2011 Christmas Expo Lights Up Gatlinburg, TN This Summer

April 22, 2011 - PRLog -- The 2011 Christmas Expo is coming to the Gatlinburg Convention Center in Gatlinburg, TN Wednesday, June 29 through Saturday, July 2.  The four day conference will draw Christmas enthusiasts, professionals, consultants and vendors nationwide, and it will feature educational seminars, special guests and a sneak peak at the top holiday products arriving in stores this fall.

Chuck Smith is the producer of the event.  The Tennessee native, a computer engineer by trade, was intrigued by Christmas lights as a child, and he believed that on Christmas Eve, Santa would make his first stop at the house with the most lights.  His passion for flickering lights evolved throughout the years, and his displays became more and more elaborate.  People started catching on, and so did the national media.  Smith’s displays have been featured on NBC television, as well as major publications like the Wall Street Journal, and the New York Times may have summed it up best declaring him “The Granddaddy of Computerized Light Displays.”

Smith named his personal display PlanetChristmas, and he has a popular web site bearing the same name.  Through the widespread media attention, avid decorating fans discovered Smith and began contacting him about everything Christmas.  Smith’s love for the holiday season put him in touch with a lot of people at both the professional and hobbyist level, and in 2003 he started a Christmas trade show called PLUS (PlanetChristmas Lights Up Symposium).

After several PLUS events, Smith has decided to expand this popular trade show and call it Christmas Expo.   “We will feature a wide range of products, valuable to both the professional and neighborhood decorator,” states Smith.  “In fact, we’ve already registered attendees from all across America and even Australia.  We take Christmas decorating very seriously.”  

There is a full slate of educational courses for both the enthusiast and professional at Christmas Expo.  Classes include seminars about indoor decorating, outdoor displays, computer animation, how to produce your own drive through park and how to start a holiday decorating business.  

Smith says seasonal companies such as landscapers and contractors can learn how to tap into the $500 billion dollar holiday decorating industry by attending classes at the event.  “We’re finding in today’s fast paced society that many people like to have beautiful lights displayed around their homes, but they don’t have time to do it  So, we’ve designed a course to teach entrepreneurs how to start a Christmas decorating company. This seminar is jam packed with information, tricks of the trade and more for those hoping to capitalize during their slow season.”

Smith adds the show is scheduled right in the heart of summer, June 29 – July 2, to allow both professionals and home decorators ample time to plan and prepare for their upcoming season.  

For more information about the Christmas Expo, or to register for educational classes, call Chuck Smith at (615) 301-1671 or visit www.ChristmasExpo.com.  The show will be held at the Gatlinburg Convention Center located at 920 Parkway in Gatlinburg, TN, 37738.