The 2012 Tampa Bay Host Committee for the Republican National Convention is pleased to announce its featured entertainment for The Welcome Event, country music sensation Rodney Atkins. Atkins is a six-time nominee with the Academy of Country Music and two-time nominee with the Country Music Association (CMA). His hits include “Take A Back Road,” the title track of his fourth studio album and sixth career number one hit, “If You’re Going Through Hell” and “It’s America.” In addition, Atkins won CMA’s “Top New Male Vocalist” award in 2006.
The combined delegate and media welcome event, which will kick off the week of the Convention on Sunday, August 26, 2012, is the first-of-its-kind in the history of a presidential nominating convention. More than 20,000 guests have been invited to this ground-breaking event. Performances will highlight the local Tampa Bay region in an inaugural, innovative and incredible way. The acts below, and more, will represent Tampa Bay:
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers Cheerleaders
• Tampa Bay Rays Street Team
• Tampa Bay Lightning’s “Lightning Girls”
• University of South Florida’s “Herd of Thunder” Marching Band
• Gasparilla pirates and krewes
• Busch Gardens Tampa Bay performers and acts
In addition to local musical and dance performances, cirque-style performers, including acrobats, contortionists, rolla bolla artists and animal-themed dancers will perform as a part of “Cirque Dreams,” presented by Busch Gardens Tampa Bay.
“We are excited to showcase Tampa Bay and the many wonderful entertainers that represent our region,” said Host Committee President and CEO Ken Jones. “Guests of The Welcome Event will experience a taste of Tampa Bay’s culture, history and themes, as well as its warm hospitality. We are proud of the Tampa Bay region and all it has to offer. We are excited to show the thousands of convention guests the Tampa Bay we know and love.”
Also performing at The Welcome Event are former competitors and national recording artists from two top network reality shows, both with ties to Tampa Bay:
• Shannon Magrane, from the eleventh season of Fox’s “American Idol”
• Karla Davis, from season two of NBC’s “The Voice”
Media outlets interested in covering the event should contact the Host Committee at . NOTE: Only credentialed media for the Convention will be able to request Host Committee credentials to cover The Welcome Event. Due to very limited space, the deadline to request a Host Committee credential to cover the event as press is Friday, August 17, 2012.
About the 2012 Tampa Bay Host Committee
The 2012 Tampa Bay Host Committee, Inc. (“Host Committee”) is a Florida not-for-profit corporation that operates as a public charity under § 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The Host Committee serves as the officially designated Presidential Nominating Convention Host Committee under federal law and is a registered host committee with the Federal Election Commission. The Host Committee is not involved in any political activity and is in no way considered a political committee under any state or federal laws. Visit: www.twitter.com/2012Tampa, www.facebook.com/2012Tampa, www.linkd.in/A0E6D9, www.pinterest.com/2012Tampa, www.flickr.com/2012TampaHC, www.youtube.com/2012Tampa.
Host Committee RNC Media Contact:
Aileen Rodriguez
Communications Director
Phone: 813-400-2300
| www.2012tampa.com
SOURCE: Tampa Bay Host Committee
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