NDC Showtime!

Gary Musick Productions had the privilege of working with NDC on their 2011 International Expo May 22-24 at the Renaissance Nashville Hotel. GMP producer Bert Hensley oversaw the production of a Hollywood themed event that captured the conference theme of “Showtime!”

Scenic elements included a Hollywood themed stage backdrop, large awards statues, gold picture frame screen surrounds, red carpet and rope & stanchion. An art deco style marquee greeted guests, along with a matching refreshment stand stocked with old school candy and popcorn.

Congratulations to NDC on a very successful show, and a giant thank you to the GMP scenic and design team for a job well done.

The Vinny

GMP Producer Bert Hensley oversaw the production of two events for Country Music Hall of Famer Vince Gill at his annual charity golf tournament, The Vinny. On Saturday, a pairings party took place at the Embassy Suites in Cool Springs. The theme for the event was “Bling It On, Baby!” and the room was definitely “blinged out”. A giant diamond wrapped golf ball served as the centerpiece of the stage set, with mirror balls hung over head. Vince and the amazingly talented western swing band The Time Jumpers provided entertainment for the evening. The event raises money for the First Tee and provides scholarships to deserving individuals across Tennessee.

At the conclusion of the tournament, which features celebrities and PGA tour professionals playing along with junior players and guests, Vince and wife Amy Grant hosted a Celebrity-VIP party at their Nashville home. This casual event took place in a tent in the Gill’s back yard, and carried a 1950s Route 66 Diner theme. Complete with a rotating “Vinny’s Route 66 Roadhouse” sign at the center of the tent, the theme was carried through with neon signs, 1950s style cars, and diner booths for seating.

GMP would like to thank Vince Gill and the team of great people involved in making The Vinny such a successful event, and look forward to next year when the event celebrates its 20^th anniversary.

Pre-Con With a Twist

Here's a very cool idea for all you meeting planners and facility event planners, brought to you courtesy of the Hilton San Diego Bayfront. Instead of staging another tedious facility pre-con meeting before your next large event, why not do the meeting while taking a tour through the venue!? It's a unique approach and highly engaging for the planner. Our Hilton Bayfront event manager, Heather Wellong, took our client (National Association of Electrical Distributors) on an informative, fun, and tasty back-of-house tour of the hotel's operations to personally experience the inner workings of this large and innovative property. From the reservations department, to hotel communications, to the amazing laundry operation, we saw it all! The well choreographed journey included brief tours hosted by department heads operating in their own backyards. Perhaps most impressive were our stops in the hotel's banquet and room service kitchens. In each area, chefs had prepared a sampling of the actual menu items to be served during the meeting along with favorites from the hotel's restaurants. This allowed the customer to converse with chefs about menu and presentation questions in a very personal and informative format. Of course the highlight of the tour was the pastry kitchen. The hotel's award-winning pastry chef had prepared an impressive chocolate and spun sugar interpretation of the client's logo surrounded by a stunning selection of pastries and desserts from the banquet menu. It was a brilliant way to end the tour!

The pre-con ended with the hotel GM and executive team hosting a brief pinning ceremony accompanied by refreshing smoothies served high atop the hotel's 30 story tower. Of course we eventually did go through the BEO reviews, but even that seemed less tedious in light of our insightful tour. My compliments to the Hilton Bayfront for creating an innovative approach to building customer relationships!

National Association of Electrical Distributors National Educational Leadership Summit 2011

Several of our GMP team members spent the last few days in San Diego producing the National Electrical Leadership Summit for our long-time client, the National Association of Electrical Distributors (NAED). The conference brings together top management from the nation's largest electrical distributors with the world's leading manufacturers of electrical products. The Summit was headquartered at the beautiful new Hilton San Diego Bayfront. The Hilton Bayfront is adjacent to the San Diego Convention Center and offers an amazing view of the bay area and the downtown Gaslamp District.

GMP worked with NAED planners Becky Burgess and Lesley Wall to create a dynamic environment for education, networking, and customer interaction through two days of general sessions, educational speakers, and recognition programs. We supported communication guru Stacy Brown's general session content with three wide-format projection screens used for video playback, live I-Mag, and Keynote presentations. The business session stage set featured large 16' tall sogi screen panels used for elaborate lighting effects that changed throughout the conference. NAED attendees represent cutting edge manufacturers of LED lighting products, so our technical approach incorporated (pun intended) the use of state-of-the art LED instruments. The closing awards banquet decor was also designed and executed by our GMP team, incorporating chocolate and copper linens with southwest-themed centerpieces that complimented the hotel's color palette. It was a beautiful night!

We always enjoy working with the NAED staff and members as evidenced by this being our 60th conference produced for them. In fact, the NAED management team surprised us backstage with a champagne toast in appreciation of our long and successful relationship. I was totally shocked and flattered by this awesome gesture! A heartfelt thanks goes to NAED for allowing us to support your efforts for so many years!

NAED meeting planning team Lesley Wall and Becky Burgess present plaque of appreciation to Gary at NAED's NELS event.