Free Concert Event Combines Music, Fashion, Technology
INDIANAPOLIS, June 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Teens coast-to-coast
will enjoy some of their favorite pop-music stars while exploring what's
new in technology, fashion and fun during the 2008 Simon dTOUR Live
Presented by ABC Family, a free, live concert and lifestyle event touring
24 Simon malls nationwide this summer, it was announced today.
Simon dTOUR Live, developed by Simon Brand Ventures, the business-to-
consumer arm of Simon Property Group, Inc. (NYSE: SPG), will run from
mid-June through late August.
The biggest teen mall tour in America, Simon dTOUR Live lets teens hear
some of their favorite musicians live while enjoying their favorite brands
through interactive games, online contests, and other activities sponsored
by ABC Family, Coca-Cola, and Sprint.
"Simon dTOUR Live showcases some of the pop-rock acts that today's
teens love most, which is one reason why it has become the most significant
mall tour targeting teens," said Cathi Weiner, senior vice president, Simon
Brand Ventures. "In the past, we have showcased high-profile young stars
working their way up the charts, including Ashlee Simpson, Taylor Swift,
Plain White T's, Brooke Hogan, and others while they were building their
early followings," Weiner said. "Today, through partnering with Universal
Music Group Distribution, we've evolved into a vehicle sought by
pop-rockers after they hit it big, like the platinum-selling All American
Rejects, and chart-climbers Forever the Sickest Kids, and Kate Voegele,
just to name a few," she said.
A Cursive Memory has also signed on to the tour. The band's first
video, "Everything," set a new record on MySpace.com for the most-viewed
video by a pop-rock band. This year's line-up also includes Switches, Push
Play, SAFETYSUIT, and PlayRadioPlay.
The tour launches June 13 in Nashua, N.H., and wraps on August 24 in
the Chicago area after visiting 24 Simon malls across the country,
including nine Mills-branded properties.
This year, aspiring musicians are invited to get in on the act with the
2008 Simon dTOUR Live Video Booth. Those with a penchant for performing can
sing along with their favorite songs and then email their performance to
their friends, as well as upload it onto the official dTOUR Web site,
http://www.simondtour.com, for voting by other dTOUR fans. The top-vote-getter
will get the chance to see his or her performance broadcast across 49 Simon
malls from coast to coast on Simon's own OnSpot Digital Network.
"Simon dTOUR Live has become a full, 360-degree interactive event where
sponsors are able to interact with young people in their element-hearing
their favorite bands live at a Simon Mall, downloading songs or ringtones,
posting photos on Myspace.com\roadie4dtour, and connecting with other dTOUR
attendees at Facebook.com," Weiner said. "This year's tour will be more
innovative and connected than ever before."
For example, she said, fans who register at http://www.simondtour.com become
eligible to win meet-and-greet sessions with their favorite dTOUR artists,
get autographs, pose for photos with the musicians, and become eligible to
win a $250 Simon Visa Giftcard shopping spree through a drawing prior to
the event. Sponsors and their planned activities include:
-- ABC Family - ABC Family will give teens the chance to get creative by
designing their own T-shirt or tote bag with different designs and
logos from shows, and audience members will be invited on stage to
participate in the exciting ABC Family Puzzle Race.
-- Coca-Cola - Consumers can enjoy the Coke sampling area, equipped with
state-of-the-art, interactive, touch-screen vending machines never
before seen in the U.S., featuring music, video, and more. Coke will
give away eight specially designed, limited-edition "West Meets East"
8.5 oz aluminum bottles, while supplies last. Teens will also have the
chance to design their very own unique digital Coke bottle online.
Finally, teens can have their picture taken with simulated versions of
our Coke Olympic Athletes, which they can pick up at the Simon dTOUR
Live Web site using photo retrieval cards distributed at the event.
-- Sprint - Sprint will showcase the latest in cell-phone technology and
accessories in conjunction with their partners -- Sanyo, Samsung, Palm,
LG, Sandisk, Skinit, Jabra & Glu. Teens will also have the opportunity
to play Plinko and win prizes for matching popular text anagrams.
Throughout the event, Sprint will shower audience members with special
giveaways.
Simon dTOUR Live is the cornerstone of Simon's teen platform, which
integrates tailored brand sponsorships with exciting and interactive
entertainment, events and concerts. The program illustrates Simon Brand
Ventures' ability to engage consumers and retailers with a fully integrated
multi-media experience at the point-of-sale.
Simon will support the 2008 Simon dTOUR Live Presented by ABC Family
with television, Simon's OnSpot Digital Network, radio, peer-to-peer viral
marketing and other online initiatives. Additional information, including
the event schedule, is located at http://www.simondtour.com.
Editors Note: Performer bios and photos are available upon request from
Susan Luke at susan.luke@fleishman.com Additional artist information also
available on their respective websites:
All American Rejects
http://www.allamericanrejects.com/home.aspx
http://www.myspace.com/allamericanrejects
A Cursive Memory
http://grid.vagrant.com/grid/ecards/acursivememory/acm.html
http://www.myspace.com/acursivememory
Forever The Sickest Kids
http://www.foreverthesickestkids.com/default.asp
http://www.myspace.com/foreverthesickestkids
Kate Voegele
http://www.katevoegele.com/
http://www.myspace.com/katevoegele
Play Radio Play
http://playradioplay.com/prp/
http://www.myspace.com/playradioplay
The Switches
http://www.switchesmusic.net/
http://www.myspace.com/switchesmusic
Push Play
http://www.pushplaysite.com
http://www.myspace.com/pushplayrox
SAFETYSUIT
http://www.myspace.com/safetysuit
About Simon Property Group
Simon Property Group, Inc. is an S&P 500 company and the largest public
U.S. real estate company. Simon is a fully integrated real estate company
which operates from five retail real estate platforms: regional malls,
Premium Outlet Centers(R), The Mills(R), community/lifestyle centers and
international properties. It currently owns or has an interest in 382
properties comprising 260 million square feet of gross leasable area in
North America, Europe and Asia. The Company is headquartered in
Indianapolis, Indiana and employs more than 5,000 people worldwide. Simon
Property Group, Inc. is publicly traded on the NYSE under the symbol SPG.
For further information, visit the Company's website at http://www.simon.com.
About Simon Brand Ventures
Simon Brand Ventures (SBV), Simon's business-to-consumer arm, is
pioneering the transformation of shopping centers into a medium where
consumer brands can build relationships with Simon shoppers who make over
2.8 billion visits each year. Simon's vast franchise of market-leading
shopping centers nationwide provides SBV the foundation to monetize the
distribution system through numerous consumer ventures. SBV has engaged in
a number of consumer business initiatives, including the Simon Visa
Giftcard(R), launch of Simon platform programs such as Simon dTOUR Live(R),
Simon Kidgits Club(R) and Simon Super Chefs Live!(R); a national media
delivery channel including static, digital and experiential marketing and
advertising vehicles, including the OnSpot Digital Network; and multiple
national and local marketing alliances with Coca-Cola, Visa U.S.A. and
Cingular Wireless, among others.
About OnSpot Digital Network
OnSpot Digital Network is a 50/50 venture between Publicis Groupe, the
world's fourth largest communications company, and Simon Property Group.
OnSpot Digital Network is a new digital media channel that transmits
digital lifestyle programming and advertising via broadband networks on
high- definition plasma displays in 49 premier Simon Malls in New York, Los
Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Boston and other major markets across the
country.
About ABC Family
Part of the Disney-ABC-TV Group, ABC Family, distributed in over 95
million homes, features original movies, series and specials reflecting
today's families and entertaining and connecting with adults through
relevant stories about today's relationships, all told with diversity,
dysfunction, passion, humor and heart. ABC Family's programming is a mix of
quality acquired series and theatricals as well as original movies and
scripted dramas. ABC Family is also the destination for Holiday events with
"13 Nights of Halloween" and "25 Days of Christmas" branded programming
events. ABC Family. A New Kind of Family.
About Universal Music Group Distribution
Universal Music Group Distribution (UMGD) has been the industry market
share leader for the past nine years and consists of four major divisions:
Universal Music Distribution (UMD), Fontana, Vivendi Entertainment (VE),
and UMGD Digital. UMD handles the distribution and sales for such labels as
Universal Motown Republic Group, Island Def Jam Music Group, Interscope
Geffen A&M Records, A&M/Octone Records, MCA Nashville, Universal Records
South, Lost Highway, Mercury Nashville, Verve Music Group, Decca Label
Group, Universal Music Latino, Universal Music Enterprises, Hip-O, UTV,
Sanctuary Records, Univision Music Group, Disa, Machete Music, ABKCO,
Concord Music Group, Hollywood, Emusica, Lyric Street, RMM, Thump, Rounder,
Fonovisa, Varese Sarabande, Walt Disney, Big Machine, Show Dog Records and
VI Music Records, Sybersound, Hidden Beach, Palm Pictures, and Universal
Music Christian Group among many others. Fontana is the company's
independent sales, marketing and distribution arm, VE is its theatrical and
home entertainment division, and UMGD Digital manages and distributes all
of Universal Music Group's digital assets, including mobile.
SIMON dTOUR LIVE
2008 TOUR
EVENT DATES & TIMES
DATE EVENT TIMES SIMON MALL FEATURE HEADLINER
June 13 3:00PM-9:00PM PHEASANT LANE MALL Kate Voegele
Boston - Nashua,
New Hampshire
June 14 3:00PM-9:00PM EMERALD SQUARE MALL A Cursive Memory
Boston - North Attleborough,
Massachusetts
June 21 3:00PM-9:00PM ROOSEVELT FIELD A Cursive Memory
New York - Garden City, Push Play
New York
June 22 12:00PM-6:00PM SMITH HAVEN MALL Kate Voegele
New York - Lake Grove,
New York
June 27 3:00PM-9:00PM OCEAN COUNTY MALL Forever The Sickest Kids
New York - Toms River, Switches
New Jersey
June 28 3:00PM-9:00PM MONTGOMERY MALL Kate Voegele
Philadelphia - North Wales,
Pennsylvania
June 29 12:00PM-6:00PM OXFORD VALLEY MALL Switches
Philadelphia - Langhorne, Your Vegas
Pennsylvania
July 2 3:00PM-9:00PM ARUNDEL MILLS Kate Voegele
Baltimore - Hanover, MD
July 8 3:00PM-9:00PM VIRGINIA CENTER COMMONS Kate Voegele
Richmond - Glen Allen,
Virginia
July 10 3:00PM-9:00PM CONCORD MILLS A Cursive Memory
Charlotte - Concord, SAFETY SUIT
North Carolina
July 13 1:00PM-7:00PM OPRY MILLS SAFETYSUIT
Nashville - Nashville,
Tennessee
July 18 3:00PM-9:00PM TOWN CENTER AT COBB TBD
Atlanta - Kennesaw,
Georgia
July 19 3:00PM-9:00PM DISCOVER MILLS Kate Voegele
Atlanta - Lawrenceville,
Georgia
July 20 12:00PM-6:00PM MALL OF GEORGIA The All-American Rejects
Atlanta - Buford,
Georgia
July 25 3:00PM-9:00PM TYRONE SQUARE TBD
Tampa - St. Petersburg,
Florida
July 29 3:00PM-9:00PM KATY MILLS The All-American Rejects
Houston - Katy, Texas
August 1 3:00PM - 9:00PM GRAPEVINE MILLS PlayRadioPlay
Dallas - Grapevine,
Texas
August 3 12:00PM-6:00PM LAKELINE MALL Kate Voegele
Austin - Cedar Park,
Texas
August 9 1:00PM-7:00PM LAGUNA HILLS MALL Kate Voegele
Los Angeles - Laguna Hills, A Cursive Memory
California
August 10 12:00PM-6:00PM THE BLOCK AT ORANGE Plain White T's
Los Angeles - Orange,
California
August 16 3:00PM-9:00PM MAPLEWOOD MALL A Cursive Memory
Minneapolis - St. Paul,
Minnesota
August 17 12:00PM-6:00PM SOUTHDALE CENTER Kate Voegele
Minneapolis - Edina,
Minnesota
August 23 3:00PM-9:00PM GURNEE MILLS Kate Voegele
Chicago - Gurnee,
Illinois
August 24 12:00PM-6:00PM ORLAND SQUARE Forever The Sickest Kids
Chicago - Orland Park,
Illinois
See Also
