Nashville CVB Garners Top Industry Honors
The Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau (NCVB) has been awarded the 2009 Successful Meetings Pinnacle Award. The Pinnacle Awards, voted on by industry professionals and readers of Successful Meetings magazine, recognize the nation’s best convention and visitors bureaus, hotels and conference centers.

This announcement rounds out an impressive list of industry award recognitions for the NCVB in 2009. Earlier this year, Corporate and Incentive Travel recognized the NCVB with an Award of Excellence for outstanding service to the meetings and incentive travel industry, and Association & Convention Facilities awarded Nashville with their Distinctive Achievement Award for outstanding facilities and services to association and meeting planners. Meetings & Conventions magazine also honored the NCVB with its Gold Service Award for consistent excellence in serving the meetings industry.

"When four leading trade publications recognize Nashville as one of the country’s top destinations, it’s clear the city and its hospitality industry are doing excellent work," said Nashville Mayor Karl Dean. "Nashville’s appeal as a meeting and convention destination is at an all time high because of the continued hard work of the industry."

In addition, this past July, Tradeshow Week named NCVB president Butch Spyridon to its 2009 list of Top 16 CVB Executives. Spyridon was chosen from more than 500 CVB leaders across the country.

Music City Walk of Fame Ceremony Set for November
The next Music City Walk of Fame induction ceremony has been set for Sunday, Nov. 8 in Walk of Fame Park. The Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau (NCVB) will produce the event and is looking for members who would be interested in volunteering to work the event. For additional details or to sign-up, please contact Marion Warfield at 615-259-4791 or marion@visitmusiccity.com.

Hermitage Hotel Celebrates 100 Years
On Sept. 17, 1910, The Hermitage Hotel first opened its doors, proudly displaying its Beaux-arts architecture style and the finest building materials. Today, one hundred years later, The Hermitage Hotel stands as the only Mobil Five-Star and AAA Five-Diamond hotel in Tennessee.

The hotel has served as a national platform for both pro- and anti-suffrage forces, a political headquarters, the birthplace of a national radio program and a frequent stop for some of the nation’s most prominent figures, including actors, musicians, war heroes, gangsters and six U.S. presidents.

The Hermitage Hotel’s 100th anniversary festivities will last for two years, starting with Hermitage Hotel Day on Sept. 17, 2009. Proclaimed official by Nashville Mayor Karl Dean and Gov. Phil Bredesen of Tennessee, the day’s festivities will include free live music and an ice cream social open to the public.

Join in the Great Nashville Duck Race This Weekend
Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee invite you and your friends to the Great Nashville Duck Race on Saturday, Sept. 19! Up to 10,000 rubber ducks will be dropped from the Korean War Veterans Memorial Bridge to race down the Cumberland River at Riverfront Park. The lucky duck reaching the finish line first will win $10,000 cash! Best of all, this duck derby benefits over 3,500 youth served by Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee! Get in the race today by visiting duckrace.com/nashville.

Get Your Music City Specialty License Plate Today
Express your love for music and the city it calls home with a new Music City specialty license plate designed by the Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau (NCVB) to benefit the organization’s Music City, Inc. foundation. Applications for the plate, which will feature the city’s signature branded red music note, are currently being accepted.

There is a $36 registration deposit required for each vehicle you wish to tag using a Music City-branded plate. Tennessee residents wishing to purchase a new Music City plate can fill out a form online at visitmusiccity.com/licenseplate or print the form and mail it with their $36 check to the address at the bottom of that form. Forms are also available at Regions Bank branches throughout the city.

Industry Indicators
July’s hotel occupancy rate was 61.9 percent, a decrease of 9.5 percent compared to July 2008.

The 2009 year-to-date occupancy rate is 57.3 percent, a decrease of 9.8 percent compared to last year.

June hotel tax collections were $2,109,244, a decrease of 11.7 percent compared to June 2008.

The 2009 year-to-date collections are $23,405,870, a decrease of 10.9 percent compared to last year.

Brand Champion
Our September Brand Champion takes Music City brand promotion to all new heights! The hotel’s branding strategy begins with the prominent placement of a musical instrument statue in front of the hotel and continues indoors with a stylishly decorated lobby and guest rooms that boast music-oriented artwork. There’s no mistaking this hotel’s hometown for anywhere but the one and only Music City! Congratulations Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Music Valley, you are our Sept. Brand Champ!

Upcoming Events
Sell Nashville Meeting
September 24
7:45-8am Networking
8-9am Sell Nashville Meeting
NCVB Boardroom

Creating Applause: A Customer Service Training
October 6
2-4pm
NCVB Boardroom
Learn how to create excellent customer service so that the guest experience will be one to remember. This session focuses on attitude, product knowledge, listening skills, solving problems and exceeding expectations.

New Member Orientation & Branding Session
October 13
11:15-11:45am Lunch
11:50am-12:50pm Orientation
1-2pm Branding Session
NCVB Boardroom

Conventions & Meetings Calendar