Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest preliminary to be held for the first time in Las Vegas at the Fremont Street Experience on July 23-24
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – May 14, 2010 –Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. (EPE), Las Vegas' famed Fremont Street Experience and the celebrated tribute artist production "Legends in Concert,” announced today that the first-ever preliminary round of the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest to take place in Las Vegas will be held at Fremont Street Experience, Friday, July 23 and Saturday, July 24.
Contestants in Las Vegas’ Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest will be judged on the ‘best representation of the Elvis legacy’ in talent, appearance, performance, stage presence, and overall tribute. The winner of the contest qualifies to compete in The 2010 Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest presented by EPE in Memphis during Elvis Week, August 10-16. In addition, the winner of Las Vegas’ Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist preliminary contest will take home a $2,500 cash prize and a Graceland getaway prize package.
On Stage Touring, a subsidiary of On Stage Entertainment and creators of the world's longest-running celebrity tribute show, has been officially licensed by EPE to produce preliminary contests at “Legends in Concert” venues and other locations throughout the country, including Las Vegas, Nevada.
Legends has also agreed to furnish one of the Grand Prizes for the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest winner, which will take place in Memphis, Tennessee on August 12 and 13. The winner of the contest will be offered the opportunity to sign a performance contract with Legends in Concert, a cash prize of $20,000, recognition by EPE, the title of Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist of 2010, and selection of other valuable prizes.
Launched in August of 2007, the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest in Memphis is one of the highlights of Elvis Week activities, which last year attracted more than 70,000 fans from all over the world.
"Legends has featured remarkably talented Elvis tribute artists in our shows worldwide for over 25 years and we are thrilled to be working with EPE as we discover these gifted entertainers," said Brian Brigner, chief operating officer of On Stage.
"We are delighted to be hosting the first-ever preliminary regional contest held in our home city of Las Vegas. “I am sure this competition will be especially intense, as showing up at the finals in Memphis having won the Las Vegas regional will certainly be a desirable title. We are also pleased to continue our special arrangement with EPE whereby the winner of the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest will once again be offered the opportunity to join our cast of Legends in Concert productions and to produce a unique live entertainment experience for the millions of Elvis fans worldwide."
"After its brief three-year history, the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest has quickly evolved into one of the highlights of Elvis Week,” said Scott Williams, Vice President of EPE. “Although each regional preliminary round location has seen excellent competitors and exciting entertainment for the fans, given Elvis Presley’s special association with Las Vegas, this Fremont Street preliminary round will surely be an exciting event and yield a coveted title for the winner."
"We are honored to have been awarded the privilege to be the host venue to the first-ever Las Vegas regional round of the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest,” said Jeff Victor, President of Fremont Street Experience. “Recognizing our unique advantages and resources with the historic setting we have at Fremont Street Experience, we look forward to working with our friends at Legends in Concert and Elvis Presley Enterprises to turn this preliminary round of the Contest into a truly unforgettable entertainment experience".
In addition to additional entertainment ingredients that will soon be announced for the Las Vegas preliminary round of the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest, “Legends in Concert” will sell officially licensed Elvis Presley merchandise along with specially created merchandise that will be available for purchase during the Fremont Street engagement.
For more information: www.legendsinconcert.com, www.elvisweek.com and www.vegasexperience.com.
About Elvis Presley Enterprises
Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. is based in Memphis, with additional offices in Los Angeles. In addition to Graceland and its related attractions in Memphis, including the Heartbreak Hotel, EPE is aggressively involved in a worldwide licensing program, merchandising, music publishing, and television, film, video and Internet projects. For more information on EPE and Graceland, visit www.elvis.com. EPE is a subsidiary of CKX, Inc. (www.ckx.com), a publicly traded company listed on the NASDAQ Global Market® under the ticker symbol CKXE.
About Fremont Street Experience
Fremont Street Experience is a five-block entertainment complex located in historic downtown Las Vegas. Fremont Street Experience features Viva Vision, the world’s largest video screen which is 1,500 feet long, 90 feet wide and suspended 90 feet above the urban pedestrian mall. Viva Vision features nightly spectacular light and sounds shows with 12.5 million LED lights and a 550,000-watt sound system. Fremont Street Experience is a one-of-a-kind venue which includes free nightly concerts and entertainment on two stages. With direct pedestrian access to 10 casinos, more than 60 restaurants and specialty retail kiosks, Fremont Street Experience attracts over 17 million annual visitors. Fremont Street Experience can be found online at www.vegasexperience.com.
About On Stage Touring, LLC On Stage Touring, producers of the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artists Tour, is a subsidiary of On Stage Entertainment, owners and operators of Legends in Concert. Celebrating its 25th year, Legends in Concert is a live musical celebration featuring the world’s greatest celebrity tribute artists. Widely recognized in the entertainment industry
as the original celebrity tribute show, Legends in Concert has not only performed throughout the United States, but the show has traveled to 15 countries on five continents, entertaining more than 20 million fans. On Stage Entertainment operates numerous fixed-based, touring, limited-term and private engagements of Legends in Concert throughout the world. In addition to Las Vegas, Legends is presented year-round in numerous cities including Myrtle Beach, S.C.; Branson, Mo.; and Foxwoods (Mashantucket), CT. For more information on Legends in Concert or On Stage Entertainment, visit www.legendsinconcert.com
CONTACT:
Brian A. Brigner
Chief Operating Officer
On Stage Entertainment, Inc.
333 Orville Wright Court
Las Vegas, NV 89119
702-253-1333
MEDIA CONTACT:
Drew Smith
Preferred Public Relations
702-254-5704
drew@preferredpublicrelations.com