Anyone who attended the Little Big Town concert at the Sandy Creek Barn amphitheater back in July isn’t likely to forget it. And that, says Tim Hong, Chief Operating Officer for Reynolds Lake Oconee, is precisely the point.
"We heard from so many Members after the event with the same theme: 'what a great time we had with our family, our neighbors, our friends.' This is our goal here at Reynolds, creating unique experiences that turn into wonderful memories. It's why we do what we do."
The concert was featured on Country Music Television (CMT) on Friday, August 12 at 9:00 pm ET as part of their “Summer Camp” series. CMT sent Hong a copy of the show a few days ago and he says, “I’ve watched it dozens of times already.” Every time he does, besides enjoying the music and reliving the night, he remembers how quickly the show came together.
“Reynolds Lake Oconee was the perfect location for our very first CMT Summer Camp concert special,” said Margaret Comeaux, Senior Vice President of Production, Music & Events, CMT. “It’s a place that truly embodies some of our favorite things about summer: incredible live music with friends at a gorgeous lakeside setting.”
Pulling it together involved just about everyone at Reynolds. The events team, food and beverage, Sporting Grounds, marketing, and even the golf maintenance crew, which prepared the site.
“It was all hands on deck,” according to Hong. “We’ve shown before, like at the LPGA event we held in 2020, that sometimes our best work is done in a short amount of time. This was no different, and I’m thrilled to say that everyone rose to the occasion.”
According to Comeaux, “The greatest successes are born of incredible partnerships, and the Reynolds team has been an amazing partner to CMT since our very first conversations over two years ago. We knew instantly it was the perfect location for us to film a special, we just needed the right group of artists at the right time to make it complete.”
Fast forward to us booking one of CMT’s favorite bands – the award winning Little Big Town – and the dream summer concert lineup was in place. Not only did timing align perfectly to the release of their new album, Mr. Sun, but some of their all-time greatest songs (“Day Drinking” and “Pontoon” among many others) give way to the ultimate summertime soundtrack. From there, production moved quickly and was able to do so because of all the “great teamwork from Reynolds and Little Big Town,” Comeaux said.
“Now, we’re ready for the rest of the world to experience our one-of-a-kind concert event CMT Summer Camp,” Comeaux added. “Between the incredible performances from Little Big Town to the unbeatable surroundings at Reynolds, we know fans at home will be just as excited to tune-in as the 2,000+ fans who got to experience it live during that hot summer night in Georgia.”
Hong is already talking to CMT about the next event because music, he says, is an integral part of the Reynolds experience.
“Music is a logical fit to our lifestyle. Our vision at Reynolds is to offer services and amenities that create the ideal lifestyle. Just like sports, music brings people together and creates community. It’s a natural part of what we’re here to do.”
“We have Rhythm & Brews coming in October, along with more Sandy Creek Sessions. We’re going to continue to evolve the ‘Rhythm of Reynolds’ and keep making it better.”
