The Amazing World of Chuck

The PlanetChristmas Lights Up Symposium 2007 (PLUS2007) begins Thursday morning August 2, 2007, and goes through Saturday night, August 4, 2007.  It will be held at the Gatlinburg Convention Center in  Gatlinburg, Tennessee, right at the foot of the Great Smokey Mountains.  There will be plenty of education classes to learn from and PLUS vendors will be there showing off the latest stuff for Christmas!

Gatlinburg is just east of Knoxville, Tennessee right off I-40.  This is a very family friendly mountainside community with plenty of entertainment, shopping and restaurants.  While you're sharing Christmas ideas with other enthusiasts, the rest of your family can also be having a great time.

Tell me about PLUS2007!

Date:  It's the weekend of August 2-4, 2007. 

Times:  Thursday is back to the basics day with beginning classes for people new to decorating or old-timers looking to expand their horizons.  Opening ceremonies begin Thursday morning at 8:00 with full intermediate and advance classes running from from 8:30am to 4:30pm.  Saturday classes begin at 8:00am and run through 2:30pm.  The official banquet is Saturday night inside the air-conditioned comfort of the Gatlinburg Convention Center.  See the education section for more details.

Location:  Gatlinburg is a quaint but thriving mountainside town area with lots of hotels, shopping and plenty of things to keep your family busy while you are rubbing shoulders with other Christmas enthusiast!  Park your car at the hotel and walk wherever you want to go, including PLUS2007.

Closest Airport:  McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS) in Knoxville, Tennessee.  If you really want to save some money, you can fly into Nashville International Airport (BNA), rent a car and drive about 3.5 hours to Gatlinburg.

Costs:  Registration begins at just over $200 depending on when you pay your fees.  The price includes all classroom sessions, banquet and special souvenirs.  Travel, food and board are your responsibility. 

What will I learn?  There are multiple educational opportunities.  See the education agenda.  Get some hands-on experience by participating in labs.  Visit with the experts.  See the exhibitors.  Learn cool tricks from others.  Become a part of the worldwide network of Christmas light and decoration fanatics!

What can the rest of my family do while I'm attending class?  Look for things to do by going to the location link to the left or directly to the Gatlinburg website. 

Where can I stay?  Checkout the hotels link to the left or see the area map.  You are not required to stay at the host hotel for the convention, but we have negotiated an exceptional rate for the time of year, area of country and amenities available

Transportation:  Knoxville is an easy drive for many people living east of the Mississippi River because it's on Interstate 40 while also close to I-81, I-75 and I-26.  If you are flying into Knoxville or Nashville and/or want to rent a car, they have them all.  Checkout the location information.  Once at the hotel, you can park the car and walk almost everywhere.

Banquet:  We're having a very special themed banquet Saturday night to recognize individuals and hear from some very special guests.  Your registration covers the cost of attending this event.  Extra banquet tickets are available to purchase if you want to bring guests.  Fun will be had by all. 

Check here regularly for updates.  You can also check the dedicated forum in the PlanetChristmas chatroom (see above.)

Still have a question?  Send us an email!