August 14, 2010
Kent Underwood, President of Quiddity Entertainment, was recently elected the newest member of the advisory committee for the International Music Festival Conference (IMFCON). IMFCON was established in 2007 by the MichaelBass Group and is the only annual conference that allows music festival professionals and executives to network, learn new and invigorating ideas and work together to strengthen the music festival industry. “It’s with great pleasure that we welcome Kent to the IMFCON Advisory Board. Kent brings a wealth of experience and insight from the music festival community that will play a key role in working with the IMFCON to provide programs that drive innovation, education, and provide a critical understanding of how music festivals play a crucial role in the music industry and foster growth in the arts,” said, Waco Hoover, CEO of IMFCON. "I'm excited to have the opportunity to serve on the advisory committee for IMFCON. I believe their mission to strengthen the global music festival industry through education and networking has never been more important than in the current live music culture. I'm proud to have been asked to serve in the capacity to help lead this effort," Underwood said. The IMFCON group is looking to incorporate other sectors of the music industry into the conference and expand the program to reflect the diversity of the music festival community. They are also planning to produce an educational webinar series that would take place leading up to the conference in December of 2010.
July 22, 2010
Wrapping up the heat of the summer, Country Thunder Music Festival in the Chicago area proved that when Kenny Chesney says he’s taking a year off, everybody who loves country music and a good time finds where he is and drives there! Country Thunder was lucky enough to snag one of only 6 Chesney concerts this year and the festival crowd was rewarded with a spectacular show.
Quiddity had the pleasure of working with Country Thunder organizers to help produce both festivals again in 2010, the WI festival in July and Country Thunder in Florence, AZ in April. A fantastic group of artists was secured and people showed that when you book great talent, they will come; ticket sales were significantly higher in 2010. Headliners in AZ included Kid Rock, Keith Urban and Miranda Lambert while WI’s headliners included Kenny Chesney, Jason Aldean and Sugarland.
Over 60 bands combined played both 4-day festivals and thousands of concertgoers enjoyed We’ve already announced Rascal Flatts as a headliner at Country Thunder WI for 2011 and plenty more to come.
May 28, 2010
For the fourth consecutive year, we have had the pleasure of partnering with TBA Global to produce one of the largest shows in the world for a leading Fortune 500 company – certainly the largest corporate show. This year, the creative team knocked it out of the park yet again with a design featuring 30-foot tall moving Hi-Def video walls and an on-stage catwalk.
The opening number consisted of a full dance scene representing a variety of cultures from around the world. It began with Chinese acrobats, than led into belly dancers with a finale of American basketball players stunting and shooting on stage (while on unicycles!) The event was hosted by Jamie Foxx and guest entertainers included Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, Enrique Iglesias, and Josh Groban with a 30-piece choir. Opening night concerts featured Tim McGraw, Zac Brown, Barenaked Ladies and more.
April 14, 2010
4 Bridges Arts Festival approached Quiddity in May of 2009 to discuss making changes to the event that would “put it on the next level”. 2010 marked the 10 year anniversary of the major arts festival, and festival organizers were looking to make impactful changes that would enhance the patron experience while setting the stage for future growth.
Our first major addition was the “Art of Cuisine” food court. In the past, traditional food vendors serviced the event soliciting funnel cakes, corn dogs, etc. For the Art of Cuisine we asked area restaurants to try out vending for the weekend, but rather than having traditional festival food, they presented elegant, unique items off of their menus. This element proved to be a huge success as each restaurant turned a profit, and the quality of food was greatly improved so that patrons of the festival dined at the event rather than escaping to eat at the nearest restaurant. This component also gave out of town guests a welcome taste of Chattanooga.
A second element added to the event was a green-awareness component that would reflect the festival’s responsibility for an expanding number of participants and patrons. This was accomplished via the exclusive use of biodegradable service items by the restaurants. A bike valet service encouraged locals to ride their bicycles to the event rather than drive, and the use of water bottles was promoted by providing free bottle filling stations for patrons. This decreased the amount of garbage collected over the weekend and set the stage for further greening of the event in the future.
For the 2010 festival, event attendance was up by 20% compared to 2009 and 4 Bridges organizers received outstanding feedback concerning the new additions. We’re excited to continue contributing to the creativity of this festival as we start brainstorming for 2011.
February 9, 2010
Quiddity kicked off the year with a corporate show held at Orlando, FL’s Orange County Convention Center. The two day affair brought managers from the corporation’s retail stores in to celebrate the mission behind the company, but to also rev up the head employees for a great start to 2010.
The event included two days of live entertainment from world known artists, power messages from the company’s CEOs and top executives, as well as an awards ceremony to show appreciation to the employees attending.
Attendees raved about the set design and theatrical features. We thought it was a success, and so did the client. Most importantly, the client’s mission was complete: 800 excited, enthusiastic store managers ready make an impact in 2010 for the corporation.
December 5th, 2009
Quiddity gave Chattanooga a good dose of fun during the annual MainX24 signature party, The Main Event. A self-introduction as well as an annual celebration previously hosted by Medium, Quiddity took on the responsibility of hosting the 2009 big event and brought in Mix Master Mike as the headlining performance. Quiddity flipped the old warehouse into a party haven for the one night event – which brought in close to 1,500 Chattanoogans. There were several unique aspects to the event including a jungle room, a mini DJ Hero stage, creative photo booth, and a 22 foot movie screen. The opening act, The Distribution, kicked off the party with funk-soul classics and led right into the performance by Mix Master Mike. Thank you to all that attended and that help make our first Chattanooga event, a true success. And a big shout out to all of our generous sponsors : Big River who’s Sweet Magnolia Brown Ale & Seven States Pilsner was served, Collier Construction who built the stage wing “shadow boxes”, the stylish DJ
booth among many other necessary structures, Medium whose creative genius was displayed within the logo, flyer and website, D.V. Presents brought out their best lighting, audio and video gear that truly made the event, T.U. Parks Construction whose donation made the upstairs Jungle Room plants available for planting by YPAC in the Southside beautification project, Enzos Market who sponsored the Wall-O-Cans of witty euphemisms to be donated to local Southside residents in need, Smart Furniture who designed the luxurious Red Room - mixing high fashion with urban appeal, On The List Catering for their help with food and drink logistics, Stanton Row Partners who helped us obtain the building, and the Mountain 96.5 who was our official radio sponsor. We couldn’t have done it without you -THANK YOU!
November 11th, 2009
Quiddity was very happy to hear the news and is excited to announce that we will be assisting in the logistics and marketing of the Palate 2 Palette event in Chattanooga, TN on April 3, 2010. This event is a direct fundraiser for the Craniofacial Foundation of America, and Quiddity will be working with the Foundation as its non-profit contribution of 2010. We are very happy to be working with the Foundation and its' delightful staff and hope to continue the relationship for years to come.
October 1st, 2009
In the beginning of October we found ourselves having a ball with the Hernando Main St. Chamber of Commerce managing their annual street music festival - the Hernando Fall Festival. This year’s event included two days of music from local artists and some nationally recognized artists such as Eric Church, BBQ teams, children activities, a 5k race and a car show. This year was the largest turn out the Fall Festival has seen, with an attendance of 7,000 over the two days. Quiddity managed the logistics and production of the event. We’re excited to already be talking with the folks from Hernando for plans for 2010 and looking forward to growing the event with the Chamber.
September 1st, 2009
The 10-year anniversary of the nationally-recognized 4 Bridges Arts Festival will take place April 17-18, 2010, in Chattanooga, TN. As part of the anniversary celebration, 4 Bridges is partnering with the locally-based event management company, Quiddity Entertainment, to take the festival’s historic success to the next level. “4 Bridges has become one of the most recognized arts festivals in the country,” AVA Executive Director Christa J. Mannarino said. “The growth the festival has experienced and the recognition it has begun to receive nationally has motivated us to keep cultivating it to its fullest potential. Since we are celebrating the 10th year, we wanted to make the festival bigger and better than ever.”
“We’re excited to be involved with a vibrant, growing festival like 4 Bridges,” stated Kent Underwood, Quiddity president. “AVA has done a wonderful job in creating this event, and we look forward to helping expand the festival to a national audience. The 4 Bridges Arts Festival is produced by the Association for Visual Arts (AVA), a local non-profit organization with the mission of promoting, advocating and supporting original visual art and local artists.
August 17th, 2009
Just getting back from a wonderful time in Memphis, Quiddity is still singing to the tune of Elvis. For our 3rd year running, we produced the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest. Elvis Tribute Artists (ETAs) from around the world compete against other winners for the chance to take home the gold belt (as well as $20,000) at the event in Memphis. Congrats to Bill Cherry for winning the 2009 title. Quiddity took on the stage management and production on the semi-finals and the finals. We also produced the Grande Finale to the week - 1969 International show. This was a treat since this opportunity allowed us to work with the legacies that Elvis left behind – The TCB Band, the Sweet Inspirations, and the Imperials. For the 1969 show, we worked with Elvis’s original band and music composer Joe Guercio to recreate that turnkey night when Elvis performed for the first time in 7 years at the International Hotel in Las Vegas, spurring a new career for the musician-actor. It was by far an amazing experience for us and we look forward to working with Elvis Presley Enterprises in 2010.
July 17th, 2009
In mid-July, Quiddity spent three weeks in the Chicago area managing Country Thunder East - one of the nation's largest Country music festivals. As with our role at the Country Thunder festival in Arizona, we oversaw all operational management of the event and sponsorship. The weekend saw approximately 80,000 - 100,000 people come to watch Taylor Swift, Tim McGraw, Alan Jackson, Kellie Pickler, Neal McCoy, and over two dozen other country stars. The special attraction was the infamous Wall of Death that entertained our late night crowd with motorcycle tricks. The second stage held musical entertainment late into the evening and karaoke during the day. Plans are currently underway for 2010, with artists to be announced in November on the GAC network.
June 29th, 2009
In late June, the Global Event Planners chose to hold their annual summit in Memphis, TN, where Quiddity worked with our friends at Destination King. Destination King, the summit host (and 2009 Partner of the Year winner - congrats!), wanted to show event planners around the world why Memphis is the best southern city to visit for client and corporate meetings. The three day event consisted of meetings during the day, and playing in downtown Memphis after-hours. We were particularly excited to be a part of the night party on Mud Island, where some of our favorite BBQ teams grilled out their best, a live band danced everyone into the night, and attendees were treated to badminton, cornhole and specialized margarita bars. The event was a stellar success for all involved and a great way to showcase the best of Memphis.
May 27th, 2009
Working with TBA Global for another year on the Shareholder's meeting for one of the worlds largest companies never ceases to be uneventful. This meeting is all glitz and glimmer, and with the opening act alone consisting of a 150+ piece marching band, cheer-leading squad, flag bearers, and steppers. Other entertainment throughout the meeting included Foreigner, Daughtry, Smokey Robinson, special guest Miley Cyrus, host Ben Stiller, and much more. This event is more than a meeting, it is truly a show.
May 1st, 2009
Once again, Quiddity had the opportunity to be a part of the Memphis in May International Festival - a month-long event held in downtown Memphis. Quiddity served as a consultant for operations for the 2009 festival. Though it was our 6th year of being involved with the world famous festival, a few new challenges kept the event as interesting as ever. A percentage of Tom Lee Park, the permanent location for the festival, is under construction for a new marina, forcing a complete re-design of the entire festival site. If that wasn't enough of a challenge, the month of May endured nearly 8 inches of rain over the Memphis area, the most rain the festival has seen in it's history. Luckily, patrons didn't let that stop them and they braved the weather to see their favorite bands over the 3 days of Beale Street Music Festival.
April 28th, 2009
The Quiddity team has been contracted with the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) on their inaugural event, Quarterfest. The three day Quarter Horse lover’s event is set to take place in beautiful Murfreesboro, TN at the Tennessee Miller Coliseum, May 1- 3. Quiddity will handle the coordinating and management of the event on site. The 3 day affair will be packed with clinics, seminars, fashion shows and entertainment. For more information on the event, visit their website: www.aqha.com/quarterfest
April 4th, 2009
Wednesday, April 1 through Saturday, April 4 were four long days filled with over 60,000 country music fans, hours of line dancing, a screamin’ good time and some of the country’s hottest country music stars. Quiddity took on the logistics for the planning of the four day camping festival, leaving Florence with another year of a successful Country Thunder behind them. The festival’s highlights included two stages of rockin’ performances from artists ranging from Zac Brown Band to country legend Neal McCoy to super star Tim McGraw, as well as top sponsors including Cricket Wireless, SRP, Crown Royal, and Budweiser.
March 16th, 2009
When the Memphis Music Foundation was looking to show the world what Memphis and its music is all about, Quiddity was brought in to develop the landmark event at SXSW. The presence included a large display at the Exhibit Hall in the Convention Center, a Day Party and night Showcase. The Day party was a huge success, with traffic counts in at over 750 people in 3 hours. There was Memphis BBQ cooked overnight on-site, Memphis guitar give-aways, and a full lineup. The showcase that night displayed a fine diversity of Memphis music including Free Sol, Lucero, Al Kapone, River City Tanlines, and The Bar-Kays. It was a packed house the whole night, and the trip was a great success overall.
February 11, 2009
Quiddity has been brought in to help produce a SXSW showcase - Smokin' Music again this year. The client has decided to keep the same venue on 5th and Trinity, with some interior changes and improvements. The lineup is beginning to really shape up, so be sure to stop by the Smokin Music Lounge if you are at SXSW in 2009.
December 4, 2008
Quiddity has gone country! Country Thunder, that is - to be held in two locations this year; to the West outside of Phoenix, Arizona in Florence at the Canyon Moon Ranch and to the East in between Chicago and Milwaukee in Twin Lakes, Wisconsin at the Shadow Hill Ranch. Quiddity will oversee all planning of the festivals and act as General Manager for them on the ground. Both festivals will headline Tim McGrw and Alan Jackson, with Arizona featuring Montgomery Gentry and Wisconsin Taylor Swift. For more information (and for the full lineups), visit www.countrythunder.com. Also, check back for festival reviews in the News sections after we have loaded out the last stage.
October 24, 2008
Today is the beginning of the end for a client's summer long marketing tour. The tour wraps up at the VooDoo Music Experience in NOLA and has hit over 20 destination festivals throughout a 9 month period. Along the way, it has captured an estimated 40,000 individuals for interaction in a laid-back environment.
September 27, 2008
With the nation's eyes on the first Presidential Debate held in Oxford, MS, the University of Mississippi decided they wanted to provide something more for their students, alumni, and the community.Ę Quiddity worked with the University to produce a free mini-festival on campus in the Grove.Ę Musical entertainment on the two stages for the all-day event began with a Gospel choir singing the national anthem. Other artists ranged from Saving Abel to Josh Kelley. When North Mississippi All-Stars closed the stage, the crowd of thousands settled down on blankets to watch the debate simulcast on two large LED screens.
