GRAND OPENING CELEBRATION SET FOR ROCK FINANCIAL SHOWPLACE
(NOVI, MICHIGAN) — TBON, L.L.C., owners and developers of the new Rock Financial Showplace, have announced their plans for a Grand Opening celebration. The two-day event is scheduled for Friday, August 26 and Saturday, August 27, with all proceeds to benefit their selected charity — Providence Park Hospital of Novi.
The event begins Friday, August 26, and includes a ribbon cutting, facility christening and Show of Shows, followed by a Dinner Gala. The Show of Shows is an eclectic mix of show organizers and local businesses who will display their goods and services. It is designed to illustrate the size, capabilities and functionality of the new facility to those who currently use convention, exhibition or conference facilities. The Dinner Gala will showcase Rock Financial Showplace's new state-of-the-art banquet and culinary capabilities, provided by Epoch Events. The gala is a ticketed fundraising event and will include entertainment for the evening. Proceeds from the gala will benefit Providence Park Hospital of Novi.
The event's highlight is Saturday, August 27 – a public grand opening to which the entire community is extended an invitation. The theme is “Celebrate the Experience”, where admission and parking will be free. “Saturday is all about family and community, and we hope everyone will come out to help us celebrate,” said Blair Bowman, managing partner of TBON, L.L.C. “We will have activities, food and beverages, an open air concert followed by fireworks.”
“Rock Financial strongly believes in being a positive, contributing member of the community while helping those within it achieve the American Dream of home ownership,” says Rock Financial Senior Vice President David Hall. “We are proud to be associated with the Rock Financial Showplace because it represents a world class, family-friendly center where folks can enjoy some of their favorite events. Saturday's 'Celebrate the Experience' grand opening is the just the first of many such family-oriented events folks can expect to attend.”
The Rock Financial Showplace offers approximately 320,000 sq. ft. of space, including gains of 10,000 sq. ft. exposition and 21,000 sq. ft. meeting space over the previous facility. Other attractive amenities new to the facility include a full service kitchen capable of serving a sit down meal to 2,000 people, formal banquet halls, full service concession areas, higher ceiling and two major atrium style entrances with 25,000 sq. ft. of lobby space for pre-function and registration activities. In addition, the Rock Financial Showplace will have approximately 2,500 parking spaces — 500 more than its predecessor — with another 500 spaces and a hotel planned in the showplace's future.
The economic impact on the community is considerable as well, as show organizers are lining up to have the Rock Financial Showplace host their event. “Demand for space at the Rock Financial Showplace is exceeding our wildest expectations,” says Bowman.
“We expect the showplace to attract more than 1.5 million visitors per year, which will generate more than $250 million in economic impact for Michigan in the first year of operations alone,” says Hall. That impact includes approximately $34.5 million in off-site spending at hotels, retailers and restaurants by visitors, and nearly 2,000 full-time equivalent jobs either created or retained by the Rock Financial Showplace, says Hall.
For information, call 248-348-5600.
Plans for the Public Day – Celebrate the Experience include:
Activities: AM 910 Radio Disney D-Tour and Pop Squad Talent Search, Detroit Pistons' Interactive Games, Home Depot How To Seminars, carnival rides and moonwalks, classic car show, ceramics, health screenings, demonstrations and competition from FIRST Robotics, FIRST Lego and Vex.
Special Appearances by: Miss Firecracker and the AM 910 Radio Disney Road Crew, Detroit Pistons' Automotion Dance Team, Rock n' Roll K-9's, as well as various clowns and mascots and other special guest yet to be announced.
Scheduled Entertainment: Notorious (Motown review) and New Wave Nation (80's cover band). The Rock Financial Showplace schedule will then continue to host all of the great events that the attendees have enjoyed in the past.
TBON, L.L.C. is a Michigan Limited Liability Company owned and managed by Blair M. Bowman which was formed to assemble property, develop and construct the Rock Financial Showplace, a new state-of-the-art Exposition, Convention and Conference Center in Novi, Michigan. Blair Bowman building on his experience gained by owning and operating the existing Novi Expo Center determined to set about constructing on a private basis a new facility to better service the convention, exposition and conference marketplace in Southeastern Michigan.
Rock Financial(SM), a Quicken Loans Company, is one of Michigan's largest retail mortgage lenders. Quicken Loans(R) is the nation's largest online retail mortgage lender. Together, under the Rock Financial and Quicken Loans brands the company comprises the nation's 17th largest retail lender, closing nearly $12 billion in home loans in calendar year 2004. The company, which was founded in 1985, has nearly 3,000 team members and was named to FORTUNE Magazine's list of the “100 Best Companies to Work for in America” in 2005 and named the top company in COMPUTERWORLD’s “100 Best Places to Work in IT” for 2005. For more information about the company visit http://www.rockfinancial.com.
