Tennessee Statehood Day Festival Benton County Promoted At State Celebration Participants from all over the state joined hands to enjoy the Statehood Day Festival, Sunday, June 1. This "birthday party" for Tennessee celebrated the addition of the last bell to the Tennessee Carillon. Governor Phil Bredesen joined in the festivities at the Bicentennial Mall. KEAST NETWORKS WITH GOVERNOR BREDESEN AT STATEHOOD DAY Bob Keast (left) took the opportunity for constructive networking with Governor Phil Bredesen (right) during the Tennessee Statehood Day festivities, June 1. The celebration featured musical performances, along with the official dedication and ringing of the 96th bell, which is known as the “answer bell.” The carillon - which was opened in July of 2000 - currently operates with 95 bells, representing the citizens of the 95 Tennessee counties. It marks quarter hours and hours with the playing of “The Tennessee Waltz,” followed by the strike of the hour. The 96th bell, located on the capitol grounds, will ring in answer to the playing of the carillon. Statehood day is celebrated on June 1 as the date Tennessee became a state when President George Washington signed the bill in 1796. The celebration was hosted by the State of Tennessee, the State Capitol Commission, and the Tennessee State Museum. The day’s festivities were sponsored by various supporters. Bob Keast, owner of Birdsong Resort and Marina and the Tennessee River Freshwater Pearl Farm, was one of the Tennessee Statehood Celebration Day official sponsors. Keast represented the pearl farming operation that is the only site in America growing Tennessee’s official state gem: the freshwater pearl. In following with the festivities, Bob was on-site with commemorative balloons - a keepsake imprinted with the event and date. The red, white and blue balloons also feature an imprint promoting the freshwater pearl farm in Benton County. "I believe in supporting those who help us, and allow us more avenues to help ourselves," Keast said. The Tennessee Department of Tourist Development is one of the leaders among state organizations in the United States tourism industry. Tennessee's $10.4-billion-a-year tourism industry, drawing nearly 36 million visitors per year, is a major economic factor for a majority of Tennessee's 95 counties. The department's marketing activities promote Tennessee to vacationers in the United States as well as internationally. The department also operates 13 Welcome Centers along the interstate highway system in Tennessee. Each of the Welcome Centers is equipped with a toll-free telephone system allowing travelers to make hotel, motel, and campground reservations anywhere in Tennessee. BALLOONS REPRESENT BENTON COUNTY ATTRACTION - Bob Keast was on hand for the Tennessee Statehood festival distributing red, white and blue balloons bearing the name of our Camden attraction: The Tennessee Freshwater Pearl Farm. The commemorative balloons were a dated item depicting the Dedication of the 96th Answer Bell Keast has been attending the Governor's Conference on Tourism for over 25 years in rotating cities across Tennessee, has chaired different committees and served on many boards throughout the tourism industry. Keast is currently serving on the Salute to the Legislature, Day on the Hill, Legislative Policies Committee and on the Northwest Tennessee Tourism Board which are all components of the Tennessee Tourism Roundtable. He commented, "As a Tennessee Registered Lobbyist, my main focus in tourism is to maintain the advertising budget because without advertising, nothing happens". Locally, Keast has boosted marketing strategies for Benton County promotions. One such project may be seen each morning at the Catfish Place. The new "Promoting Benton County Together" theme on their coffee cups marks the beginning of this resourceful campaign. New brochures are on the press now for the Kentucky Lake resort and Tennessee River Freshwater Pearl Farm. Numbers nearing 1,000,000 will be distributed world-wide, with the emphasis on interstate travelers. Location-specific billboards are established. Web sites are being updated and expanded. Meetings have been taking place between the marketing team for Birdsong and group travel leaders from the United States and abroad. Birdsong Resort and Marina and the Tennessee River Freshwater Pearl Farm can boast about their annual attendance levels document in Tennessee's Top Attractions at over 300,000 persons. "Demographics like that don't happen on their own," Keast said, "I have been studying methods and working at this almost all of my life. Tourism should be appreciated for what it is - Tennessee's second largest business. Benton County has so much to offer to the world." Additional Photos (click on image to enlarge):