Necker Island (British Virgin Islands) world, the challenge begins at the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas with the top 10 new innovations progressing to the finals at Necker Island where Branson joins the judging panel along with technology figures and investors from Silicon Valley. The Necker Cup, an exhibition tennis tournament held at the end of the tennis season, has been held on the island annually since 2012. In February 2017, former U.S. President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle visited Necker as guests of Sir Richard Branson. On August 22, 2011, The Great House burned down in a blaze believed to be
Branson Airport to several markets utilizing Embraer ERJ-145 regional jets supporting point-to-point transit. On February 23, 2011 Branson Airport's largest carrier, AirTran Airways announced they would be adding flights from Branson to Baltimore, Chicago-Midway and Houston-Hobby. All flights were announced to be year round. As of August, 2012 Branson Airport was served with six nonstop departures a day with more than 100 possible connections. On August 27, 2012, Southwest Airlines announced they would be taking over all AirTran flights at the airport on March 9, 2013. Southwest flew Boeing 737 jetliners nonstop to Chicago-Midway, Dallas-Love, Houston-Hobby and previously flew Saturday only flights