On behalf of the Gatlinburg Convention & Visitors Bureau sales department, we would like to thank all the conventions, groups, and events that took place in Gatlinburg this past year. In this challenging time, we were especially appreciative of the events that had committed in the past and moved forward and held their event in 2021. For all the “zigs” that have taken place the last two years, it’s been great to see all the events that have “zagged” to move forward with their events. I think we can all agree that life may never truly be the same and it is time to adapt and move ahead to get back to business.
Exciting things are in store for Gatlinburg in 2022. The convention center will complete its fifteen-million-dollar renovation project(s), new restaurants, attractions, and hotels are under construction and development, and new city events will be announced.
Gatlinburg forecasts for 2022 look excellent. Especially for groups and conventions. If you have not committed to Gatlinburg for 2022 and are still considering, I implore you to move quickly as the year is filling up. After a record-breaking 2021 year for visitation, it’s no wonder why Gatlinburg was named by TripAdvisor as the #1 Trending Destination in the U.S. and the #5 Trending Destination in the World.
Dave Esslinger – Director of Sales & Marketing
Gatlinburg Convention & Visitors Bureau
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Convention Center: (148,000 square feet of total space)
Sleeping Rooms (4,000+ surrounding convention center including full and limited service hotels, condominiums, chalets and cabins)
Dining Options: (100+ restaurants, from casual to elegant gourmet establishments with the majority within walking distance to hotels and convention center)
Shopping: (500+ shops with 5 malls plus largest Arts & Crafts Community in the U.S.)
Attractions: (40+ along with many other entertainment options with the majority within walking distance to hotels and convention center)
Rocky Top Sports Complex: (Named top Multi-Use Sports Facility by SportsEvents Magazine) and (Favorite Indoor Venue by Sports Destination Management Magazine)
Gatlinburg Golf Course: (Named Best Municipal Golf Course in Tennessee by Golf Digest Magazine)
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Tripadvisor just announced that Gatlinburg is the #𝟏 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 in the U.S. and #5 in the World. Thank you all for making Gatlinburg such a great place to visit!
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COMING SOON TO GATLINBURG! |
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Gatlinburg is excited to announce all the new hotels that are currently under development. These hotels would join the wide variety of accommodation options that Gatlinburg already has to offer.
MainStay Suites by Choice Hotels – 100 rooms (Anticipated 2022 completion)
Comfort Inn & Suites by Choice Hotels – 125 rooms (Anticipated 2022 completion)
Embassy Suites by Hilton – 187 rooms (Anticipated 2023 completion)
Cambria Hotel by Choice Hotels – 125 rooms (Anticipated 2023 completion)
Marriott Tribute Portfolio – 128 rooms (Anticipated 2023 completion)
Allegory Hotel – 65 rooms (Anticipated 2023 completion)
Delta Hotel by Marriott – 300 rooms (Anticipated 2023 completion)
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EXERCISE YOUR BRAIN & BODY |
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Activate offers high-tech games that test your team’s physical and mental agility across a wide variety of real-life challenges. Once inside, you and your team choose from hundreds of combinations of games and difficulty levels, each lasting one to three minutes. Your electronic wristband tracks your score and progress throughout your experience making Activate perfect for a casual night out or intense competition.
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CHOOSE YOUR ESCAPE
Play the top Gatlinburg escape rooms. For 60 minutes, experience 5-star immersive entertainment with friends and family, escape normal life, and be the hero of the story. Explore an island, find the kidnapper, restore ancient relics to their rightful owner. Each Breakout location has unique challenges.
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FOND FARWELL TO KATHY EVANS |
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It is with happiness and sorrow that we announce the retirement of Kathy Evans, Sales Manager with the Gatlinburg Convention & Visitors Bureau. Kathy is retiring after 19 years of excellent service to the Gatlinburg hospitality community. Her last day will be December 31, 2021.
“In my four and half years with the Gatlinburg Convention & Visitors Bureau, Kathy has done an outstanding job representing Gatlinburg in a professional and personal manner, commented Dave Esslinger, Director of Sales & Marketing. She is someone that our customers and the city of Gatlinburg could count on. She will be sorely missed by customers, the Gatlinburg hospitality community, and especially us here at the Convention & Visitors Bureau.”
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HAPPY 50TH ANNIVERSARY
HILLBILLY GOLF
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CONGRATULATIONS!
Hillbilly Golf is celebrating its 50th birthday this year. The family favorite attraction opened in 1971 with the most unique golf course in Gatlinburg. Making the most of the mountainous terrain, visitors ride up to the top in an incline rail car and play their way down on one of the two 18 hole courses on either side of the mountain. Congratulations Hillbilly Golf!
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The Gatlinburg Convention Center is the first in the region to achieve the Global Biorisk Advisory Council® (GBAC) STAR™ accreditation, the gold standard for prepared facilities. Under the guidance of GBAC, a Division of ISSA, the worldwide cleaning industry association, the Gatlinburg Convention Center has implemented the most stringent protocols for cleaning, disinfection, and infectious disease prevention in its facility.
As the cleaning industry’s only outbreak prevention, response, and recovery accreditation, GBAC STAR™ helps organizations establish protocols and procedures, offers expert-led training, and assesses a facility’s readiness for biorisk situations. The program verifies that the Gatlinburg Convention Center implements best practices to prepare for, respond to and recover from outbreaks and pandemics.
“GBAC STAR™ accreditation empowers facility owners and managers to assure workers, customers and key stakeholders that they have proven systems in place to maintain clean and healthy environments,” said GBAC Executive Director Patricia Olinger. “By taking this important step to pursue GBAC STAR™, the Gatlinburg Convention Center has received third-party validation that it follows strict protocols for biorisk situations, thereby demonstrating its preparedness and commitment to operating safely.”
To achieve GBAC STAR™ accreditation, Gatlinburg Convention Center was required to demonstrate compliance with the program’s 20 core elements, which range from standard operating procedures and risk assessment strategies to personal protective equipment and emergency preparedness and response measures.
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Things to do in Gatlinburg! |
Watch our video on things to do in Gatlinburg! |
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Gatlinburg Convention Center |
Check out this video on The Gatlinburg Convention Center. |
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GATLINBURG CONVENTION CENTER
LIST OF EVENTS
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We would love the chance to “update” you on all the new and exciting developments that Gatlinburg has going to ensure that when it comes to your future conventions, meetings and events, Gatlinburg has your event covered!
If you would like to be on the distribution list and receive future Gatlinburg Update Quarterly e-newsletters, please email sales@gatlinburg.com and request to be added. Please feel free to forward The Gatlinburg Update to anyone you feel will find it informative.
This edition of the Gatlinburg Update Quarterly Newsletter is our 17th. If you are interested in viewing earlier editions, please click GCVB Sales Quarterly Newsletter.
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Gatlinburg CVB
Website: www.Gatlinburg.com/info
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