Tag: Tennessee

Blount Chamber Foundation Recently Elects 2013 Officers

Posted by Lisa Hood Skinner – April 16, 2013

The Blount Chamber Foundation recently elected its new 2013 officers.

They are: Chair, Greg Wilson, Maryville Regional President of First Tennessee Bank; Vice Chair, Lisa Hood Skinner, Senior Vice President, Ackermann PR; and Secretary/Treasurer, Michelle Hankes, President/CEO United Way of Blount County. Aided by charitable contributions, the Foundation supports important educational, cultural and philanthropic programs for Blount County.

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Media Contact:

Lisa Hood Skinner

(865) 584-0550

lskinner@ackermannpr.com

Elected Officials to visit Boys & Girls Clubs

Posted by admin – July 19, 2012

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley (BGCTNV) will celebrate “Elected Officials Appreciation Week” next week, July 23-27, 2012, at the Club locations.    

The elected officials have been invited to visit a Boys & Girls Club and read to the Club members as part of Tennessee First Lady Crissy Haslam’s READ20 Book Club. The purpose of the READ20 Book Club is to give Tennessee families a fun goal of reading together with their children for 20 minutes every day.

Once the elected officials arrive, they will be given a tour of the club by Boys & Girls Clubs members and members of the corporate board. They will then watch a brief presentation by a Club member. Finally, they will read to Boys & Girls Club members for 20 minutes.

Below is a schedule of the week’s confirmed officials, as well as the locations and times they plan to visit.

Monday, July 23, 10 a.m.
Location: Haslam Family Club University, 407 Caswell Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37917
Confirmed Officials:
Sherry Witt, Register of Deeds, Knox County
Becky Duncan Massey, Tennessee State Senator

Tuesday, July 24, 10 or 11 a.m. (to be confirmed)
Location: Boys & Girls Club of Halls/Powell, 1819 Dry Gap Pike, Knoxville, TN 37918
Confirmed Officials:
Larry Smith, Commissioner, Knox County

Tuesday, July 24, 1 p.m.
Location: Lenoir City Boys & Girls Club, 201 N. B Street, Lenoir City, TN 37771
Confirmed Officials:
Estelle Herron, County Mayor, Loudon County
Jimmy Matlock, State Representative, District 21 (Parts of Loudon, Monroe Counties)
Laura Standridge (2 p.m.), Senior Clerk, General Sessions and Juvenile Court, Loudon County           

Wednesday, July 25, 10 a.m.
Location: North Ridge Crossing, 3916 Carus Road, Knoxville, TN 37918
Confirmed Officials:
Madeline Rogero, Mayor, City of Knoxville

Thursday, July 26, 11 a.m.
Location: Vestal Boys & Girls Club, 522 Maryville Pike, Knoxville, TN 37920
Confirmed Officials:
Tim Irwin, Juvenile Court Judge, Knox County

Friday, July 27, 10 a.m.
Location: Haslam Family Club University, 407 Caswell Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37917
Confirmed Officials:
Bill Dunn, State Representative, District 16 (Part of Knox County)
Daniel Brown, City Council, City of Knoxville
Bunny Oakes, Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley Board Chairman (11 a.m.)

For more information on the READ20 Book Club, visit www.tn.gov/read20. For more information on Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley, visit www.bgctnv.org.

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Media Contact:
Sarah Malak Pope
Phone: (865) 584-0550
Email: spope@ackermannpr.com

Titanic Museum Attraction hosts first-ever American tour of famed Titanic photo album

Posted by Erin Freeman – March 14, 2012

Pigeon Forge, TN – In the years since her sinking, RMS Titanic continues to surprise us with the discovery of forgotten or unknown treasures. One such treasure is the photo album of Father Francis Browne, a Jesuit priest and renowned photographer from Ireland. The album, containing the only known photos taken aboard Titanic at sea, is coming to the United States in April 2012, helping the great ship and her passengers symbolically complete a voyage begun long ago. Browne’s original photo album will be displayed exclusively at the Titanic Museum Attractions in Branson, Missouri, and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, as part of the Titanic Centennial Commemoration.

The photos will be on display in Missouri at the Titanic Museum Attraction in Branson April 6-10, 2012. The historic images will then travel to the Great Smoky Mountains for display at the Titanic Museum Attraction’s Pigeon Forge location on April 12-21, 2012. During their visit, the photos will essentially be on display almost 100 years to the day they were originally taken.

Father Browne photo album page

A sample page from Father Browne's photo albums. The original albums will be on display at the Titanic Museum Attractions, April 6-10 (Branson, MO) and Apri 12-21 (Pigeon Forge, TN). Photo courtesy of The Father Browne SJ Collection/Davison & Associates Ltd.

“The media christened the discovery of Father Browne’s photos in 1986 as the ‘photographic equivalent to the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls,’” said John Joslyn, owner of the Titanic Museum Attractions and leader of the first private expedition to the explore the great ship’s resting place. “That may seem like hyperbole, but among the vast collection of photos he took in his lifetime, perhaps one single photo album captured the world’s imagination like no other: a record of his days as a passenger on the maiden voyage of Titanic before he disembarked in Ireland.”

Considered historically priceless, the Titanic album is the only album in Father Browne’s collection to include handwritten captions for each of the 159 photos documented on 63 pages. The original album, insured at more than $1 million, has never left Ireland since Father Browne’s death in 1960. Its display at the Titanic Museum Attractions in April 2012 is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Titanic enthusiasts and photography historians to see the original images on exhibit, including the only known photo of the ship’s wireless room, the last photo ever taken of the ship’s captain, and the ship’s anchor being raised from the water for the final time.

“We expect great interest in seeing these photos,” said Joslyn. “They represent a unique first-person account of life aboard Titanic for the first days of its voyage. No other survivor could provide such a visual memory of the ship, her crew and passengers.”

The photos were taken by Browne as he traveled aboard Titanic from Southampton, England, to Cherbourg, France, to Queenstown, Ireland. When Father Browne died in 1960, his Titanic photos and more than 40,000 other notable images from his work were locked away in a metal trunk and forgotten until a chance discovery in 1986.

Even with the discovery of the collection, it has still taken more than a quarter century for the priceless album to make its way to American shores where it will be briefly on display with other artifacts from the ship and its passengers.

“The photos resurfaced at almost the same time we were first learning the location of Titanic’s actual resting place,” said Joslyn. “It’s as if the ship was ready to give up her secrets at last. We look forward to our museum visitors finally having access to view this last great treasure from the ship’s history.”

The Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, and Branson, Missouri, open the door to the past in a one-of-a-kind way by allowing “passengers” to experience what it was like to walk the hallways, parlors, cabins and Grand Staircase of the Titanic while surrounded by artifacts directly from the ship and its passengers. Visitors gain first-hand experience through interactive exhibits and through vivid, dramatic detail shared by “crew members.” Passengers may purchase tickets online at www.titanicattraction.com or by phone at (800) 381-7670.

Cedar Bay Entertainment, LLC owns and operates the Titanic Museum Attraction in Branson, Missouri, and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. A privately owned-and-operated entertainment and development company, Cedar Bay is headquartered in Branson, Missouri, the site of its first Titanic Museum Attraction. Titanic Branson has welcomed more than four million guests and Titanic Pigeon Forge boards approximately 100,000 “passengers” each month.

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Editors:  For more information, for additional high-res photos, or to schedule interviews or visits to the museums, please contact Rick Laney at (865) 584-0550 or (865) 441-2388.

Titanic Museum Attractions hosting U.S. tributes to Titanic crew and passengers

Posted by Erin Freeman – February 15, 2012

PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. and BRANSON, Mo. – Titanic Museum Attractions is hosting “A Night to Remember: An Original Musical Tribute to Titanic,” on Saturday, April 14, the 100th anniversary of the night the ship struck an iceberg on its maiden voyage. Musical performances, historic ceremonies and appearances by actual descendants of Titanic’s passengers and crew will highlight the production honoring the 2,208 people aboard the ship. The musical tribute will begin at noon (Central) on April 14 at the Titanic Museum Attraction in Branson, Missouri, and at 8:30 p.m. (Eastern) the same day at the Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Tickets for the unique historical tribute are available beginning Monday, February 20, by calling 800-381-7670.

“There will be ceremonies across the globe to commemorate the Titanic centennial on April 14, but the only place in the United States where guests can attend a formal tribute is at one of the Titanic Museum Attractions,” said John Joslyn, co-owner of Titanic Museum Attractions and co-leader of the first private expedition to visit the ship’s final resting place on the ocean floor.

The Titanic Museum Attractions – the home base for the U.S. RMS Titanic 100 Year Anniversary Commemoration

“A Night to Remember” will use choirs, orchestras and musical theater performances to bring the stories and drama of that fateful night to life for those attending the one-time only tribute.

“From folk ballads to modern pop, people have always used music as a way to commemorate historic events,” said Joslyn. “Titanic was memorialized in song before and after her sinking, so a tribute centered on music seemed an appropriate way to pay our respects.”

Adding to the historic occasion, descendants of people aboard the Titanic’s maiden voyage will also be present at the American tributes. The ceremony will conclude with a symbolic reenactment of the launching of Titanic’s distress flares and the lighting of a memorial flame at the bow of the ship to honor the 2,208 people aboard Titanic.

“The anniversary will be commemorated around the world in television, film, and print,” said Josyln. “We wanted to provide an opportunity for people to be more than passive witnesses to the anniversary. ‘A Night to Remember’ gives the audience a chance to actually be a part of the historic event and part of the community dedicated to preserving Titanic’s legacy.”

Tickets to “A Night to Remember: An Original Musical Tribute to Titanic” are available through the Titanic Museum Attractions in Missouri and Tennessee. Visitors may purchase tickets by phone at (800) 381-7670 beginning February 20, 2012. In addition to museum admission and the musical production, ticket holders will receive limited edition memorials dedicated to the ship’s history, including a DVD containing video tributes of the personal stories of selected passengers and crew.

The Titanic Museum Attractions are located in Branson, Missouri, and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Together, the two museums represent the largest permanent monuments in the world dedicated to the memory of Titanic. The museums, immediately recognizable for their ship-shape design, are home to hundreds of artifacts from the ship and its survivors. “Passengers” experience what it was like to walk the hallways, parlors, cabins and Grand Staircase of the Titanic while surrounded by artifacts and exhibits that tell the story of the ship’s history and fate.

Since its opening in 2006, Titanic Branson has welcomed more than 5 million “passengers” aboard the museum. Titanic Pigeon Forge opened in 2010 and has already welcomed 2 million visitors. For additional information about the museums, visit www.titanicattraction.com

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Editors:  For more information, for additional high-res photos, or to schedule interviews or visits to the museums, please contact Rick Laney at (865) 584-0550 or (865) 441-2388.

Wilderness at the Smokies Resort Will Open Indoor Waterpark for FREE to Sevier County Residents

Posted by Erin Freeman – December 11, 2011

SEVIERVILLE, Tennessee — Although Wilderness at the Smokies only allows registered resort guests to use its waterpark facilities, on Sunday, Dec. 18 – for only the second time ever – the Wild WaterDome indoor waterpark will be open to all Sevier County residents FREE of charge from 3 p.m. until 8 p.m. in exchange for three (3) canned food items for donation to the Sevier County Food Ministries, a Second Harvest Food Bank of Knoxville partner agency.

Wilderness at the Smokies Resort

Guests will enjoy the entire seven-acre indoor waterpark (where it is ALWAYS 85-degrees), four huge water slides, an enormous indoor wave pool, indoor/outdoor hot tubs, and the amazing SurfRider which shoots 19,000 gallons of water per minute to create a six-foot wave to surf on. Don’t miss this opportunity to have an amazing afternoon and evening with your family while helping those in need right here in East Tennessee. **Each donation of three (3) canned food items will get free access for one individual.**

Also, many Wilderness at the Smokies employees – who each receive a holiday turkey from the resort – are donating their turkey to Sevier County Food Ministries this year to help those in need.

Those who attend should take their canned food items to the entrance to the indoor waterpark marked “Wild WaterDome.” For more information about Wilderness at the Smokies resort, visit www.WildernessAtTheSmokies.com.  **Because of maximum capacity requirements, those attending will get access on a first-come-first-served basis (so don’t be late!).**

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

Wilderness at the Smokies resort home to Santa Hustle Half-Marathon Run-and-Walk this Sunday

Posted by Erin Freeman – November 29, 2011

Santa Hustle Run 2010

Sevierville, TN – Santa Claus is running to town, so don’t be a Grinch this holiday season!  The race will take place at the Wilderness at the Smokies hotel and waterpark resort on Sunday, Dec. 11, 2011 at 9 a.m. ET.  More than 1,200 participants are expected to attend the Santa Hustle in the Smokies this year.

The Santa Hustle series has had great success in Chicago, with last year totaling more than 3,500 finishers. The Santa Hustle race in Chicago has been featured on the Rachel Ray Show and will be shown on the Travel Channel this winter. This year the race has expanded and will take place in Sevierville, Chicago, and Indianapolis.

“Wilderness at the Smokies is honored to be part of this fantastic addition to the Sevierville holiday offerings,” said Steve Cruz, General Manager of Wilderness at the Smokies. “Since the day we opened, Wilderness has tried to give people new, exciting ways to enjoy the Smoky Mountain area – and this is just one more example of how we are doing that.”

Participants in the holiday-themed race will receive a free Santa hat, beard and a customized shirt to wear while running. The top three runners from each age category will be awarded along with the participant and group with the best Santa costumes. All half-marathon participants will receive a Santa Hustle Finishers medal. After the race, everyone can enjoy an after party at the Wilderness with holiday music, food and drinks.

“We are so excited to bring this race to Tennessee and can’t wait to see 1,200 Santa’s running down Route 66,” event director Heather Frayn said. “You will also see over 100 volunteers dressed as elves along the course, giant inflatable Santa’s candy stations and more.”

The Santa Hustle Smokies is presented by Reebok and is hosted by Adrenaline Sports Management of Illinois. With stores in both Sevierville and Pigeon Forge, Reebok is happy to share their holiday cheer with the community and take part in this event. The Santa Hustle Smokies also benefits two charity organizations; The Sexual Assault Center of East Tennessee and Harvestfield Ministries.

Pre-Race Packet Pick-Up is only available at the Wilderness at the Smokies on Saturday, Dec. 10, 2011 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Packet pick-up will take place within the Adrenaline Sports Management expo, which is open to all participants and the general public.

Wilderness at the Smokies, located minutes from Interstate 40 and situated in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, is one of the area’s only year-round vacation destinations.  With a 36-hole championship golf course, two outdoor waterparks, a seven-acre indoor waterpark with a wave pool and the Southeast’s only Surf Rider, hot tubs, and countless waterslides and attractions, Wilderness at the Smokies has something for all age groups.  It is adjacent to a 200,000 square-foot conference, convention and event center known for hosting the areas largest conferences, athletic events and trade shows.

For more information or to make a donation, please visit www.santahustlesmokies.com or call toll-free 877-325-9453 or visit www.WildernessAtTheSmokies.com.

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

Titanic Snow Princess Brings Holiday Magic to the Mountains

Posted by Erin Freeman – November 22, 2011

Titanic Museum Attraction's "Snow Princess"

Pigeon Forge, TN – The folklore of the Smokies tell of mystical characters traveling through the misty woods, bringing the winter snow and frost with them as they paint the region in sparkling crystal. From across the Atlantic, a new personality has arrived to bring the fantasies of the season to life in the mountains as the Titanic Museum Attraction welcomes the Titanic Snow Princess for the first time ever to the Smokies. With each magical visit, the princess’ arrival will be heralded with real, falling snow from the great ship’s bow.

“The Titanic Snow Princess is a shining star for this year’s Titanic Christmas in Winter Wonderland,” says John Joslyn, expedition leader of the first private exploration dive to the Titanic and owner of the Titanic Museum Attraction. “She represents the magic and mystery of the holiday season common to children in 1912 and today.”

The Titanic Snow Princess brings the fairy tale legends of her own home across the waters to the peaks and forests of the Great Smoky Mountains, delivering holiday enchantment beginning Thanksgiving weekend (Thursday, Friday and Saturday Thanksgiving week only at 6 p.m.) and continuing every Saturday evening at 6 p.m. through December 17 at the Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge. The Snow Princess will arrive by horse-drawn carriage and, with the wave of her hand, will light the winter night with thousands of Christmas lights and decorations aboard the Titanic as the invisible sprites of the mountains magically create a snowfall from the ship’s bow to welcome the fairy tale royalty.

The Titanic Christmas in Winter Wonderland extravaganza features thousands of holiday lights, Edwardian-period decorations, costumed merry-markers, a magical Gift Shoppe brimming with original, one-of-a-kind gifts and a return of last year’s crowd favorite, the legendary weekend snowfall.

“Every day, but especially at Christmas, we remember and honor the men, women and children who sailed on the Titanic. At this special time, our guests truly experience what it was like onboard the ship in 1912, and how it might have looked on a Christmas voyage almost 100 years ago,” says Joslyn.

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

Cedar Bay Entertainment, LLC owns and operates the Titanic Museum Attraction in Branson, Missouri, and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. A privately owned-and-operated entertainment and development company, Cedar Bay is headquartered in Branson, Missouri, the site of its first Titanic Museum Attraction. Titanic Branson has welcomed more than four million guests and Titanic Pigeon Forge boards approximately 100,000 “passengers” each month.

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

Wilderness at the Smokies resort announces multi-million dollar expansion

Posted by Erin Freeman – October 18, 2011

Rick Laney addresses the media in front of the existing indoor waterpark at Wilderness at the Smokies, which will soon double in size.

SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. –  Following a spring and summer tourism season that resulted in record-breaking attendance numbers at Wilderness at the Smokies resort, the Southeast’s largest indoor and outdoor waterpark announced that it is about to get bigger – considerably bigger.

This week, Wilderness at the Smokies resort will begin construction of its new “Adventure Forest” indoor park, literally doubling the amount of indoor space the resort provides for its guests.  Currently, the Wild WaterDome indoor waterpark provides acres of indoor water attractions for visitors, and the addition of the new Adventure Forest family entertainment center will double the total amount of “under-roof” year-round fun at Wilderness at the Smokies.

“Unlike our other attractions at Wilderness at the Smokies, the new Adventure Forest will be a ‘dry’ park,” said Steve Cruz, General Manager of Wilderness at the Smokies.  “It will feature a three-story ropes course, a multi-level enclosed laser tag arena, bowling, black-light mini-golf, a 7,000-square foot arcade, a ‘Laser Maze,’ a 25-foot tall spring ride, special birthday party rooms, another restaurant and lounge, plus other attractions and activities that do not involve water – all of it indoors and open year-round.

“There is absolutely nothing like Adventure Forest anywhere in this region.  If it were a stand-alone attraction, it would be an amazing addition to the local tourism market – but when combined with the already outrageous offerings of Wilderness at the Smokies resort, it is going to be a premier Smoky Mountain destination.”

Unlike the other attractions at Wilderness at the Smokies, Cruz said the new Adventure Forest would be open to the general public periodically for special events.  Currently, all of the amenities at Wilderness at the Smokies are only open to resort guests.

Since opening in 2008, the $100 million Wilderness at the Smokies resort has consistently added attractions, rooms and other amenities for its guests.  Just six months after opening the Wild WaterDome waterpark, the resort added the $1.5 million, five-story Runaway Canyon waterslide.

In 2009, the resort opened its second multi-million dollar outdoor waterpark, Lake Wilderness – featuring the Cataloochee Creek Adventure River, the Wilderness Rapids Wave Pool, an 18-hole miniature golf course, a poolside restaurant and plush cabanas.  In spite of its long list of major expansions and additions, the new Adventure Forest indoor park is by far the most significant investment the resort has made in the Sevierville area since its grand opening.  With its latest addition, the only other area attraction that has invested as heavily as Wilderness at the Smokies in the local tourism market is Dollywood.

Wilderness at the Smokies resort also sells one- and two-bedroom condominiums ranging from 850 to 1,200 square feet priced from the mid-$300,000s to the mid-$500,000s.  When condominiums went on sale at Wilderness at the Smokies resort in 2007, buyers snatched up $41 million worth of the units in just one day – in only six hours, to be exact.

In the past, the City of Sevierville has estimated in press releases that Wilderness at the Smokies generates about $3 million in sales taxes and more than $500,000 in bedroom taxes every year for the local economy.

Wilderness at the Smokies employs approximately 350 year-round employees and adds around 200 additional workers during the busy summer tourism season.  The addition of the new Adventure Forest indoor park is expected to initially increase overall employment numbers at the resort by about 10 percent (approximately 50 new jobs).

Cruz said, “Wilderness at the Smokies resort is the only local attraction where you get everything a family is looking for in one place.  If you consider that when you book your room at Wilderness at the Smokies, you get access to all of our water attractions and offerings, we are by far the best value out there for families watching their vacation budgets.”

In June 2011, Southern Living Magazine listed Wilderness at number two on its list of the nation’s “Ten Best Pools” and just two months later, Wilderness at the Smokies resort was named one of the “Top Three Waterparks” in the nation by Aquatics International Magazine (the worldwide authority on waterparks).

Wilderness at the Smokies, located minutes from Interstate 40 and situated in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, is one of the area’s only year-round vacation destinations.  With a 36-hole championship golf course, two outdoor waterparks, a huge indoor waterpark with a wave pool and the Southeast’s only Surf Rider, hot tubs, and countless waterslides and attractions, Wilderness at the Smokies has something for all age groups.  It is adjacent to a 200,000 square-foot conference, convention and event center known for hosting the areas largest conferences, athletic events and trade shows.

The resort is owned by Patrick Helland, Pete Helland, Jr., Tim Lucke and Tom Lucke (who also own Wilderness at the Dells Waterpark resort in Wisconsin).  Steve Cruz is the General Manager of Wilderness at the Smokies and Rick Laney is spokesperson for the resort.  For more information about Wilderness at the Smokies, call toll-free 877-325-9453 or visit www.WildernessAtTheSmokies.com.

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

Treat your little princess like a real princess at the Titanic Museum Attraction’s first-ever ‘Princess Tea Party’

Posted by Erin Freeman – September 13, 2011

PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. – A magical day awaits little princesses throughout East Tennessee when the Titanic Museum Attraction has its “Princess Tea Party” starting Sept. 24, 2011.  For the first time ever, young ladies from across the area will be treated like royalty and aristocrats on board the world’s most luxurious and most famous ocean liner to ever set sail.

An English tradition dating back hundreds of years will come to life at Titanic Museum Attraction’s Princess Tea Party.  The English began drinking tea in the late 1650s, but with the high costs involved, it was normally a drink reserved almost exclusively for the very wealthy.  But, on Sept. 24, all princesses will enjoy an “afternoon tea” during the Princess Tea Party.

Each princess will experience an afternoon tea very much the way First Class passengers aboard RMS Titanic did.  Maids played an important role in serving tea on board the ship and they will be on hand to serve guests and teach them proper etiquette, table settings and serving skills.

First Class Maid Jamie will also be teaching mini-manner lessons during this time-honored ritual in gracious living.  Guests will be served classic finger sandwiches and cookies and will be given a Titanic fun patch to commemorate their participation in this special event.

Once the princesses have finished their afternoon tea they will be given a tour of the Titanic Museum.  The museum, which has already been named one of the Smoky Mountain Region’s top “must-see” attractions, hosts approximately 100,000 “passengers” each month.

The Princess Tea Party is open to children, ages 5-15 and will be held on Saturday, September 24.  The cost is $22 per child and $25 per adult (this includes admission into the Titanic Museum and the Tea Party).  Seating for the party will be every hour, starting at 9 a.m., with the last seating at 6 p.m.  Space for this signature event is limited and reservations are required.  Please call 800-381-7670 to make reservations.

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

Titanic Museum’s John Joslyn will address the Tennessee Hospitality Association Annual Conference

Posted by Erin Freeman – September 6, 2011

MURFREESBORO, Tennessee — Titanic Museum Attraction co-owner John Joslyn, the man who gave the world its very first look at the RMS Titanic resting on the ocean floor in the late 1980s, will be the keynote speaker at the Tennessee Hospitality Association and Greater Nashville Hospitality Association Annual Meeting on Wednesday, September 7, 2011 at 9 a.m. CT.

John Joslyn

For more than three decades, John Joslyn has been a powerful force behind innovative exhibitions, attractions, television programming and marketing.  Known worldwide as an adventurer, explorer and pioneering producer, his televised exploits have earned him considerable commercial success, as well as universal respect for high-quality, well-researched network and syndicated television specials. He currently co-owns the high-end Titanic Museum Attraction in Branson, Missouri, which he developed and opened in 2006. Joslyn’s second Titanic Museum Attraction opened in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee in 2010 and is “boarding” approximately 100,000 “passengers” each and every month.   Following is a detailed profile of Joslyn’s career and accomplishments.

Joslyn was a network television executive with NBC and CBS for six years before forming Westgate Entertainment Corporation (Westgate) in 1980. Its first projects included the series, Return of the Lone Ranger, and a program covering entertainment news, a popular forerunner of Entertainment Tonight. Syndicated by News Information Weekly Service (NIWS), it attracted an unprecedented 175 subscriber television stations in its first year.

Westgate’s success prompted Universal Pictures to recruit Joslyn in 1981. When the studio pressed him to develop a new marketing strategy for the industry, he pioneered the electronic press kit or EPK, a groundbreaking tool that continues to create marketing buzz for major studio film releases. In the process, Joslyn worked closely with studio executives, top filmmakers and stars, including Steven Spielberg, Ron Howard, Brian Grazer, Mel Gibson, Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Burt Reynolds.

Joslyn then segued into television production in 1986, serving as executive producer for more than a dozen high-profile syndicated and network television specials for NBC, CBS, ABC, the Discovery Channel and The Learning Channel. Two such programs hold records as the highest-rated syndicated specials of all-time: “The Mystery of Al Capone’s Vaults” (1986) and “Return to the Titanic…LIVE” (1987), viewed respectively by 28 million and 22 million households in the U.S. alone. The latter film documents the 1987 Titanic Expedition that Joslyn mounted from his position as co-founder and general manager of Titanic Ventures Limited Partnership, the predecessor of RMS Titanic, Inc.

The 1987 Titanic Expedition was the first to recover and restore artifacts from the ship’s wreck site. As co-expedition leader, Joslyn assembled the best scientists and salvage experts available. The team collaborated with the distinguished French Institute for Research and Exploration of the Sea (Ifremer) to reach Titanic’s final resting place in the North Atlantic. Nautile, Ifremer’s deep-diving submersible, plunged to depths up to 12,500 feet and completed 32 deep-sea dives—the highest number of dives for any televised project.

For more information about the Tennessee Hospitality Association Annual Conference, visit www.tnhospitality.net.

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