Shreveport - Bossier, Louisiana's Other Side

Two-day workshop will include classes taught by pro anglers, including three 2012 Bassmaster Classic competitors

SHREVEPORT-BOSSIER, LA – The Bass University, a traveling bass fishing seminar founded and designed by professional anglers Pete Gluszek and Mike Iaconelli, will return to Shreveport-Bossier, Jan. 7-8, 2012. The event will be held at Shreveport Convention Center, located at 400 Caddo Street in downtown Shreveport. Classes will be held 8 a.m.-5 p.m. each day. Instructors appearing at the Shreveport-Bossier stop are Pete Gluszek, Fred Roumbanis, George Cochran, Ish Monroe, Brandon Palaniuk, and Scott Martin. Topics covered will include sonar and GPS, structure scanning, seasonal patterns, shallow water power fishing, and more. Instructors Roumbanis, Monroe, and Palaniuk will be returning to Shreveport-Bossier, Feb. 24-26, to compete against 46 other top anglers during the 2012 Bassmaster Classic. The Bass University last visited Shreveport-Bossier in 2011.

Enrollment fees for The Bass University are $199 for adults and $175 for students and youth 17 and under. In addition to exclusive, personal, and customized training, students will receive course literature, a tackle gift pack, and an official BU alumni t-shirt. For more information or to register on-line, visit www.thebassuniversity.com. Walk-up registrations will be accepted as space allows, 7-8 a.m., Saturday, Jan. 7. 

NOTE TO MEDIA: Bass University founder Pete Gluszek is available for interviews. To arrange an interview, contact Chris Jay at the Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau by calling (318) 429-0658 or e-mailing cjay@sbctb.org.

The Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau is sponsoring a fun, festive and food-filled media tour during one of our most popular events – Mardi Gras. Shreveport-Bossier’s Mardi Gras celebration is the second-largest in Louisiana, led only by New Orleans.

We are currently organizing a group of qualified, fun-loving travel journalists to be a part of this four-day Mardi Gras Media FAM Tour. Participating travel writers will arrive on Friday, Feb. 17, 2012, and depart on Monday, Feb. 20, 2012. The tour will celebrate all of the revelry and excitement of an authentic Louisiana Mardi Gras while also highlighting some of the best restaurants, arts and culture, night life and, of course, the big personalities that make Shreveport-Bossier: Louisiana’s Other Side an unforgettable place to visit.

We’ll be attending two very different Mardi Gras parades: the fantastic Krewe of Gemini, one of the largest parades on Shreveport-Bossier’s Carnival schedule; and the funky and unusual Krewe of Highland parade, a neighborhood parade that rolls through Shreveport’s historic Highland neighborhood tossing throws as strange as grilled hot dogs and SPAM sandwiches.

We will cover the cost of transportation to and from Shreveport-Bossier and meals and accommodations during the media tour for all accepted journalists.

Interested? Just give us a call or sign up here. Complete the “Request a Tour” form – we’ll be in touch shortly thereafter!

Event will be held January 14 at Cutter Creek Outfitters in Frierson

SHREVEPORT-BOSSIER, LA – Xtreme 3D Archery will host a “pop-up” 3D archery tournament on Saturday, Jan. 14 at Cutter Creek Outfitters in Frierson, Louisiana. The tournament will award medals for the top three places in each class. Entry fee is $20, which includes four rounds. Day-of-event registration will begin at 8 a.m. No registrations will be accepted after 1 p.m. on the day of the event. Participants should bring a minimum of five arrows. Day-of-event registration will begin at 8 a.m. No registrations will be accepted after 2 p.m. on the day of the event. Participants should bring a minimum of five arrows. For more information or to register on-line, visit www.xtreme3darchery.com.

Xtreme 3D Archery Tour events feature a computerized, pop-up motion target system designed to simulate real hunting situations. Xtreme 3D Archery provides motion target rentals, fundraising events, and pop-up 3D archery tournaments throughout East Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi.

January’s event will be held at Cutter Creek Outfitters, a new hog hunting ranch located in Frierson, Louisiana, 14 miles south of Shreveport. For more information on Cutter Creek Outfitters, visit www.cuttercreekoutfitters.com or call (318) 518-3558.

NOTE TO MEDIA: Xtreme 3D Archery Tour founder and organizer John Sarvis is available for interviews. To arrange an interview, please call (402) 881-6001.

25 year-old Andrew Upshaw of Hemphill, Texas will be competition’s first College B.A.S.S. Angler

SHREVEPORT-BOSSIER, LA – The last time 25-year-old Andrew Upshaw of Hemphill, Texas was in Shreveport-Bossier, Louisiana for the Bassmaster Classic, he was working a booth at the outdoor expo that takes place during the massive, three-day event. That was in 2009, and Upshaw and his fishing partner, Ryan Watkins, both students at Stephen F. Austin University in Nacogdoches, Texas, were well on their way to becoming one of the most accomplished collegiate fishing teams in the U.S. Three years and a national collegiate championship later, Upshaw is heading back to Shreveport-Bossier for the 2012 Bassmaster Classic, which will take place Feb. 24-26 on the Red River. This time around, he won’t be sneaking into parties to meet his favorite anglers; he’ll be competing against them as the first-ever College B.A.S.S. angler.

Upshaw says he’s not intimidated by the competition, though he’s excited to be sharing the water with anglers who he considers to be the best in the world.

“These guys are the best in the world for a reason,” Upshaw said. “But I really feel like I have a great chance to win it. That may sound crazy, but that’s how I approach every tournament: I go to win.” 

The Bassmaster Classic is a three-day event that has been called “the Super Bowl of professional bass fishing.” During the 2012 Bassmaster Classic, 49 anglers representing 22 states will compete for the sport’s largest prize: $500,000 and the title of Bassmaster Classic champion. In addition to exciting daily launches and weigh-ins, fans will be treated to a free outdoor expo sponsored by Dick’s Sporting Goods. The expo, which will be held at the Shreveport Convention Center, will feature over 150 vendors, giveaways by B.A.S.S.’s sponsors, fishing seminars, angler appearances, and more.   

For more information on the 2012 Bassmaster Classic, visit the official website at www.bassmaster.com/classic. For information on planning a visit to Shreveport-Bossier during the event, or to request a Visitor’s Guide to Shreveport-Bossier: Louisiana’s Other Side, visit www.shreveport-bossier.org/bassmaster-classic.

NOTE TO MEDIA: Andrew Upshaw is available for media interviews upon request. High-resolution promotional images of past Bassmaster Classic events are also available upon request. For more information, contact Chris Jay at cjay@sbctb.org or (318) 429-0658.

Tickets now available for match-up slated for December 26

Shreveport-Bossier, LA – Shreveport-Bossier, the region of northwest Louisiana known as “Louisiana’s Other Side,” will proudly welcome the Big 12’s University of Missouri Tigers and the ACC’s University of North Carolina Tar Heels as the teams face off in the AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl. This year’s game will kick-off at 4 p.m. (CST), Monday, Dec. 26, at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN2. Tickets are now on sale at www.independencebowl.org. Hotel rooms in Shreveport-Bossier City may be booked online at www.shreveport-bossier.org. This year will mark the third Independence Bowl appearance made by the Tigers and the first by the Tar Heels. The two teams last faced one another 35 years ago.
  
While here, fans can enjoy a host of I-Bowl related events and activities for the whole family, including a Kids’ Day Out on Saturday, Dec. 24, along with the MetroPCS Fan Fest, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. on game day, and the AT&T Parade and Pep Rally, beginning at 1:30 p.m. on game day.

Visitors to Shreveport-Bossier also are invited to enjoy the southern hospitality, Cajun food, and many exciting things to see and do. Some must-sees while in the sister cities include:

•    Great shopping, riverfront dining, and entertainment at the Louisiana Boardwalk
•    Hands-on exhibits and IMAX Theater at Sci-Port: Louisiana’s Science Center
•    Dinner and a movie under one roof at Robinson Film Center
•    New! Fantastic Mr. Fox interactive puppet theater exhibit at Artspace
•    Gaming at five area riverfront casinos and horseracing track

For a complete list of upcoming events and entertainment taking place in Shreveport-Bossier, visit www.shreveportbossierfunguide.com.

Detailed game information can be found by visiting www.independencebowl.org. Special group packages are available for the 2011 AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl. Ticket package options include a Family Fun Pack for four presented by Johnny's Catfish - (4) End Zone tickets, (4) hot dogs, (4) soft drinks, (1) Blue Lot Parking Pass and a Johnny's Catfish Family Pack all for $175. Regular tickets range in price from $37 to $160. Additional ticket information may be obtained by calling 318-221-0712 or 888-414-BOWL.

For a complete list of Shreveport-Bossier’s hotels, restaurants, casinos, museums and galleries, and more, visit www.shreveport-bossier.org or call 800-551-8682. 

NOTE TO MEDIA: High-quality still images as well as high-definition video of Shreveport-Bossier are available for media use. To request images or video, please call Chris Jay at (318) 429-0658 or e-mail cjay@sbctb.org.

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