As the air gets crisper and the leaves burst into shades of yellow, red and orange, there are few places more captivating than the Great Smoky Mountains of the United States. But while many are familiar with the beauty of the region, its status as the next great entertainment epicenter is just catching on.
The Themed Entertainment Association (TEA), a non-profit representing compelling places and experiences worldwide, recently welcomed 70 members, from Los Angeles to London, to a four-day event revealing the gems of Eastern Tennessee, which won’t be hidden for much longer.
Offering networking opportunities, panel presentations, admission to over a dozen venues and plenty of great BBQ, “TEA Develops: Great Smoky Mountains,” organized by the Association’s Eastern North America Board, provided a glimpse into this region’s dynamic present and exciting future.
Great Smoky Mountains – a region of opportunity
“We produced this event to cater to our members’ most common feedback,” says Matthew Cross, founding partner & CEO of OE Experiences and Eastern TEA North America board member.
“Our members want to learn more and find opportunities. We wanted to explicitly offer a chance at our mixer to mingle with owners and operators who could benefit from TEA member expertise, and we wanted our sponsors to have a platform that showcased their skills and successes among the area’s best potential partners.”
No comfort was spared for TEA Develops participants, including sumptuous accommodations at DreamMore Resort & Spa. The luxury hotel also served as the jumping-off point for the conference’s activities. The first stop on the itinerary would turn out to be the first of many delicious meals that guests would savor throughout the experience.
The welcome gathering at Trotter’s Whole Hog BBQ served not only to fill the guests’ plates but also their Rolodexes, as members of the local economic development community met with TEA members to make connections and discuss opportunities.
Day one
The first full day came bright and early and offered a seemingly endless list of activities. The bus tour began at The Island – an eat, play and stay destination that offers shopping, dining, and attractions such as the 200-foot-tall Great Smoky Mountain Wheel, and SkyFly: Soar America flying theater, which USA Today named one of the Best New Attractions of 2021.
Thirsty from the adrenaline of their simulated cross-country flight, attendees were offered a taste of Ole Smoky Moonshine before traveling to their next destination, The Mountain Mile, where they indulged in more delicious food, sipped tiki drinks and engaged in cutthroat games of Duck Pin Bowling at Guy Fieri’s Downtown Flavortown.
Day One concluded at two different yet equally captivating regional destinations. At the Titanic Museum Attraction, attendees could imagine themselves as passengers on the world’s most famous luxury liner through experiences like immersing their hands in 28°F water, touching an iceberg, attempting to stand on a sloping deck and viewing over 400 artifacts.
From the decks of the RMS Titanic, TEA members voyaged to the recently opened Bush’s Visitors Center Museum. Here, they once again enjoyed a down-home Southern meal (including the brand’s famous Pinto Bean Pie). They also heard from the creative team behind the renovation, toured the museum and, of course, exited through the gift shop. With bellies and minds full from the day’s adventures, attendees retired to DreamMore excited for what was to come.
Day two
With Day One already exceeding all expectations for education, camaraderie and fun, it was hard to imagine how the event could top itself. However, the TEA Eastern North American board had plenty of surprises in store in the Great Smoky Mountains.
To begin the day, the Board hosted a Development Conference. This was designed to help attendees understand that what they were seeing on this trip was just the beginning of all the region was set to offer.
The program kicked off with a panel discussion focused on the success and future of Dollywood. Attendees heard from Jeff Williamson, vice president and principal architect at Johnson Architecture and Savannah Wrexler, project manager from AOA.
In addition, Eugene Naughton, president of Dollywood, shared what it’s like to helm “The Friendliest Park in America.” Naughton also shared key parts of the park’s decade-long $500 million investment plan. This includes the Heartsong Lodge & Resort set to open in 2023.
Following the Dollywood discussion, Michael Carrol, vice president and executive producer at Dynamic Attractions and Mason Schmitz, director at P+A Projects, shared details about the business construct, development and design of SkyFly: Soar America. This added context to the group’s visit from the previous day.
Rounding out the Development Conference was Allen Newton of Sevier County Economic Development. He explained how Dollywood and upcoming projects such as The 407: Gateway to Adventure (which includes the nation’s first Puy du Fou attraction) stimulate growth and job creation while also increasing the demand for critical infrastructure such as roads and housing.
Finally, Dana Soehn of the National Park Service reflected on the origin of the Great Smoky Mountains’ popularity. Namely, its stunning landscapes and picture-perfect views.
Great Smoky National Park
The group then got to experience this natural beauty first-hand as the bus navigated the serpentine road through Great Smoky National Park to Clingman’s Dome.
Though the ½-mile hike to the top left many breathless, the cloudless view of six US states from the Dome’s summit proved well worth the exertion. Attendees rewarded themselves with the sensory overload of Gatlinburg – from the aroma of pastries at Donut Friar to the tang of margaritas at Loco Burro to the clanging of video games at the famous Fanny Farkles arcade.
After meandering the flashing main drag and quaint side streets of Gatlinburg, attendees boarded trams up a 70-acre mountain to the final stop of the day – Anakeesta. This award-winning outdoor park is perched 183-meters above Gatlinburg. It offers a treetop skywalk, an observation tower, a zipline mountain coaster and numerous nature gardens, shops and eateries.
As the group enjoyed a final BBQ dinner together, Bryce Bentz, president of Anakeesta, shared plans for the park’s three-year, $34 million expansion. This includes Astra Lumina, an enchanted night walk with immersive lighting and audio produced by Moment Factory. As attendees descended the park via chair lift, they were offered one more commanding view of the Smoky Mountains and a chance to reflect together on a truly memorable experience.
Enjoying Dollywood
After two full days of non-stop wonders, TEA saved the best for last, offering attendees early entry and free admission to Dollywood.
The Saturday morning weather was less than cooperative. However, those who braved the drizzle enjoyed the park’s world-class rides, high-energy entertainment, Harvest Festival theming and trademark Southern hospitality. It was the perfect end to an event that was less conference and more adventure-seeking, discovery-finding and community-building.
The Smoky Mountains: a landscape for inspiration
From a members-only virtual reveal of the TEA/AECOM Theme & Museum Index to the in-person International Mixer at IAAPA Expo 2022, TEA will host a variety of high-profile events to close out the year. Plans for similar gatherings to “TEA Develops” are already in the works for 2023.
“We are already planning two new TEA Explores events for next year,” says Greg Senner, director of project development at Cockram Scenario and TEA Eastern North America President. “We will definitely draw from the lessons learned by the amazing work the Board did in producing TEA Develops: Great Smoky Mountains.”
“My desired takeaway for attendees was that this market, and ‘super-regional’ markets like it, hold immense opportunities,” said Cross. “The connections that attendees hopefully made here should allow them to participate in our growth. I hope they felt energized and inspired.”
The Themed Entertainment Association would like to thank the following hosts, content contributors and sponsors of TEA Develops: Great Smoky Mountains, including Scenic Haus, OE Experiences, Lightswitch, P+A Projects Pte Ltd., AOA, Titanic Museum Attractions, The Island, Anakeesta, Dynamic Attractions, Bush Brothers & Company, Sevier County Economic Development, The Dollywood Company, LifeFormations, Johnson Architecture, Inc. and the National Park Service.
