The 6^th annual ASU Film Festival was going on April 24- April 26^th in Downtown Tempe. It was at the Harkins Valley Art Theatre and it was sold out for both nights. The event showcased the best short films by the students in the film department at ASU. There was a mix of dramas, comedies, and documentaries. The films were so creative and so professionally done. I attend the show every year because my son is a film student at the University. He won 1^st Place last year and 2^nd Place this year. I love seeing him and his friends winning all the awards at the festival. This is a group of young talented people who work hard and truly enjoy their craft.

It is always fun to go to Tempe for the event because the streets are overflowing with people everywhere and it is such a lively event. There are so many great restaurants on Mill Ave. to visit before and after the show. If you are enjoying a Vacation Rental in Scottsdale Arizona, you should certainly visit Tempe in the evening. It is such a bustling town with a lot of nightlife. The daytime is also packed with fun activities around Tempe Town Lake. It is a short drive from Scottsdale and a great addition to your Arizona vacation.

Celebrity Fight Night Charity Event

The star studded charity event in the valley on March 19^th is one of the nation’s most elite fundraisers in the country. They raise more that $65 million for the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center This year’s event features musical performances by rockers Matchbox Twenty and singer Kelly Clarkson, along with country singer Lee Greenwood, rocker Bret Michaels and “America’s Got Talent” finalist Jackie Evancho. Country music superstar Reba McEntire serves as emcee, and comedians Billy Crystal and Sinbad also perform. Kevin Costner and his band, Modern West, provide the after-party entertainment. Also attending the event are this year’s recipients of the Muhammad Ali Celebrity Fight Night awards: actress Halle Berry, GoDaddy CEO Bob Parsons, former NBA and NFL owner Red McCombs and LPGA Champion Cristie Kerr.

If you are in town on a Scottsdale Arizona vacation, it would be a great charity event to attend. There is a dinner with live music and lots of celebrities. The event is at the JW Marriott in Desert Ridge. It is very close to most of our Scottsdale Arizona vacation rentals. It is alot of fun and a great cause.

JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort and Spa

5350 E. Marriott Drive Phoenix, AZ, 85054

PHONE: 602-956-1121

March 19, 2011

www.celebrityfightnight.org www.jwdesertridgeresort.com

PRICE: $1500 – $5000 : $1,500-$5,000

There are art walks and other free events in Old Town Scottsdale every Thursday night. The festivities are in the Scottsdale Arts District and go from 7-9pm.There are dozens of art galleries that are open and the streets are filled with music, munchies, and more. It is a free event hosted by the Scottsdale Gallery Association and the City of Scottsdale.If you are a winter visitor and are having a Scottsdale Arizona Vacation, it is a fun activity. It is great to walk around in the early evening throughout the galleries, meeting the artists,  sharing the wine, and enjoying our great weather. It is all free and very entertaining.

Directions to ArtWalk:

• Located along Main Street and Marshall Way in Scottsdale Downtown
• Between Fifth Avenue on the north and Main Street on the south
• Between Scottsdale Civic Center on the east, and Goldwater Boulevard on the west.

Sedona Arizona Film Festival

If you are enjoying a Scottsdale Arizona Vacation, it is a short road trip up north to Sedona. It is gorgeous with the backdrop of the red rocks and breathtaking views. The 17^th Annual Sedona International Film Festival will be  going on Feb. 20-27^th. It features the best independent films from around the world .The scenery is stunning and there will be lots of celebrities and parties through out the week. It offers 145 full-length features, shorts, documentaries, animated films, foreign films, student films, and diverse workshops. It will be a great time for all our winter visitors that are renting vacation rentals in Scottsdale, Arizona weather you are a movie buff or just want to catch a glimpse of the many celebrities around town. You can call 928-282-1177  or email sedonafilmfestival.com for more information.

Phoenix Open History

The Phoenix Open first started in 1932, but there was not a lot of local support for this event so they cancelled the tournament after the 1935 season. Bob Goldwater brought this tournament back to life in 1939. Bob Goldwater was a great golfer and encouraged his friends who were members of the Thunderbirds organization into chairing the event. He had been very persuasive to his fellow Thunderbirds that they decided to support and revive the tournament and once again the Phoenix Open was reborn in 1939.

Most of the work had to be done by Bob Goldwater because he still had a lot of persuading of the Thunderbirds in his path. When Bob was committed to a plan he stayed committed and never once backed down. Some of the responsibilities that Bob Goldwater achieved all on his own included having a printer make up tickets, selling to sponsors, and making sure they could use the Phoenix Country Club as the venue. He also invited a handful of celebrity friends such as Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, and Ben Hogan.

In the 1939 revival of the Phoenix Open a young man named Byron Nelson won the first prize, which at the time was $700.00. The second place winner was Ben Hogan who received $450.00. Due to the revival by Bob Goldwater of the 1939 Phoenix Open tournament the Thunderbirds sponsored every tournament in its history with the exception of one tournament in 1943 and that was because there were restrictions during wartime.

Some of the players that have taken first place in the tournament over the years include Ben Hogan, Byron Nelson, Billy Casper, Jimmy Demaret, Gene Littler, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Johnny Miller, Miller Barber, Vijay Singh, Lee Janzen, Mark Calcavecchia, Phil Mickelson, and also Kenny Perry.

During the last 75 years the Phoenix Open has gone by several different names based on who the biggest sponsor of the event was at the time. Some of the names include Arizona Open, Western Open, The Phoenix Open, The Ben Hogan Invitational, The Waste Management Open and The FBR Open. The tournament started out at the Phoenix Country Club but has been played at the TPC Scottsdale for the last 23 years. The 2011 tournament will mark the 24^th year that the tournament has taken place at the TPC Scottsdale. The TPC Scottsdale hosts the most TPC tournaments on the PGA TOUR with exception to the TPC Sawgrass.

Because this event has become so fan friendly the course at the TPC Scottsdale attracts the biggest variety of all the golf tournaments in the world. When the Phoenix Open used to be held at the Phoenix Country Club its biggest turnout was in 1986 at 186,000 people. The biggest turn out at the TPC Scottsdale was 550,000 in 2008, in one day alone attendance reached 186,000 people.

The spectators have grown immensely through the years of the Phoenix Open and the grand purse prize has also grown to over 1 million dollars. Back in the 1930’s the grand prize was $700 and look to where that number has risen! In the 1991 Phoenix Open that was the first time the tournament had seen a million dollar purse. That 1991 Phoenix Open tournament was won by Nolan Henke and he went home with almost $200k.  The leader in monetary winnings from the Phoenix Open is Phil Mickelson who has taken over $2.5 million over 20 tournaments. The second highest monetary winner of the open is Kenny Perry with $2.1 million in 22 Phoenix Open appearances.

Contact one of the select property management companies near Phoenix, Scottsdale or the surrounding areas to rent vacation rentals that are up to par to stay for this event.

2011 Waste Management Phoenix Open

Calendar of Events

Monday  January 31^st, 2011

PGA Tours practice rounds

10am – TPC Stadium Course and Pro-Am

10:30 am –  Foundation for Dream Day Activities put on by the R.S Hoyt Jr. Family

Golf clinic for Junior Golfers which is sponsored by PING and it takes place on the TPC Championship range.

 Tuesday February 1^st,2011

PGA Tours practice rounds

11am – CBS hosts Special Olympics Open

                This event takes place at the TPC putting area, and the event features 10 athletes from the Special Olympics, 10 celebrity athletes, and 10 business leaders from around the local community. This event comes with your general admission entry fee and is the event lasts for around an hour.

6pm – Waste management Phoenix Open Invitation Only Opening Party.

 Wednesday February 2^nd, 2011

8:30am – Xerox / FBR Pro Am Tournament at The Players Club Scottsdale

10am  – Celebrity Scottsdale –AM takes place at the Grayhawk Raptor Golf Course.

3:30pm – The Shot at Glory Tournament takes place at the Tournament Players Club Scottsdale – During this event two golf fans with a little luck on their side along with local news personalities, and tournament legends will do a charity event where they tee it up and whoever gets closest to the pin wins. This competition usually features 30 players and takes place right after the FBR / Xerox tournament. All ticket holders are invited to the event which takes place at the TPC Scottsdale. This year all the proceeds raised will be donated to the Wounded Warrior Project which gives assistance to families of war heroes. There will many war veterans here for this event.

3:30pm Opening Day of the Coors Light Birds Nest.

Thursday February 3^rd,2011

7:30am – 1^st round of the Waste Management Phoenix Open

3:30 – Birds Nest opens

 Friday February 4^th, 2011

7:30am – 2^nd round of the Waste Management Phoenix Open

3:30 – Birds Best Opens

 Saturday February 5^th, 2011

9:45am – 3^rd round of the Waste Management Phoenix Open

3:30 – Birds Nest Opens

 Sunday February 6^th, 2011

9:45am – 4^th round of the Waste Management Phoenix Open Tournament 

The 2011 Waste Management Phoenix Open

Known as the greatest show on grass is the Waste Management Phoenix Open which takes place January 31, 2011- February 6, 2011. This world-renowned PGA tournament takes place at the TPC Scottsdale. The price for a general admission ticket is $25 per person and sponsor packages start at $300. This is an action filled event you will not want to miss! Children 17 years old and younger who attend with a parent receive free admission. You can purchase your ticket at the entrance gate during the week of the tournament or ahead of time up until January 19,2011 on www.ticketmaster.com or www.wmphoenixopen.com and Fry’s Marketplace Grocery Stores also sells them.

 Sponsor Packages

• If you opt to purchase a sponsor package you will receive four entry badges, which can be transferable to other people.
• You will also receive four general admission entries for Mon, Tues, and Thurs events
• · With the package you will receive a reserved parking pass which is valid for the entire week of the tournament.
• · You will also receive a complimentary Souvenir program for the Waste Management Phoenix Open.

 Discount ticket Packages Available

If you have a party of 100 persons or more you can receive a $5 discount per ticket which brings the general admission price down to $20 per person.

 Parking

Parking for the public is free and once you park you can take a free shuttle service which will drop you right at the gates of the tournament.

Directions

If you are driving from the WEST valley you will find the free parking lots located on Hayden and the Loop 101. If you are traveling eastbound you should exit on Hayden and head south to the free parking lot.

 If you are coming from the EAST valley you should park at West World. Too get to west world you will need to exit off the 101 freeway at Frank Lloyd Wright and then continue more north until you reach Bell Road. Stay on Bell Road until you reach 94^th Street and from there you should turn south to the entrance of the parking lot.

 The Shuttle which takes you to and from the tournament operates between the hours of 8am-6pm  on Mon and Tues. It will operate between the hours of 6:30am-11pm on Wed-Sat and between the hours of 6:30am-6:30pm on Sunday.

 The Coors Light Birds Nest

 This is the most sought after party in Scottsdale! Don’t miss the party or the action.

General Admission $25.00 per person Wed-Sat

VIP Admissions are $175 per person 10 Pack Deal is $6000.00 and includes 10 tickets for each night ( 40 Tickets in Total) from Wed – Sat

 This event only happens once a year for four nights. This is the party everyone will be talking about in 2011. The Birds Nest party happens in a tent in the park in Scottsdale.

 The party features excellent music, beautiful people, and raging party animals. This party has earned quite a status on the PGA TOUR. This event is like no show you have ever seen and it is hard to believe such a fantastic event takes place around such a prestigious golf tournament. The only event the Birds Nest could be compared to would be Mardi Gras in New Orleans or Spring Break in Lake Havasu.

 VIP Package

If you opt for the VIP package you will receive a hosted bar and a buffet that is catered. You will also get your own VIP entrance to the event at the Birds Nest.

The Barrett Jackson Collector Car Event takes place January 17-23, 2011 and

 takes place at West World in Scottsdale, AZ

You can watch live auction coverage on the SPEED Channel.

 Schedule of Events:  

Monday January 17, 2011  

8am         – Gates open and Vendors and Sponsors open their booths

8am-3pm -  Cox Communications hosts Family Values Day

8am-3pm -  Entertainment provided by Radio Disney

10am       – The Tilted Kilt Patio opens

12pm-3pm – Appearance by Cox Communications on digital

7pm-11pm – Event Opener Gala *This Event Requires an Invitation

9pm-10:30pm – Fashion Show hosted by Dillards and makeup artist from CHANEL

 Tuesday January 18th, 2011  

8am-close -Gates open and Vendors and Sponsors open their booths

10am – The Tilted Kilt Patio opens

9am-2pm Automobile Memorabilia Auction

2pm-close – Barrett Jackson Auto Auction

5pm – Auction for Twilight

5pm-10pm – Auction is live on the SPEED channel

7pm-9pm – Celebrity Fashion Walk Show

 Wednesday January 19th, 2011  

8am-close -Gates open and Vendors and Sponsors open their booths

8:45-10am – Automobile Memorabilia Auction

10am-Close – Barrett – Jackson Car Auction

10am-12pm – Women who are into Speed panel

5pm – Twilight hours Auction

5pm-10pm Auction is shown live on the SPEED Channel

 Thursday January 20th, 2011  

8am-close -Gates open and Vendors and Sponsors open their booths

10am – Tilted Kilt opens their patio

10am-11am – Corvette Seminar for the Sports Car market

8:45am-10am – Automobile memorabilia auction

10am-close – Barrett – Jackson Car auction

5pm – Twilight hours auction

5pm-10pm – Barrett Jackson Auto Auction shown live on SPEED channel

 Friday January 21st, 2011  

8am-close -Gates open and Vendors and Sponsors open their booths

8:45am-10am – Automobile Memorabilia Auction

10am – Tilted Kilt opens their patio

10am-close – Barrett – Jackson Car auction

10am – Car polishing Seminar

11:30am – tips on restoring your classic car seminar

2pm – Dynacone wheel polishing seminar

3:30 – How to remove polishing swirls seminar

5pm – Twilight hours auction

12pm-11pm – Barrett Jackson Auto Auction shown live on SPEED channel

 Saturday January 22nd, 2011  

8am-close -Gates open and Vendors and Sponsors open their booths

8:45am-10am – Automobile Memorabilia Auction

10am – Tilted Kilt opens their patio

10am-close – Barrett – Jackson Car auction

10am – Car polishing Seminar

11:30 am – How to restore headlights seminar

2pm – Dynacone wheel polishing seminar

3:30 – How to remove polishing swirls seminar

5pm – Twilight hours auction

12pm-11pm – Barrett Jackson Auto Auction shown live on SPEED channel

 Sunday January 23rd, 2011  

8am-close -Gates open and Vendors and Sponsors open their booths

8:45am-10am – Automobile Memorabilia Auction

10am – Tilted Kilt opens their patio

10am-close – Barrett – Jackson Car auction

10am – How to remove polishing swirls seminar

12pm-4pm Barrett Jackson Auto Auction shown live on SPEED channel

The Barrett Jackson

The Barrett Jackson started between two car enthusiasts back in the mid 1960’s and has grown to be one of the biggest and most prestigious auto auctions in the world. It all started in Scottsdale, AZ back when Scottsdale was just a Wild West town that had yet to establish its own identity. The founders were Russ Jackson and Tom Barrett and they came to know each other by a car advertisement. Tom Barrett had been selling his 1933 Cadillac V16 Town Car and the most interested buyer happened to be Russ Jackson. A deal was never struck between the two men but a lifelong friendship had been created by these two car enthusiasts.

The initial meeting of these two car guys is what became the foundation for the legacy that would become the Barrett Jackson auto auctions. In 1967 Russ Jackson and Tom Barrett hosted their first car auction which was called “Fiesta de los Elegantes.” The Fiesta de los Elegantes was initially started as a fundraiser to donate to local charities, which included the community arts and the Scottsdale Public Libraries.

In 1971 Russ and Tom joined their talents to present the company’s first car collector auction, which featured classic autos from the two men’s private auto collections. The big headline featured a Mercedes 770 Phaeton that was priced to sell at $153k and this got the attention of auto collectors from around the world.  The sale of this rare vehicle set the Barrett-Jackson name into motion around the world.

In the 80’s there was a massive growth in the car collector business with prices reaching unbelievable heights and also the participation among enthusiasts grew to numbers the industry had never known. The Barrett- Jackson team refused to just ride the popularity wave and instead set the standard for the entire collector car show industry.

Tom Barrett by all means had the rarest and best vehicles in the auction and he earned himself the name “Grandfather of the Collector Car Industry”, and Russ Jackson had the talent of finding the vehicles and restoring them to “cherry” status. At this point Russ found that he would be able to be more successful by bringing his two sons into the mix and their names are Brian Jackson and Craig Jackson and also his wife whose name is Nellie for she ran all of the inner office management operations.

The company continued to change through the 1990’s and grew bigger and bigger each year. Russ Jackson died in 1993 and his son Brian also died of cancer in 1995. Barrett decided to retire in 1997 and died seven years later. In 1997 Craig Jackson took the company to a new level as he had been involved very early in the game and had all the necessary talents to take this company to new heights.

Craig Jackson and his many talents lead the Barrett-Jackson to growth they had never known by a big expansion and state of the art innovations. The auction started to have live appearances on the SPEED channels in 1997. In that same year you were also able to place auction bids online. The 1998 auction brought 65% increase in sales, a 17 million dollar sale, and over 100,000 spectators came to the auction from all over the world. 1998 marked this event as a major cyber success over the World Wide Web. This year also brought about the introduction of a world-renowned fashion show.

Through the next few years the Barrett-Jackson became more famous for offering more Hot rods and muscle car categories. In 2005 the Barrett- Jackson became one of the first auction houses to offer cars for bid with no reserve pricing which translated into the winner of the car was the highest bidder. This concept brought Barrett- Jackson to even newer heights with the sales totals in 2006 reaching above $100 million. In 2007 they saw an increase to $112 million, and then the recession hit and numbers began to slide a bit like in 2008 they saw revenues of $88 million, 2009 saw $63 million and $68 million in 2010. The business model Craig Jackson used worked and showed immense profits and success. Although the dollars may have been down the attendance in the years of 2008-2010 reached over 400,000 people.

Due to all the success that has taken place in Scottsdale, AZ they even started an auction in the eastern US. The first auction on the east coast took place in 2003 in Palm Beach, Florida. Not only did they show up but they also enjoyed a tremendous success in auction sales and high numbers in attendance from spectators. In the 2009 auction they had earned over $20 million in revenue from the Palm Beach auction. These numbers were reached by the sale of 480 vehicles and the admission of over 1,000 bidders. In 2009 Barrett-Jackson first endorsed Collector Car Insurance, which was policies created specifically for car collectors.

Over the last fifty years Barrett-Jackson have brought a simple love of cars to a thriving and very successful business that continues to grow with each passing year. They had seen a slump in sales from 2008-2010 and were not going to rest on the fact that the economy was sluggish, instead they took more aggressive measures to grow the company in a vertical direction. They teamed up with an equity firm and have continued to grow their shows to the Las Vegas, Nevada area where they hosted the show at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino. This Las Vegas show saw profits of over $24 million which was the direct result of 533 auto sales and 50,000 spectators from around the world came to watch and bid.

In 2009 the owner of the company Craig Jackson decided to make an open commitment to bring the show to Orange County, California in 2010. In that show alone they were able to move 358 cars and had over 58,000 guests come to attend and watch the auction. The SPEED channel now has the auction on 18 hours a day of which all the coverage is live which brought profits to a level never seen before.

With all the changes and innovations this family run company makes they continue to strengthen their position on the worldwide stage. Because of the innovations made by Craig Jackson this sport can be enjoyed by more than just the ultra-wealthy and dealers but also by families and average auto enthusiasts. Every year marks a new success in the Barrett-Jackson legacy. 

Here is a cool drifting video we shot last time we went to the Auction.  Drifting at Barrett Jackson

We would like to remind all of our winter visitors that there are a ton of great activities and events to enjoy in town during your stay in a relaxing home rental in Arizona. Many people visit Arizona year-round due to the great weather, and many of these activities go hand in hand. You can enjoy the Insight Bowl and Fiesta Bowl, Barrett Jackson and the Arabian Horse Show, concerts and plays and so much more! They predict a warm winter for us, so we recommend you come and take full advantage of it. To begin, you need to contact the experts at Arizona Lodging Experts and find yourself a great property to rent. ALE (for short) offers Phoenix Arizona property management, rentals in Scottsdale, Phoenix, Goodyear, Anthem, Cave Creek, Fountain Hills, Mesa, Paradise Valley and Carefree. They excel in customer service and attention to detail to ensure you find a great property to rent. Call the experts today at 602-404-2982 and 866-785-2350.