Motown Winter Blast Goes 'XL' For Super Bowl XL - 14-Block Festival Celebrates City, Embraces the Cold and Offers Cool Backdrop For Super Bowl

Motown Winter Blast Goes 'XL' For Super Bowl XL - 14-Block Festival Celebrates City, Embraces the Cold and Offers Cool Backdrop For Super Bowl

Motown Recording Artist KEM Announced as First National Act for Motown Winter Blast

DETROIT, Jan. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Detroit Super Bowl XL Host Committee Chairman Roger Penske and Jonathan Witz, Motown Winter Blast Producer and President of Jonathan Witz & Associates, announced details for the upcoming Motown Winter Blast, created as the backdrop for Super Bowl XL. Happening February 2-5, the event will occupy more than 14 city blocks in the heart of downtown Detroit, and feature activities such as dog sledding and ice sculptures, performances by Olympic figure skaters and 60 musical acts including Motown recording artist KEM, whose hit single "I Can't Stop Loving You" was designated by Radio & Records Number One Urban Adult Contemporary Song of the Year and he was named Number One Adult R&B Artist of the Year. The event attracted more than 200,000 people for its debut last year and is expected to entertain more than 250,000 Detroiters and visitors celebrating Super Bowl XL weekend. Nearly 1,000 volunteers will bring the event to life as one of the biggest festivals in Detroit history.

Additional speakers at today's press conference included Susan Sherer, Executive Director of the Detroit Super Bowl XL Host Committee; Anthony Adams, Deputy Mayor, City of Detroit; Tom Lewand, Executive VP and Chief Operating Officer, Ford Field/Detroit Lions; Rod Gillum, Vice President, Corporate Responsibility and Diversity, General Motors; Jim Vella, Ford Motor Company; Levin Weiss, Senior Manager of Civic and Community Relations, DaimlerChrysler; and George Zimmermann, Senior Vice President, Travel Michigan.

"We intend to deliver one of the best Super Bowl experiences in NFL history," stated Roger Penske. "Motown Winter Blast is an integral part in delivering that successful Super Bowl experience."

"Detroit is a great city with great people and we are ready to host the world for Super Bowl XL," said Detroit Mayor Kwame M. Kilpatrick. "This is our time to shine and show the world we are a Super Bowl city."

Motown Winter Blast features hip and fun outdoor entertainment zones, including the General Motors Ice Garden, Ford Motor Company Family Fun Zone, Dodge Chrysler Jeep(R) Taste of Detroit and the michigan.org Winter Experience. The event is free and open to the public from 4 p.m. - 12 a.m. Thursday, 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 a.m. Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. on Sunday.

New elements include:
* 14 blocks of fun - The 2006 Motown Winter Blast is three times the size
of the inaugural 2005 event
* NFL merchandise booths with official Super Bowl XL souvenirs in all
zones
General Motors Ice Garden
* 32 seven-foot ice sculptures representing each national NFL team's logo
* Detroit Marketplace packed with unique products and the best of Detroit
shopping
* Sprint Stage will host free concerts by national acts with some of
music's hottest performers (to be announced in the coming weeks)
Ford Motor Company Family Fun Zone
* A new line-up of skating events featuring stars such as Todd Eldredge
and Jason Dungjen
* Free children's winter wonderland play area with snow hills
Dodge Chrysler Jeep(R) Taste of Detroit
* More restaurants and entertainment - 60 performances and a choice of 40
restaurants for any taste
* Three music stages showcasing free concerts by local artists
michigan.org Winter Experience
* Snowmobiling exhibitions on Saturday at the michigan.org Winter
Experience
* Double the dogs than in 2005 - more than 60 dogs will take part in a
dog sledding exhibition
* Two additional lanes on the 200-foot-long snow slide, resulting in four
lanes - double the fun from last year

The four-day event is being produced by Jonathan Witz, President of Jonathan Witz & Associates. "In creating this event, we researched some really cold winter events, taking into consideration fun for the family and celebrating what's great about winter in Michigan. Last year was a huge success and we promise an even more spectacular event in 2006 -- the perfect backdrop for Super Bowl XL," stated Witz.

In the tradition of outdoor festivals at events such as the Winter Olympics, Motown Winter Blast features:

* General Motors Ice Garden - Sprint Stage featuring national
entertainment. Motown recording artist KEM was announced as the first
national act. Additional national acts will be announced in the coming
weeks. Giant ice sculptures representing each of the 32 NFL teams will
amaze attendees. The new Detroit Marketplace will feature local
artists and vendors.
* Ford Motor Company Family Fun Zone - This zone will offer free ice
skating in Campus Martius Park compliments of Ford Motor Company, Model
T rides and an afternoon with Red Wings alumni. Skating celebrities
Todd Eldredge, Yuka Sato, Elizabeth Punsalan and 2006 Olympic hopeful
Alissa Czinsy will perform. Detroit Skating Club will also be on hand
for live demonstrations. This zone also features the Meijer Kid's
Stage providing a wide variety of children's activities.
* Dodge Chrysler Jeep(R) Taste of Detroit - A taste of Detroit's finest
cuisine and top musical acts, 40 local restaurants and more than 60
local bands performing a mix of rock, R&B, jazz, country and other
music genres. Three stages include the Dodge Chrysler Jeep(R) R&B/Jazz
Stage, Fifth Third Bank Stage for a mix of music styles, and a Rock
Stage in Greektown.
* michigan.org Winter Experience - Located right next to Campus Martius
Park, this zone will bring several fun winter events inherent to
northern Michigan such as dog sledding, snowshoeing and snowmobile
demonstrations right to the heart of downtown Detroit. The
michigan.org Winter Experience will also feature a giant 200-foot-long
snow slide, with double the lanes of the 2005 Motown Winter Blast.

Additionally, Winter Blast officials have created "DTE Energy Comfort Zones," where festival revelers can get "heat every 150 feet" to warm up from wintry weather.

"We are extremely grateful to our sponsors and partners that make Motown Winter Blast possible," said Susan Sherer, Executive Director of the Detroit Super Bowl XL Host Committee. "We have created an incredible backdrop for Super Bowl XL and we're excited to share it with the world."

Motown Winter Blast sponsors include General Motors Corporation; Ford Motor Company; DaimlerChrysler Corporation; michigan.org; AAA Michigan; Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network; BlueWater Technologies; Chase; Comerica Incorporated; Coors Brewing Company; DTE Energy; Fifth Third Bank; Gillette; Lear Corporation; Meijer, Inc; Motorola; Pepsi; Sharpie; Sprint; Visa and Visteon Corporation.

Media sponsors include Arab American News; Chum Group; Clear Channel Broadcasting; Comcast Cable; Crain's Detroit Business; Detroit Free Press; Greater Media Detroit; Journal Register Company; Infinity Broadcasting; Metro Times; michigan.org; Michigan Chronicle & Michigan FrontPAGE Newspapers; Observer and Eccentric Newspapers; Radio One; WDIV-TV Local 4; WDVD - 96.3 FM; WJBK-TV FOX 2; News/Talk 760 WJR-AM and WXYZ-TV Channel 7.

For additional information on the Motown Winter Blast, visit http://www.motownwinterblast.com/ or call 313.963.8418.

The Detroit Super Bowl XL Host Committee (http://www.sbxl.org/ ) is a private, self-funded non-profit organization serving as the official liaison between the National Football League and the metro Detroit community to prepare for Super Bowl XL in 2006. Coordinating efforts with the hospitality, government and corporate officials, the Host Committee was formed as part of the bid process specified by the NFL and crafted to suit metro Detroit's needs.

Source: Detroit Super Bowl XL Host Committee

CONTACT: Heather Shimkos George, +1-313-832-2210 x14,
cell: +1-248-417-5773, hjg@loviogeorgeinc.com , or Aamira Bussey,
+1-313-832-2210 x17, cell: +1-734-546-1476, akb@loviogeorgeinc.com, both of
lovio|george|inc, for Detroit Super Bowl XL Host Committee

Web site: http://www.motownwinterblast.com/
http://www.sbxl.org/

-------
Profile: intent