Partnerships, Celebrity Appearances, and Studio Tapings Highlight Gibson Offerings

Austin, Texas…March 6, 2006...Gibson Guitar will play host to the music fans who will attend this year’s SXSW Conference held in Austin, Texas. Over the week-long conference, attendees will experience concerts, interactive conferences, special guest speakers, promotions, and events in 50-plus SXSW venues across the city. Austin claims more original music venues in a concentrated area than any other city in the world and has a reputation as a welcoming music lab. Gibson Guitar’s Austin Entertainment Relations team has partnered with local and national partners since the opening of the offices/showroom on South Congress in 2004.

Ray Benson

From an appearance by KT Tunstall for VH-1 at the Gibson showroom to the chance to get aboard the official Gibson tour bus, the SXSW schedule of Gibson Guitar events is a non-stop list of the best things to do while in Austin.

On Tuesday, March 14th, Gibson Guitar will partner with BMI for the “Howdy Texas Dinner” at Levi’s Dry Good Trading Post. Featuring acoustic performances by Curt Kirkwood and Christina Bell and the Gibson bus on site, the “Howdy Texas Dinner” has turned into a must-have ticket for the SXSW conference. Later that evening Gibson Guitar will help Ray Benson celebrate at the “Ray Benson Birthday Bash” at LaZona Rosa. As part of the festivities, five Gibson Art guitars will be auctioned off for the SIMS Foundation. Gary Clark Jr., Aaron Watson, Kinky Friedman, Ian Moore, Sonny Landreth, Jeff Healy, and Carolyn Wonderland are scheduled to perform.

The tapings for ME Television will continue into Wednesday with a special Gibson Tapas Happy Hour in the evening. Guests will have the chance to view a Les Paul double cutaway specially decorated by internationally renowned artist George Yepes that will be presented to Latin singing sensation JD Natasha in honor of her 18th birthday.

The Guitar Center Comedy Central Epiphone promotion is a daily event running through March 18th, 2006 at the Fader magazine/Guitar Center House on 6th Street. The event will host over 20 bands and over 10 DJs along with the chance for guests to win one of several Epiphone guitars being offered by Comedy Central. In addition, Gibson has joined with AT&T on the AT&T Gibson Interactive Area located at 4th & Colorado in the heart of downtown. The ever-popular Gibson pod station and Guitar Hero video game will be in place for all guests to experience what it feels like to be a rock star.

Gibson Guitar has also joined with Billboard magazine in hosting the annual SXSW Music Festival Party where acts like Jont, The Capes, Carina Round, Exit, People in Planes, and Giant Drag will all perform to standing-room-only crowds. Seattle based ScreenPlay will film video IDs with several artists at the Gibson Guitar Entertainment Showroom on South Congress. Gibson artists will stop by the showroom to tape these in-store and on-demand video segments for retail outlets across the U.S. Schedules of artist appearances are available to interested press. On the evening of March 16th, the SESAC Performing Songwriter event will take place at the Gibson Guitar Austin showroom where media and VIP guests will be entertained by Ray Wylie Hubbard, Gurf Morlix, Walt Wilkins, and Sam Baker.

The Grammy Town Hall meeting on Friday March 17th,at the Austin Convention Center in Room 12, will give attendees the opportunity to hear special announcements about Music Rising, Gibson’s current initiative to aid musicians of the Gulf Region. Press interested in covering are encouraged to inquire in advance.

As a finale, Gibson Guitar will bring the sounds of Latin music in a high-energy Latin Showcase on Saturday, March 18th, with a special performance by Sisters Morales, an acoustic Latin Folk Group. The showcase will begin at 6:00 pm and is guaranteed to provide a reason to dance and sing while enjoying the hospitality of Gibson Guitar in Austin. Earlier in the day the AP TX Showcase 2006 at Emo’s located at 603 Red River will host Gibson artist Ted Leo.

Throughout the SXSW Conference, the Gibson tour buses will serve as exclusive media oasis centers where press can conduct interviews and enjoy the privacy of their own “bus studio” with all the support facilities needed to service a story on-site. Guests may see the Gibson buses touring the city of Austin throughout the conference and one never knows who may step out of them at any time. The official Gibson tour buses offer the opportunity for celebrity sightings wherever they are.