NASHVILLE? Many people don?t realize that Gaylord Entertainment Co. (GET) operates multiple businesses. To clarify any confusion that could hinder a seamless flow of operations, the company has restructured into three operating groups: hospitality and attractions; interactive media; and creative contents. ?Among our goals in this change is enabling management to be more focused and to better communicate and implement our growth strategy,? said Terry London, Gaylord?s president/CEO. The hospitality and attractions group is being headed by Dave Jones, previously president of the Opryland Lodging Group. The interactive-media group is being led by Brian Payne, who formerly served as vp/general manager of the GET digitalmedia division. The creative contents group is under the direction of Tim DuBois, previously president of Arista Nashville. The hospitality and attractions group will continue to handle hospitality related business including riverboats, hotels, golf courses and the development of new products. In the past, the lodging group had not been involved in the day-to-day operations of the Opryland Hotel. The interactive media group will handle all radio stations, cable TV networks and Internet-related companies, while the creative contents division will include a variety of entertainment-related businesses including music publishers and record companies. Gaylord currently has two Opryland Hotels under development: a 1,400-room property in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and a 1,500-room property in central Florida near Orlando. Both of these hotels will have convention centers in excess of 400,000 square feet. While new hotels will be geographically and architectually themed, ?we must create an environment that is different from a recognized brand,? said Jones. Another project will be announced sometime during this quarter while an additional five to seven hotels are planned for the southern U.S. over the next five to 10 years. When planning a new property, Gaylord researches the rotation habits of businesses, finding that they usually like to hold their meetings and conferences in areas that are not impacted by harsh weather conditions. The southern half of the United States fits the bill with its favorable climate as well as its easy accessibility, said Jones. Gaylord also develops new properties with a theme in mind. ?Entertainment is the grassroots of Gaylord Entertainment,? Jones said, adding the company?s constant goal is to create enjoyable experiences for its guests. New projects are being financed by the sale of company assets including a Texas television station that was sold to CBS in September for $425 million. In the future, Jones noted that the company will take on equity partners but they will be carefully selected. Gaylord also announced that Carl Kornmeyer has been promoted to senior vp/corporate development with responsibility for handling mergers, acquisitions, financing and strategic planning.