Chevrolet Will Present The "Come Together And Worship Tour" With Michael W. Smith, Third Day And Special Guest Max Lucado
FOR RELEASE: August 29, 2002Chevrolet Will Present The "Come Together And Worship Tour" With Michael W. Smith, Third Day And Special Guest Max LucadoATLANTA- Today Chevrolet announced the title sponsorship of the Come Together and Worship Tour, featuring multi-platinum, multi-GRAMMY-winning and Gospel Music Association Artist of the Year, Michael W. Smith; multi-GRAMMY nominated, Gospel Music Association Group of the Year, Third Day; and world-renowned author Max Lucado.
The Come Together and Worship Tour is slated for the month of November and features 16 concerts (see tour dates below). The Come Together and Worship Tour will also support Compassion International and World Vision.
Chevrolet recognized through research of the Contemporary Christian Music industry and working with Third Day first-hand, that the demographics of the fan base was a match for Chevrolet's target audience - families and adults 35 to 54 with disposable income. Chevrolet will support the tour nationwide and will enhance its presence in several markets by featuring vehicle displays and additional signage. Chevrolet and its dealers have created an integrated marketing program to enhance the sponsorship, including experiential marketing, advertising, community relations and direct mail.
"Sponsoring the Come Together and Worship Tour provides Chevrolet and local Chevy dealers an opportunity to reach our target consumers, particularly families, in association with an entertaining event that delivers a positive, uplifting message," stated Steve Betz, Regional Division Marketing Manager for Chevrolet. "This is a groundbreaking marketing effort for Chevrolet. With Contemporary Christian Music growing exponentially compared to every other genre of music for the past two years, Chevrolet recognizes the marketing potential with this tour and the benefits of partnering with the most popular and successful musical artists in their industry."
In terms of support by Chevrolet, J. David Huffman, COO Creative Trust notes, "The Come Together and Worship Tour team, in conjunction with Greg Ashford and Outerlight, helped secure a recognized brand for this 16-date event series. We are excited about Chevrolet's partnership and strongly believe its investment in this tour will provide a strong return. We will release more details on the activities that will target music and book buyers via direct marketing promotional campaigns designed to drive qualified consumers to test-drive Chevrolet products. Meanwhile Chevrolet is helping us reach as many people as possible about what we believe to be the Christian music event of the year."
The Come Together and Worship event series is already billed as one of the top tours of the fall season. The tour was brought to fruition by Michael W. Smith and Third Day along with their management companies, Blanton Harrell Cooke & Corzine and Creative Trust. Booked by John Huie and Jeff Gregg of Creative Artists Agency (CAA), tour venues will range from 12,000 to 22,000 seats in each market. Taking into consideration each artists' tour histories, these events have the potential to set numerous attendance records.
Multi-platinum, multi-GRAMMY and Dove Award-winning artist Michael W. Smith is one of the most influential figures in Christian music. During his 19-year career, Smith has garnered two GRAMMY Awards (along with numerous nominations) and an American Music Award given in the Pop category. He was named one of People Magazine¹s 50 Most Beautiful People and has received 34 Dove Awards, including Artist of the Year in 1999 and 2002. Smith's career sales exceed nine million. His 2001 release Worship recently attained RIAA platinum certification (sales of more than one million units) and was the fastest selling album of 2001, certified Gold by the RIAA in only 14 weeks.
Third Day, three-time GRAMMY nominee and reigning Gospel Music Association Group of the Year has become known for its support of Habitat for Humanity, raising more than $170,000.00 for the organization. Recently the band traveled to Africa to aid former president Jimmy Carter in a house-building project with the Jimmy Carter Work Project 2002 in Durban, South Africa. Third Day has also been recognized for its riveting live show, gracing the June 22 cover of Pollstar magazine and being named one of the top 50 grossing tours this summer beating out artists including Bob Dylan, Alicia Keys, No Doubt and Ozzy Osbourne in the magazine's mid-year tour report.
Max Lucado, has sold more than 28 million books in print for both adults and children, it's easy to see why New York Times hails Max as the best-selling author and known as "America's Favorite Christian Author." Lucado's newest project, A Love Worth Giving, released this August.
Chevrolet is the largest vehicle division of General Motors Corporation and offers a full lineup of cars and trucks. With more than 36 million current owners of its products, Chevrolet has more vehicles on the road than any other manufacturer.
Come Together and Worship Tour -- Michael W. Smith and Third Day with Special Guest Max Lucado:
*Tour Dates Listed Below: all dates subject to change
11/1/02 Atlanta, GA Phillips Arena
11/2/02 Lexington, KY Rupp Arena
11/3/02 Memphis, TN The Pyramid
11/4/02 Birmingham, AL BJCC Arena
11/7/02 Winston-Salem, NC Lawrence Joel Memorial Coliseum
11/8/02 Hershey, PA Giant Center
11/9/02 Fairfax, VA Patriot Center
11/10/02 West Point, NY Eisenhower Hall Theatre
11/15/02 Mobile, AL The Mitchell Center
11/16/02 Houston, TX Compaq Center
11/17/02 Dallas, TX American Airlines
11/18/02 Oklahoma City, OK Cox Arena
11/20/02 St. Louis, MO Savis Center
11/21/02 Peoria, IL Civic Center
11/22/02 Madison, WI Alliant Energy Center
11/23/02 Auburn Hills, MI Palace of Auburn Hills
For more information on Michael W. Smith, Third Day, Max Lucado and Chevrolet, please visit www.michaelwsmith.com, www.ThirdDay.com, www.maxlucado.com and www.chevrolet.com. For tour dates, cities and venues for the upcoming Come Together and Worship Tour, visit www.cometogetherandworship.com.