Oak Ridge Today

State hospitality, tourism group honors M&M Productions worker as employee of year

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Barry Dunford

Barry Dunford

Barry Dunford, audiovisual manager for M&M Productions USA, which is based in Oak Ridge, has been named Tennessee Hospitality and Tourism Association employee of the year in the small business category. The award recognizes Dunford’s work for the Knoxville Convention Center, a press release said.

Dunford manages operations and sales for audiovisual services within the Knoxville Convention Center. That’s one of M&M Productions’ venue-based service clients. The company provides a full-time, on-site employee to cover audiovisual needs for every event, the press release said.

“Having Barry and M&M Productions on-site makes our events more successful,” said Mary Bogert, general manager of the Knoxville Convention Center. “His expertise and the company’s turnkey approach in audiovisual technology, lighting, staging, special effects, and overall production enhance all of our clients’ events.” [Read more…]

M&M Productions wins award for outstanding service, supplier of year

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M&M Productions USA Pauly Awards 2015

Mike Brown, president and CEO of M&M Productions USA, right, accepts the Greater Knoxville Hospitality Association Pauly Awards for the Service/Supplier of the Year. Mary Bogert, general manager of the Knoxville Convention Center, left, nominated M&M Productions USA for the honor. (Submitted photo)

 

M&M Productions USA, a company based in Oak Ridge, has won the 2015 Pauly Award as the Outstanding Service/Supplier of the Year by the Greater Knoxville Hospitality Association.

The award was presented at the 11th Annual Pauly Awards, sponsored by the University of Tennessee Tourism Institute and Visit Knoxville, a press release said.

“Since 1988, our company has worked hard to ensure our clients in East Tennessee and across the country receive excellent customer service,” said Mike Brown, president and chief executive officer of M&M Productions USA. “We offer a one-stop service for our clients regardless of if they need to produce an event, live broadcast, or video. We have the equipment and experienced staff to exceed their expectations. We are honored to receive this award from the Greater Knoxville Hospitality Association recognizing our team’s hard work.”

M&M Productions USA received the award at the 11th Annual Pauly Awards sponsored by the University of Tennessee Tourism Institute and Visit Knoxville. [Read more…]

ET hospitals, health departments sponsor community forum on Ebola

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Ebola Virus

A colorized transmission electron micrograph (TEM) revealing some of the ultrastructural morphology displayed by an Ebola virus virion.
(Photo credit: Frederick A. Murphy/Public Health Image Library (PHIL))

All the hospital systems and facilities in the Knoxville area have joined with the Knox County Health Department to sponsor an unprecedented community forum to educate the public about Ebola and address any questions and concerns about the disease, a press release said.

The East Tennessee Health Forum on Ebola is open to the public and will begin at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, October 21, in the auditorium on the lower level of the Knoxville Convention Center. Parking will be available in the Poplar Street parking lot across Cumberland Avenue from the center and free in city garages, including nearby Locust Street Garage.

Medical experts from the Knox County Health Department, Blount Memorial Hospital, Covenant Health, East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, TeamHealth, Tennova Health System, and the University of Tennessee Medical Center will discuss the disease, its treatment, and the measures being taken to protect the public. [Read more…]

UT, ORNL, NASA, TVA help robotic ‘football’ kick off this week

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FIRST Robotics' Aerial Assist

This image shows what a game of FIRST Robotics’ Aerial Assist, a football-like game played by robots, might look like. (Photo courtesy University of Tennessee)

KNOXVILLE—Football season is still months away, but those needing a quick fix before fall can get a chance to see a version of the game played by competitors functioning like well-oiled machines.

The FIRST Robotics Competition Smoky Mountain Regional returns to the Knoxville Convention Center March 26-29, and is centered around a game featuring strong elements from football and soccer called Aerial Assist.

The idea behind Aerial Assist is that the 50 teams at the competition—from as far away as St. Louis and as close as the L&N STEM Academy across World’s Fair Park—will each build a robot capable of throwing, kicking, or running with a round ball with the goal of scoring a goal at each end of a field, or one capable of playing defense.

The University of Tennessee’s College of Engineering in Knoxville helps sponsor the event along with various technology and industry organizations such as NASA, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and the Tennessee Valley Authority. [Read more…]

Federal safety board to discuss Y-12 nuclear safety

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Y-12 National Security Complex Sign

A federal board meeting on nuclear safety at the Y-12 National Security Complex has been rescheduled for Dec. 10.

A federal board meeting on nuclear safety at the Y-12 National Security Complex has been rescheduled for Dec. 10.

The day-long public meeting and hearing of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board had originally been scheduled for Oct. 22. But it was postponed because of the partial federal government shutdown that started Oct. 1 and ended Oct. 17.

The board will still meet at the Knoxville Convention Center, and the meeting will still include two sessions. The first is from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 10, and the second is from 2 to 6 p.m. [Read more…]

Nuclear safety board to discuss aging Y-12 buildings, new Uranium Processing Facility

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Y-12 National Security Complex Aerial View

The federal Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board will meet in Knoxville in October to discuss, among other things, the risks associated with continuing to operate old buildings involved in weapons work at the Y-12 National Security Complex, pictured above, and the progress made in the past year to incorporate safety into the design of the multi-billion dollar Uranium Processing Facility.

The federal Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board will meet in Knoxville in October to discuss, among other things, the risks associated with continuing to operate old buildings involved in weapons work at the Y-12 National Security Complex—and the progress made in the past year to incorporate safety into the design of the multi-billion dollar Uranium Processing Facility.

The day-long meeting, which is open to the public, will include two sessions on Oct. 22 at the Knoxville Convention Center. [Read more…]

Knoxville Convention Center picks local company for audio, visual work

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The Knoxville Convention Center has picked an Oak Ridge company to provide audio and visual services for its events.

M&M Productions USA was selected from a field of three companies, a press release said.

[Read more…]