DATE: MAY 4, 2021

FROM: MARCEE RONDAN

VIRGINIA-BASED
PURPOSE DRIVEN EVENTS
EXPANDS FOOTPRINT TO INCLUDE
‘BLUE RIDGE AMPHITHEATER,’
ENTERTAINMENT VENUE ‘THE RIDGE’
‘BLUE RIDGE ROCK FESTIVAL’
AND MORE EVENTS IN 2021

Following their announcements about a new amphitheater, an updated entertainment complex and their signature event, the Blue Ridge Rock Festival, PURPOSE DRIVEN EVENTS have announced plans for a wide-ranging series of events in Fall 2021.

Earlier this year, PURPOSE DRIVEN EVENTS revealed plans to open the Blue Ridge Amphitheater, a long-awaited large-scale concert venue in Southwest Virginia. The 35,000-capacity outdoor festival site will be developed on nearly 300 acres of land (just off Route 29 on the Chatham-Danville line) and will be convenient for fans from neighboring cities including Lynchburg, Roanoke, Danville, and Greensboro. The layout for the event space will be scalable, allowing for capacities from 5,000-35,000 attendees in order to accommodate music festivals and full-scale tour stops from leading performers. Visit the site’s website and social media to sign up for up-to-the-minute news and follow on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

PURPOSE DRIVEN EVENTS’ Chief Executive Officer JONATHAN SLYE says, “Blue Ridge Amphitheater is a massive game-changer for this market. While we have been able to bring many notable acts to this region in recent years, the launch of this venue will allow us to deliver a tier of talent many did not believe could routinely come. It also gives us the opportunity to unlock a higher level of event features and experiences, beyond just music, due to the significant volume of land we now have to work with year-round. This is another exciting, massive step to provide the highest quality of entertainment to a community that I have grown to love so dearly.”

The amphitheater news came on the heels of PURPOSE DRIVEN EVENTS’ purchase of THE RIDGE (formerly known as Phase 2 and Cattle Annies), a 31,000 square-foot entertainment venue. Beyond significant improvements to the space, the facility will embody four key principles–passion, integrity, sustainability, and the fans–while also plotting a more diverse portfolio of events including non-music events (comedy, car shows, and mixed martial arts). Additional updates to improve the customer experience include an updated and expanded stage and enhanced backstage area, an all-new sound and lighting system, additional bartenders and bar stations, faster internet and point of sale systems which will elevate serving speeds significantly, enhanced security to drastically improve the safety and hospitality of the venue, along with a complete redesign of the box office and entry process reducing wait times for patrons. Stay tuned for updates about the venue via the website and social media: Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Meanwhile, the company’s signature event, the BLUE RIDGE ROCK FESTIVAL, is poised for its largest year yet. Set for September 9–12, 2021, the festival’s initial line-up is being revealed via social media. Acts are being announced daily via the festival’s social media, with the full lineup set to be announced in late May. Some of the already confirmed bands include Five Finger Death Punch, Limp Bizkit, Shinedown, Megadeth, Lamb of God, The Ghost Inside (Rare Comeback Show), Cypress Hill (30th Anniversary), Gojira, Skillet, Theory of a Deadman, Anthrax (40th Anniversary) and Black Label Society. Tickets for the event can be purchased here. Follow on social media Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Beyond Blue Ridge Rock, PURPOSE DRIVEN EVENTS is building on their brand with plans to announce a series of Fall events at the Blue Ridge Amphitheater. These include Blue Ridge Country Festival and Blue Ridge BBQ & Bourbon Festival as well as additional festivals. News on the upcoming events and further details on the aforementioned festivals will be revealed in the coming months.

“I have spent the last several years studying, and most importantly, listening to entertainment lovers in this area,” SLYE explains about the company’s growth plans. “I believe wholeheartedly we are going to present them with a venue that encapsulates all of the many components they have longed for, while staying true to the heart of this local community.”

About PURPOSE DRIVEN EVENTS

PURPOSE DRIVEN EVENTS is the new umbrella organization for events led by Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Slye. The name of the entity falls in line with their mission to provide a purpose behind each event produced that goes far beyond just music. With their headquarters in small town Virginia, and originating from a decade of very humble beginnings, the group continues to expand its footprint and is developing into one of the fastest rising promoters in the industry. The company and Slye are best known for producing the annual Blue Ridge Rock Festival, a locally developed event founded at DeVault Vineyards, and known as “The Fan Driven Rock Experience.” Following the event’s breakout year in 2019, Blue Ridge became a full-time operation heading into last year. Though the top eleven acts were never announced for the 2020 iteration, the festival forced to postpone due to the pandemic. While live events have largely disappeared over the last year, Purpose Driven Events has expanded significantly in that time. The company now has a full staff successfully recruiting over a dozen major players in the music business from across the country, to join their team locally to maximize results.

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