Three seasoned hospitality execs team up in new event company.
NASHVILLE, TENN. – Three former executives from the well-known hospitality and entertainment company Gaylord Entertainment have joined forces to form 12 Degree Entertainment to develop unique destination events in popular U.S. cities and soon internationally.
Fantasy in Sand featuring The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the company’s first production, will open May 22 in Arlington, Texas.
The experience will transform three million pounds of dry sand into sculptures up to 20 feet high and will feature 11 unique scenes from L. Frank Baum’s iconic book and a finale called America The Beautiful. The attraction will also contain Texas’ largest sandbox, a 2,000-square-foot area where children can create their own sand sculptures.
“Fantasy in Sand is one of the brands we are developing to help destinations like Arlington compete for lucrative visitor spending,” said Ken Groneck, 12 Degree Entertainment’s chief operating officer. “Interest is strong across the country as well as in a few key cities outside of the U.S.”
Groneck and Chief Creative Officer Warren Lyng oversaw many of the events and attractions at Gaylord Hotels, including ICE! and the Dreamworks Experience. Shawn Madden will serve as 12 Degree Entertainment’s chief financial officer.
The second planned experience, Fantasy in Ice, will take place in at least one city this year. Said Madden, “We plan to have Fantasy in Sand and Fantasy in Ice each operating in multiple cities in the next three years.”
“We’ve tailored our events with summer and holiday themes that help our customers attract visitors at key times of the year,” said Lyng. “We understand the tourism and entertainment business and how events fit into the business model – whether the goal is attracting local visitors or leisure travelers.”
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