knoxville Stars event, call (865) 541-8441.

Meet Titanic Museum Attraction’s “Rose” in Pigeon Forge during Sweetheart Month

Posted by Erin Freeman – February 10, 2011

PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. –  In James Cameron’s 1997 record-shattering movie “Titanic,” the character “Rose” – played by Kate Winslet – was the primary reason the movie is still regarded today as one of the most romantic films ever produced.  Titanic Museum Attraction’s own “Rose” will be making a special appearance in Pigeon Forge during Sweetheart Month.

Titanic Museum Attraction's Rose

Titanic Museum Attraction’s Rose is actually Randi Shetley of Fowler, Kan., who has a story as amazing as the character from the movie that she plays.  The daughter of a minister and missionary, Shetley moved regularly throughout the Midwest while growing up and at an early age felt she too was meant to do missions work.

“My parents had been involved in international adoptions,” Shetley said.  “My husband and I decided before we were even married that we wanted to adopt children, too.”

With two biological children of their own, Alexis and Zion, Shetley and her husband, Shane, proceeded to adopt 4-year old Tyson and 6-year old Megin in 2003 after traveling to Ethiopia.  About four years later, after discovering that Megin had an older biological brother still in Ethiopia, the Shetley’s traveled back to adopt 11-year old Tem.

Today, Shetley and her husband (who is also a pastor) continue to support Visiting Orphans, a non-profit group based in Nashville, Tenn. and regularly take 10-day to two-week trips to foreign countries to spend time with, help and minister to orphaned children around the world.  For details about the Visiting Orphans program, see www.visitingorphans.org.

If raising five children wasn’t enough, Shetley also serves as a substitute teacher and teaches drama at Barclay College in Kansas.  While in junior high school, Shetley started a lifelong love for the performing arts, and eventually graduated from Friends University in Wichita, Kan. with a degree in theater.

“I simply love my life,” Shetley said.  “I get to go to the wonderful Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge and play dress-up as ‘Rose’ and literally – immediately after I leave Pigeon Forge – catch a flight to Ethiopia where I will spend two weeks ministering to orphans.  Who else gets to do that kind of thing?”

Shetley will appear as “Rose” at the Titanic Museum Attraction Thursday, Feb. 10 through Valentine’s Day, Monday, Feb. 14 from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. daily.

Throughout the entire month of February, Titanic Museum Attraction celebrates and honors the love stories from the Titanic (twelve couples onboard the ship were on their honeymoon!) with special events and a “Retie the Knot” contest.  To enter the contest, which is open now through Feb. 13, 2011, simply tell us your amazing love story and you could win a FREE two-night stay at Wilderness at the Smokies resort and a complete vow renewal ceremony on the Titanic Museum Attraction’s $1 million Grand Staircase.  Find out more about “Retie the Knot” here.

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 100,000 visitors each and every 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.

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

All Girl Scout Cookie Varieties Still Available

Posted by Ryan Willis – February 3, 2011

Knoxville, Tenn. - Despite a widely syndicated article in the Wall Street Journal that claimed the Girl Scouts were dropping unpopular cookie flavors, the Girl Scout Council of the Southern Appalachians is selling all eight cookie varieties. 

Of 112 Girl Scout councils in the country, only 12 councils are participating in a pilot program that focuses on the six top-selling cookie varieties. These councils are seeking new ways to increase efficiency, ease and simplicity for everyone involved in the cookie program. 

The pilot project will be evaluated at the end of cookie season to see whether a more streamlined product line achieves these objectives. No decision has been made in any council regarding which cookie varieties will be offered in the future. 

“While we look forward to the results of this pilot program, we want our community to know that they can still enjoy a wide variety of cookies from the Girl Scouts in our council,” says Booth Kammann, CEO, Girl Scout Council of the Southern Appalachians. 

The varieties of Girl Scout Cookies include: Thin Mints, Samoas, Tagalongs, Do-si-dos, Trefoils, Lemon Chalet Cremes, Thank U Berry Munch, and Dulce de Leche. 

Members of the Girl Scout Council of the Southern Appalachians will be selling cookies January 12 through March 20. The price per box remains $3.50.

Visit www.girlscoutcsa.org for more information. Booth sales outside local stores begin February 25, and the website will have a cookie locator map showing neighborhood booth times and locations.

“We wouldn’t want any of the misinformation about the variety of Girl Scout Cookies being offered this year to negatively affect our girls’ ability to reach their goals,” adds Kammann. 

All girls benefit equally from the troop’s sales, because proceeds go to the troop treasuries—not to individual girls. Girls have fun reaching a goal, customers get a great product, and all profits stay in the region to be used by local troops and the council to fund services for more than 20,000 girls and volunteers.

###

About Us
The Girl Scout Council of the Southern Appalachians has more than 20,000 girl and adult members stretching from North Georgia to Southwest Virginia. Service centers are located in Chattanooga, Knoxville, and Johnson City. Our mission is to build girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. The council offers financial assistance to ensure that every girl who wants to be a Girl Scout has the opportunity to join this vibrant organization.

IAAPA Funworld Magazine says ‘Pigeon Forge getting a water-powered funhouse on steroids’

Posted by Erin Freeman – February 2, 2011

From the February 2011 issue of IAAPA Funworld Magazine — As everyone knows, bad things happened to the Titanic when it ventured out onto the water. The Titanic Museum in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, however, is hoping very good things will happen to its guests in 2013 when they visit the museum’s newest offering, Water Magic.

Water Magic will make a big splash in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

Set on a 12-acre site directly across the street from the museum, the $40 million attraction will be designed to allow guests to discover new and creative ways to have fun with water without really getting soaked. Water Magic is not a waterpark—in fact, most guests will probably wear their street clothes into the venue.

But that doesn’t mean there won’t be plenty of water frolicking going on. In fact, Water Magic’s creators describe it as a “water-powered funhouse on steroids” and say its motto will be, “Get me wet.”

According to John Joslyn, who coowns the Titanic Museum with his wife, Mary Kellogg-Joslyn, he and his creative team—including Bob Fleming, president of Idletime, which designed Titanic Museums in both Pigeon Forge and Branson, Missouri— were meeting back in 2009 and looking at what they could possibly do to creatively expand the museum.

“Finally I asked, ‘What captivates children and adults more than anything else?’ and Bob replied, ‘It’s water,’ and I said, ‘Yes!’ So we thought, ‘Could we have a room where people could walk on water, or could we have a bubble room, or do a water theater?’ It’s just one of those simplistic things in life that hits you like a lightning bolt, and it just sort of took us all aback in the room.”

Water Magic will be a year-round attraction set in a 40,000-square-foot building. One of the first sites visitors will see is a 100-foot kinetic energy sculpture topped by a 1,000-gallon bucket that will spill water down onto Water Magic’s grand entry plaza. Guests will then proceed to Emporium Square, a two-story atrium filled with water-driven gadgets, like water fountains of all shapes and sizes synchronized to music.

Emporium Square will lead to several gateways, and visitors can choose which one will start their adventure. Each leads to a different gallery; some that will allow guests to feel as if they’re walking on water, while others, like the “Mirror Maze,” will present a puzzle that carries with it the chance of getting wet; still others, like “The Water Tunnel,” will wrap visitors in a cocoon of water.

The Water Theater will present “Imagination Rhapsody,” a musical melee of water jets and water spouts where guests can create their own water symphonies, with the possibility of a missed note sending a wave of water their way. In the “Deep-Sea Expedition” venue, guests will experience an exploratory dive to the ocean floor.

The owners say Water Magic will also be “wrapped in green,” a reference to its environmental stewardship. “We do have a responsibility to the environment,” says Joslyn, “and if we’re moving that much water, we should be able to figure out how to recycle it, how to use it for heating and cooling, and for power generation, which we will do. Plus, the people in the fountain business have really explored ways to recycle water, and if we have rainwater coming down in a deluge in the parking lot, we should be able to capture it and use it. We’re going to use water in smart ways.”
www.titanicpigeonforge.com

This story is property of IAAPA Funworld Magazine.

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

The first-ever K2 Wilderness at the Smokies Volleyball Tournament draws more than 6,000 people to Sevierville

Posted by Erin Freeman – February 1, 2011

SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. — Local, regional and national sporting events are flocking to the new Wilderness at the Smokies resort in Sevierville, Tenn.  Within a one-day drive for 75 percent of the Eastern U.S. population, 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.

WBIR-TV (NBC) conducts an interview during the K2 Volleyball Tournament.

Last weekend, Knoxville-based K2 Volleyball hosted its first-annual “K2 Wilderness at the Smokies Volleyball Tournament.  More than 1,400 elite athletes and more than 6,000 guests, fans and spectators turned out for the competition that featured the best volleyball teams from all over the Eastern U.S. 

(Click on the image to the right to watch the complete WBIR-TV story.)

Part of Wilderness’ draw for sporting competitions is that the resort has so much to offer athletes when they aren’t actively competing.  With three waterparks (including a five-acre indoor waterpark), a championship golf course, arcades, six on-property restaurants and countless other amenities, athletes and their guests stay entertained without having to travel outside the resort.  For those who do venture off-property, the hundreds of local attractions in the Smoky Mountain Region offer plenty of choices.

“My daughters are competing in the K2 Wilderness at the Smokies Volleyball Tournament,” said Scott Hames, a parent and coach.  “Right now, they are down at the indoor waterpark – and they are somewhat disappointed that they’re going to have to come up here to compete in a few hours.  They could play at the waterpark all day.”

The Mountain Press has complete coverage of the K2 Wilderness at the Smokies Voleyball Tournament; read the entire 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.  TAnother recent major sporting event at Wilderness at the Smokies was the Smoky Mountain Gymnastics Vacation Classic which took place over a four-day period.  There were nearly 7,000 attendees at the Smoky Mountain Gymnastics Vacation Classic.

“Wilderness at the Smokies resort is extremely focused on meeting the needs of sporting event planners and coordinators,” said Steve Cruz, Director of Sales and Marketing for Wilderness at the Smokies.  “We have invested in state-of-the-art athletic flooring for the 200,000 square-foot event center adjacent to our resort, and we can comfortably host very large volleyball, basketball, gymnastics and tennis events along with many other indoor sports.”

“Because we have hosted a variety of different athletic events, we know what is important to event planners and coordinators.  Our primary goal is to make their job as easy as possible and to enhance the overall experience of their guests.  There simply aren’t many venues that allow athletes and spectators to watch a competition and then play in a five-acre indoor waterpark ten minutes later without ever leaving the property.  Wilderness at the Smokies is quickly being recognized as the Southeast’s premier year-round athletic venue.”

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 offers nearly 1,000 mountain modern guest rooms and multi-room suites in addition to condominiums and a Wyndham Vacation Resort on the Wilderness property.

The K2 Wilderness at the Smokies Volleyball Tournament

Wilderness resort works regularly with large youth groups (church groups, athletic groups, youth conferences and conventions).  With restaurants, gift shops, convenience stores, game rooms, 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.

(Click on the image to the left to see more television coverage of the K2 Tournament from WATE-TV and WVLT-TV.)

While staying at Wilderness at the Smokies resort, guests can swim, surf and splash in the waves in 84-degree weather all year because of the five-acre indoor waterpark.  Also, Wilderness at the Smokies has countless meeting rooms where teams and athletes can meet with coaches to prepare, go over strategy and review results before, during and after competitions.

When sports groups of any type are staying at Wilderness at the Smokies, the resort will arrange anything the group organizers request – including transportation to and from other locations for athletics, shopping or to take in the local attractions.  Wilderness at the Smokies also partners with many of the local attractions like the new Titanic Museum Attraction, the Ripley’s Aquarium, Dixie Stampede, WonderWorks, Tanger Outlet Mall and other popular destinations to provide value pricing for athletes and their guests.

Wilderness at the Smokies packages rooms and meeting space as well as services (transportation, A/V equipment, etc.) to create a cost-effective overall approach for sporting event planners and organizers.  Because Wilderness at the Smokies is so large and has so many events, organizers benefit from the volume of work Wilderness does with local suppliers and subcontractors that support large conferences, conventions and athletic events.  Since guests at Wilderness at the Smokies never have to leave the resort, and transportation around the property is completely free for its guests, they can park their cars at Wilderness (free of charge) and not get in them again until it’s time to leave.  Everything a guest could want in terms of family fun and R&R is available on the property.

Wilderness at the Smokies, located minutes from Interstate 40 and situated in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, is establishing a new standard for athletic competitions, conferences, conventions and meetings in East Tennessee.  With two six restaurants, two 18-hole golf courses, two outdoor waterparks, an indoor waterpark with a wave pool and surf rider, hot tubs, and countless waterslides and attractions, Wilderness at the Smokies has something for all age groups.  For more information about Wilderness at the Smokies, visit www.WildernessAtTheSmokies.com.

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