The Guest Program is a social program designed for the enjoyment of the guests of conference registrants. Guest Program registration does not include access to any technical symposia or committee meetings. Guest Program activities for the registrants include:
On Sunday, March 24, guests will enjoy an afternoon to unwind and relax with other Guest Program attendees. The reception will last from 2 to 5 p.m. in the Bass Room at the Omni Nashville Hotel. Food and drinks will be provided.
Former First ladies of NACE will speak on their involvement in the arts community. Aida Garrity is an engineer who has served the industry 30 years in the pipeline sector. Her heart is caught between two worlds with her involvement in painting. She picked up her brushes in 2006, and she is now highly recognized as a talented painter. She has been inspired by Robert Henri's book, "The Art Spirit."
Janice Feather will speak about the history of art expressed in quilts from the Baltimore Album quilts of the 1840s through today. She will also speak about her own movement from traditional quilting to art quilting.
Jenny Didas, present first lady, will speak on the design of jewelry from natural stones, minerals and gems. She collects her beads and stones from the Gem Shows and in her travels around the world.
Aida Garrity
Janice Feather
Jenny Didas
Kick off CORROSION 2019 at the Nashville Music City Center on Sunday evening from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. with conference attendees and exhibitors. Drinks and hors-d'oeuvres will be provided.
Enjoy an expanded continental breakfast at the Omni Nashville Hotel on Monday through Wednesday, from 8 to 9:30 a.m.
Other activities are provided by local tour companies and the tour prices are listed below.
Space is limited on each tour. Tickets must be purchased in advance. If a minimum is not met a tour is subject to cancellation.
Saturday, March 23
7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Just minutes from downtown Chattanooga, TN, Lookout Mountain is the perfect destination for out of the ordinary experiences and amazing natural beauty. The Lookout Mountain attractions include three top-rated, world-famous natural attractions that showcase the natural beauty of Lookout Mountain and views of the Chattanooga Valley. Create memories you’ll treasure! Visit Lookout Mountain, and join in on the “Lookout Mountains of Fun”! Trek through Rock City’s natural wonders and “See Seven States” views, tour Ruby Falls, America’s deepest cave and largest underground waterfall accessible to the public, and ride the Incline Railway, the world’s steepest passenger railway. Your visit to Rock City will include a stroll through the 4,100-ft (1,250-m) Enchanted Trail, where you’ll encounter incredible rock formations, caves, and beautiful flowers, along with a few other surprises. At Lover’s Leap, you can also experience Rock City’s legendary views of the seven states. Ruby Falls is named one of the Ten Most Incredible Cave Waterfalls on Earth. Enjoy a guided tour through the fascinating cavern with its unique rock formations. The Incline Railway up historic Lookout Mountain is the world's steepest passenger railway. In operation since 1895, the Incline is a National Historic site and Mechanical Engineering put into motion. Danishes, crackers, juice and water will be provided on the bus. Lunch will be on your own.
Price: $165 USD per person, 20 person minimum
Price includes: admissions to Rock City, Ruby Falls, Incline Railway, and driver/guide.
Sunday, March 24
8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
A visit to Nashville just wouldn’t be complete without experiencing the best sights Music City has to offer on our finest city tour with an experienced guide. Enjoy Nashville’s most famous landmarks, including the Historic Downtown District and “Honky Tonk Row,” Riverfront Park, Fort Nashborough, the Tennessee State Capitol, Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, the Parthenon, Vanderbilt University, and Music Row, where historic Studio B is located. Enjoy a self-guided walk through the Ryman Auditorium, known as the “Mother Church of Country Music,” and an abbreviated self-guided tour of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum! This $37 million interactive musical journey is a beautiful tribute to country music and to the city of Nashville. This will be an experience your group will not forget. This tour includes admission into the Ryman Auditorium “Soul of Nashville Film” and Country Music Hall of Fame.
Price: $95 USD per person, 20 person minimum
Price includes: roundtrip transportation, driver/guide, and admissions into the Ryman Auditorium and Country Music Hall of Fame.
Monday, March 25
9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The group will take a journey back in time as they visit two of the most historic mansions in the Southeast—The Hermitage and Belle Meade Plantations. Ride in comfort to The Hermitage, the home of President Andrew Jackson. Preservationists continue to use a number of scientific techniques to preserve, restore, and repair the mansion and other buildings on this 1,050-acre cotton plantation. Historians consider this the best-preserved early U.S. presidential home, and it is ready for the group to explore just as it would have been in 1836.
Next, on rolling land that in the 1800s made up an estate of more than 2,500 acres in size, you will find Belle Meade Plantation. Once located at a world-renowned thoroughbred farm, the mansion is a beautiful example of Greek Revival Antebellum architecture. Enjoy a narrated tour through the mansion by a guide in period clothing, and explore other buildings on the grounds on your own. Complete the tour and the day with a wine tasting at The Winery at Belle Meade.
Price: $115 USD per person, 20 person minimum
Price includes: roundtrip transportation, tour director, admission into The Hermitage and Belle Meade Plantation, and gratuity. Lunch included at the Hermitage House Smorgasbord.
Tuesday, March 26
9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The group will experience a fully narrated tour of the Nashville Arts and landmarks. First we will visit the Parthenon, which stands proudly as the centerpiece of the Centennial Park, Nashville’s premier urban park. The recreation of the 42-ft (13-m) statue of Athena is the focus of the Parthenon just as it was in ancient Greece. The building and the Athena statue are both full-scale replicas of the Athenian originals. Originally built for Tennessee’s 1897 Centennial Exposition, this replica of the Parthenon in Athens, Greece serves as a monument to what is considered the pinnacle of classical architecture. Nashville is also known as the “Athens of the South.”
Then we will visit the First Center of the Visual Arts. This is a nonprofit art-exhibition center, with approximately 24,000 ft2 (2,230 m2) of gallery space dedicated to presenting the finest visual art from local, state, and regional artists, as well as major U. S. and international exhibitors.
Price: $104 USD per person, 20 person minimum
Price includes: roundtrip transportation, driver/guide, admissions, and gratuity. Lunch is on your own.
Wednesday, March 27
9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Explore historic sites of The Battle of Franklin, the five bloodiest hours of the Civil War. This quaint town of Franklin, Tennessee, harkens back to a time before the harrowing fight between the Union and Confederate armies. Hearing the unique stories of heroism at the Carter House, Carnton Plantation and Lotz House, you will soon appreciate the efforts of everyone who lived here in 1864, elite society or immigrant.
Understand what it took to survive the fighting, attend to the 9,500 casualties, and reconstruct citizens’ homes and some semblance of their lives before the battle. Admissions to Lotz House, Carnton Plantation, and Carter House are included. Lunch is on your own in downtown Franklin.
Price: $99 USD per person, 20 person minimum
Price includes: roundtrip transportation, driver/guide, admissions into the Lotz House, Carnton Plantation, and Carter House, and gratuity.
