Nashville: the place to meet

Nashville is currently reaping the benefits of being a top destination for both meetings and leisure travelers. Much of the success has come as a result of the city investing in its meeting and events industry — not only by putting dollars behind new hotels and convention centers, but also by bringing new thinking to the way conferences are held. As the global hub for music, the city is tapping into that wealth of talent and creativity, as well as adding its own style to change the business-as-usual feel of meetings.

This August, Nashville will roll out the red carpet for the American Society of Association Executives’ annual meeting — known as the Super Bowl of conventions — by providing conference attendees with VIP treatment and private performances from some of today’s hottest stars. Hosting this prestigious meeting is strategic and means Nashville is poised to continue our success by booking substantial future business (on pace to have record attendance).

Large business meetings, conventions, trade shows, incentive travel, conferences and exhibitions are major forces contributing to our economy. Nashville’s investment and innovative thinking is paying dividends by strengthening the image of the city, attracting future business and increasing tax collections. In fact, 42 percent of our 12.2 million visitors represent the meetings industry and our investment in this area has helped lead to a 20 percent growth in hotel tax collections this year.

The National Governors Association is hosting its summer meeting this week in Nashville with more than 1,000 attendees. When these types of government meetings come to town, they impact hotels, restaurants, retailers and attractions. The way meetings and events contribute to local economies is undeniable, however, the impact doesn’t stop there.

The true value of the meetings industry comes in many forms. Face-to-face interaction creates opportunities to build relationships, drive collaboration and convert conversations into concrete outcomes. In-person communication is an indispensable tool for business and government alike. According to a study by Rockport Analytics, government travel for meetings leads to greater productivity and efficiency. The report also found that canceling government participation in meetings and conferences can cost taxpayers more in the end.

That’s why a coalition of industry leaders have joined together to create the “Meetings Mean Business” campaign. This national effort is changing the conversation around business travel while promoting the substantial value of meetings. According to another study from the Convention Industry Council, 1.83 million meetings and events were held in the U.S. in 2012, resulting in $280 billion in direct spending and 1.78 million jobs. Collectively these meetings contributed $115 billion to the U.S. GDP and $28 billion in federal, state and local taxes.

Without the meeting and event industry, the Nashville economy would not be as strong as it is today. That’s why we’re working in close partnership with the MMB campaign. As more meetings, such as the National Governors Association, continue to view Nashville as a top destination, the positive impact to our local economy will continue to grow.

Butch Spyridon has served as president and CEO of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp. (NCVC) since 1991. Under his leadership, Nashville has evolved into a year-round destination for meeting and leisure visitors and has grown to become the city’s second-largest industry with annual visitor spending exceeding $4.61 billion.