HGTV RETURNS TO CMA MUSIC FESTIVAL WITH STAR-STUDDED LINEUP SET TO PLAY AT THE NETWORK’S POPULAR LODGE VENUE


NEW YORK [For Immediate Release—May 28, 2015] HGTV’s celebrity lineup at the 2015 CMA Music Festival will be the hottest ticket in Nashville when the network returns with its newly expanded Lodge venue—fresh from its mega debut at Super Bowl XLIX in Glendale, Ariz. From Thursday, June 11 – Sunday, June 14, the HGTV Lodge offers Festival-goers the Ultimate Country Music Fan Experience, including live musical performances by popular Country Music stars Lady Antebellum, Darius Rucker, and Zac Brown Band,and a $4,000 cash giveaway. In addition, DIY Network’s Alison Victoria, HGTV’s David Bromstad, and Great American Country’s Suzanne Alexander and Nan Kelley will co-host the live musical event throughout the week.

During the four-day Festival, fans can attend performances and signings by their favorite artists at the Lodge, including ASCAP songwriters, Lauren Alaina, Kelsea Ballerini, Clare Bowen, Brothers Osborne, Kristian Bush, Charles Esten, Tyler Farr, Will Hoge, Randy Houser, Casey James, Ryan Kinder, Jana Kramer, Love and Theft, Dustin Lynch, Kip Moore, Eric Paslay, Michael Ray, Emi Sunshine, Cole Swindell, Thompson Square, and Josh Turner.

“The HGTV Lodge is back this year with a bigger and better experience for Country Music fans,” said Shannon Jamieson Driver, senior vice president, marketing and creative, HGTV and DIY Network. “Our venue is 40 percent larger than last year and hosts our biggest lineup of Country Music stars to date – not to mention provides a cozy ‘home’ environment Festival-goers won’t find anywhere else.”

The 3,500 sq. ft. HGTV Lodge, conceived and produced by New York-based experiential + music agency Pop2Life and built by Murphy Productions, will feature an air-conditioned VIP lounge boasting 900 sq. ft. on the mezzanine, a one-of-a-kind stage experience and is centrally located in downtown Nashville, just minutes from LP Field. In addition, visitors can enter for the chance to win $500 cash in the #HGTVLodge Cash Giveaway—up to eight prizes awarded. No purchase necessary and open to legal U.S. residents of the 50 United States or the District of Columbia, 18 or older. The sweepstakes ends 6:00 PM/CT on June 14, 2015. Void where prohibited.

HGTV knows that Festival goers are as passionate about Country Music as the network’s audience is about their homes. To encourage fans to share their love of music and home, fans can upload photos of their experience at The Lodge on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram using #LoveHGTV. The #lovehgtv hashtag is a part of HGTV’s 2015 brand campaign, which asks viewers to share what they “love” about home by tagging photos with #hgtv and #lovehome.

Schedule of Events* at The Lodge by HGTV (All times CT):

Thursday, June 11:

11:00 AM        Kip Moore performance               
12:00 PM        Jana Kramer/autographs only
1:00 PM          Eric Paslay performance
2:00 PM          Charles Esten, star of ABC Television Network’s “Nashville” performance
3:00 PM          Thompson Square performance
4:00 PM          Cole Swindell performance
5:00 PM          Kelsea Ballerini performance

Friday, June 12:

10:00 AM        Josh Turner performance
11:00 AM        Brothers Osborne performance
12:00 PM        Will Hoge performance
1:00 PM          Casey James performance
2:00 PM          Lady Antebellum performance
3:00 PM          Open House
4:00 PM          Zac Brown Band

Saturday, June 13:

10:00 AM        Emi Sunshine performance
11:00 AM        Ryan Kinder performance
12:00 PM        Open House
1:00 PM          Clare Bowen, star of ABC Television Network’s “Nashville” performance
2:00 PM          Tyler Farr performance
3:00 PM          Randy Houser performance
4:00 PM          Darius Rucker performance
5:00 PM          Open House

Sunday, June 14:

10:00 AM        Love and Theft performance
11:00 AM        Kristian Bush performance
12:00 PM        Open House
1:00 PM          ASCAP Songwriters 
2:00 PM          Lauren Alaina performance
3:00 PM          Dustin Lynch performance
4:00 PM          Michael Ray performance

*All performances and times subject to change without notice.

ABOUT HGTV
America’s leading home and lifestyle brand, HGTV features a top-rated cable network that is distributed to more than 96 million U.S. households and HGTV.com, the premier source for home-related inspiration, instruction and entertainment, attracts more than six million people each month. The brand also includes the HGTV HOME™ consumer products line which showcases exclusive collections of paint, flooring, lighting, furniture, plants, fabrics and other home-oriented products. For more information on HGTV HOME branded products and to find a retailer, go to www.hgtvhome.com. In partnership with Hearst Magazines, the HGTV Magazine, a home and lifestyle publication, is currently available on newsstands. Viewers can become fans of HGTV and interact with other home improvement enthusiasts through Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram. Headquartered in Knoxville, Tenn., HGTV is owned by Scripps Networks Interactive, Inc. (SNI).

About CMA Music Festival: The Ultimate Country Music Fan Experience began in 1972 as Fan Fair®, bringing 5,000 fans to Nashville’s Municipal Auditorium. More than 40 years later, the now legendary Festival has become the city’s signature music event. In 2015, CMA Music Festival will host visitors from every state and 20 foreign countries. CMA Music Festival will once again be filmed for a national television special to air on the ABC Television Network. This is the 11th consecutive year that the event has been filmed for a network television special, a feat no other music festival has achieved. “CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock” will be executive-produced by Robert Deaton.

ABOUT POP2LIFE
Pop2Life is an experiential marketing + music agency that specializes in branded entertainment, social experiences, and unique promotions that “go beyond.” The company was founded in 2003 by former VP of Marketing & Promotion at RCA Records, Eric Murphy, who played a vital role in launching the careers of notable artists and bands including *NSYNC, Dave Matthews Band and Christina Aguilera.  P2L works with some of the biggest media + entertainment brands in the world including iHeartMedia, MTV Networks, HGTV, AMC, Cartoon Network, Dreamworks, Food Network, NBC and many more