Gaylord Opryland to Reopen With Triumphant Three-Day Celebration of Music City!
Schedule of Public & Private Events Unveiled Today
Nashville, Tenn.—( October 20, 2010 )How will Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center celebrate its Grand Reopening? With a three-day celebration of all things Music City! Gaylord officially announced its full schedule of Grand Reopening festivities today. With the hotel reopening its doors on Monday, November 15, the company has scheduled its official Grand Reopening celebrations for Thursday, November 18, to Saturday, November 20.
Approximately 1,000 of the industry's leading meeting planners and other travel industry leaders have been invited to Nashville for the three-day event, which is designed to showcase the entire city as a travel destination. "We've crafted our Grand Reopening strategy to reintroduce our customers not only to the hotel but to the full Music City experience," said Colin Reed, chairman and CEO of Gaylord Entertainment. "This is our opportunity to generate a greater sense of excitement about what we have to offer as a city and to drive tourism back to Nashville for years to come."
The Grand Reopening celebration schedule is as follows:
Thursday, November 18
Lighting Ceremony – 6:00 pm
The Grand Reopening begins with the world-famous lighting ceremony to kick off the hotel's expanded A Country Christmas celebration. Two-million Christmas lights will be shining inside and outside the hotel, along with a wide range of attractions including old favorites like ICE! and the Rockettes, as well as new traditions like SNOW! and Cookie with Mrs. Claus.
Community Concert – 8:00 pm
Gaylord Opryland celebrates the countless volunteers and non-profit agencies who answered the call to help their fellow Nashvillians after the flood with two of the biggest names in country music – Trace Adkins and Craig Morgan – headlining the "Greater Together" community concert! Tickets are on sale only through the Nashville Area Chapter of the American Red Cross, Second Harvest Food Bank, and Hands on Nashville, with all proceeds benefiting those organizations.
Friday, November 19
ICE! – All Day
This year's ICE! exhibition features a brand new theme—"Santa Claus is Comin' to Town," the classic Christmas TV special featuring Kris Kringle and Topper the Penguin. The new, larger ICE! is the size of four basketball courts and includes nearly 2 million pounds of ice!
Radio City Christmas Spectacular – 2:00 pm
The world-famous Rockettes are back at the Grand Ole Opry House for their kick-off performance of the 2010 holiday season!
Official Grand Reopening – Laser Lightshow & Fireworks – 6:00 pm
For an event this big, a ribbon-cutting just won't cut it! Gaylord Opryland holds its official Grand Reopening celebration with an awe-inspiring spectacle of laser optics and pyrotechnics. Honored guests will gather in the Delta Atrium for an indoor display of mind-blowing display of light and sound.
Private Concert with Keith Urban – 8:45 pm
Throughout the opening weekend, Gaylord Opryland is hosting thousands of event planners and other special guests who play a vital role in bringing more than a million tourists to Music City every year. It's a top priority for Gaylord to show them the best entertainment Nashville has to offer in order to get the city's entire tourism industry back on track!
Saturday, November 20
All of Gaylord Opryland's "A Country Christmas" attractions are open to the general public throughout the day. In addition, a variety of private events are scheduled for meeting planners and other invited guests:
Golf Scramble – 10:00 a.m.
A golf scramble at the award-winning Gaylord Springs Golf Links with a golf pro on hand to provide pointers and teach golfers the tricks of the course.
Celebrity Chef Guy Fieri – 11:30 a.m.
A cooking demonstration and lunch with the popular TV host and celebrity chef Guy Fieri.
Private Concert with Sheryl Crow – 8:00 p.m.
Gaylord Opryland is proud to host pop-rock star Sheryl Crow.
"We can't wait to see the halls of the Gaylord Opryland Resort bustling with life again. The lineup of entertainers and special events we've put together for the Grand Reopening are designed to shine a spotlight on the entire city of Nashville and showcase the best of what Music City has to offer," said Reed. "This is our opportunity to show the world how far Nashville has come and how proud we are to call Music City home."
For information or to book a reservation at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, please visit www.GaylordOpryland.com.
For information or to book reservations for all A Country Christmas attractions, please visit www.ChristmasatGaylordOpryland.com.
About Gaylord Entertainment
Gaylord Entertainment (NYSE: GET), a leading hospitality and entertainment company based in Nashville, Tenn., owns and operates Gaylord Hotels (www.gaylordhotels.com), its network of upscale, meetings-focused resorts, and the Grand Ole Opry (www.opry.com), the weekly showcase of country music's finest performers for more than 80 consecutive years. The Company's entertainment brands and properties include the Radisson Hotel Opryland, Ryman Auditorium, General Jackson Showboat, Gaylord Springs Golf Links, Wildhorse Saloon, and WSM-AM. For more information about the Company, visit www.GaylordEntertainment.com.
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Investor Relations Contacts:
Mark Fioravanti,
Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
(615) 316-6588
mfioravanti@gaylordentertainment.com
~or~
Patrick Chaffin,
Vice President of Strategic Planning and Investor Relations
(615) 316-6282
pchaffin@gaylordentertainment.com
Media Contacts:
Brian Abrahamson,
Vice President of Corporate Communications Gaylord Entertainment Gaylord Entertainment
(615) 316-6302
babrahamson@gaylordentertainment.com
~or~
Josh Hochberg or Dan Zacchei
Gaylord Entertainment Sloane & Company
(212) 486-9500
jhochberg@sloanepr.com/ dzacchei@sloanepr.com
