Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue - 60

WHERE TO MEET, OFFBEAT
Looking for authentic Nashville settings for your
meeting, off-site or event? Look no further.
Acme Feed & Seed, a century-old building in
Lower Broadway, is awash with choices. The first
floor is an updated take on the classic honky-tonk,
with street-food inspired cuisine, craft beer and
live music showcasing Nashville's diverse musical
landscape. The second floor features a lounge with
seasonally inspired handcrafted cocktails, a menu
of shareable dishes and a sushi bar. The third floor
encompasses The Hatchery, the largest one-level
private event and music venue on Lower Broadway.
On Acme's rooftop, there's an open-air bar
with views overlooking the neon lights of Broadway,
Nissan Stadium and the Cumberland River.
It's said that in a copper kettle in 1912, the
world's first real candy bar was born in Nashville-
and the Goo Goo Cluster, a lumpish mound of
caramel, marshmallow nougat, roasted peanuts
and milk chocolate, remains a treasured Southern
confection. In addition to chocolate classes for
groups, the Goo Goo Chocolate Co. has a sweet
4,000 sq. ft. of space with a full-service bar to host
up to 140 guests for a meeting or reception.
Johnny and June Cash lived less than 20 miles
outside of Nashville, and the beloved singer drew
his last breath in the city. Groups can get an
up-close sense of the " Man in Black " at Johnny
Cash's Bar & BBQ, which serves up rare photos
and artifacts from the superstar's day-to-day life
amid rough-hewn timbers, a floor-to-ceiling stone
fireplace and antiques, along with Southern food
and live music. Meeting space can handle up to
600 attendees.
The Bell Tower is a historic downtown church
dating to 1874 that's been reborn as a unique
event venue. Exposed beams, natural light, an
upper-level mezzanine and a full on-site kitchen
Virgin Hotels Nashville
The Nashville Bushwacker
What the Hurricane is to New Orleans, the Bushwacker is to Nashville-even
though the concoction originated in the Caribbean. Think of it as a very boozy
frozen milkshake. Beware brain freeze, limit the intake, but do give it a try.
The " classic " Nashville Bushwacker involves Bailey's Irish Cream or Kahlua,
vodka and rum. Half and half and cream of coconut are also in the formula.
To complicate matters, the Bushwacker is a little like barbecue. Everyone adds
secret tweaks and swears theirs is the best. Expect green versions for St. Patty's
Day and red, white and blue around July Fourth. Maybe a bit of pumpkin spice in
the fall. " Floaters " added to top off the drink can mean another shot of booze or
maybe flavor shots like peppermint for the holidays.
Asking for it the " Nashville way " means swapping out rum with whiskey.
Cheers, y'all.
round out the offering. It accommodates up to 700
for receptions.
NEW OPTIONS
TO SLEEP & MEET
New hotels have been opening like spring flowers
in Nashville. The latest scheduled to swing open
its doors before the year is out is 235-room Four
Seasons Hotel Nashville in downtown's SoBro
neighborhood. A full-service spa and rooftop pool
will add to the brand's top-shelf allure. Two ballrooms
and light-filled flexible meeting space occupy
its Level 5, for a total of 25,330 sq. ft. of meeting
space. Here's true Nashville flavor: Guests can
collaborate with a local musician to write a country
song. Even recording sessions can be arranged.
1 Hotel Nashville debuted in June with an
ivy-covered facade as a " mission-driven sustainable
luxury " property. Its 215 guest rooms mix
native greenery, reclaimed materials and organic
cotton linens, and guests are greeted with the
brand's signature Lobby Farmstand, which features
" imperfect " but perfectly delicious fruit that would
otherwise be discarded by producers or grocers.
Cuisine in the dining room and rooftop bar is farm
to table. The spa is complemented by yoga, meditation
and fitness classes. Meeting space totals
6,000 sq. ft.
Yet another new luxury option opened this year is
234-room Conrad Nashville. Second-floor event
space rings in at 17,122 sq. ft., with an outdoor
terrace adjacent to the ballroom. In The Lounge
at Blue Astor, High Tea can seque to sampling a
2,500-bottle curated wine collection.
Eight meeting spaces for mid-sized gatherings-
for a total of 9,000 sq. ft. of dedicated meeting
space and more than 15,000 sq. ft. of flexible use
space-await at Virgin Hotels Nashville. Serious
sustainability initiatives underpin the chill British
1 Hotel Nashville Lobby
vibe at amenities like Funny Library Coffee Shop,
which pours coffee by Laughing Man, a brand cofounded
by actor Hugh Jackman.
Two more recently opened properties are W
Nashville (346 guest rooms and 24,000 sq. ft. of
meeting space) in the historic Gulch neighborhood
and The Joseph, a Luxury Collection Hotel
(297 elegant guest rooms and 22,000 sq. ft. of
meeting space).
Not to be outdone by the dizzying number of new
builds, venerable Hermitage Hotel [see sidebar],
standard-bearer of Nashville hotel opulence since
1910, has renovated and redesigned its 122 guest
rooms and suites; the Beaux Arts lobby with its
hand-painted glass ceiling, ornamental plasterwork
and Tennessee marble; and the adjacent,
2,448-square-foot ballroom. Total meeting space is
5,427 sq. ft. Culinary offerings are now directed by
Michelin-starred chef Jean-George Vongerichten.
60
OCTOBER 2022 * smartmeetings . com
Smart Meetings October 2022 Digital Issue

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