Prevue March/April 2015 - (Page 70)

Nashville How the city's musical roots add rhythm to meetings and events [ON LOCATION] JESSIE FETTERLING C ountry music, bourbon and farm-to-table Southern fare make up Nashville's fun-loving culture and all can be combined to make one unforgettable meetings package. With the $25 million renovation of the 482-room Sheraton Nashville Downtown, groups have an even better reason to meet and later kick up their heels at one of the nearby honky tonks. The Sheraton has a completely new look, which coincides with the $6 billion brand renovation that Starwood is rolling out worldwide. "The brand was created around the 'social traveler,' and the Nashville property is a good representation of the direction the brand is headed," says Bob Jacobs, VP of brand management for Sheraton & Westin North America. Sheraton Nashville's open lobby greets groups with a refreshed, wooden staircase. Overhead, LED light strands hang from the ceiling of the 25-ﬂoor building, encompassing the space with a look that mimics champagne bubbles, says Tracy Wray, director of sales for the hotel. Both design choices provide a well-lit and inviting space that make groups want to stay and chat, while the couches with built-in book shelves (and knickknacks lining them) give them a reason to do so. Session's Lounge, located just off the lobby, continues this communal concept with lounge-like table settings and a long bar-perfect for the business traveler to grab a bite and meet other attendees. Another way for attendees to engage is via Sheraton's 66 | prevue magazine Social Hour. Every evening at 5:00 p.m., the hotel hosts a wine tasting where groups can come to learn about wine and discuss it with each other. At night, the lounge turns into an interactive game room-meets-library space, with a pool table, TVs and several music-themed books about, say, the history of the Rolling Stones. While the property features 25,000 sf of renovated meeting space, an event in the Presidential Suite is one that attendees will not forget. The hotel can arrange for local singer/songwriters to come perform. Damien Horne, for instance, is a guitarist who entertains with a combination of singing and storytelling about how he got his start in the biz by simply playing music on the sidewalks of Nashville. It's a very personal way to introduce attendees to the city's music history and culture. HONKY TONK VENUES Another way to plunge attendees into Nashville's musical character is to visit the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum-a 'must do' on the Nashville itinerary. Not only do the museum's exhibits take visitors through the history of country music's earliest folk traditions to today's pop icons, it also features a variety of event spaces. Attendees can meet in the 4,500-sf Hall of Fame Rotunda, for instance, where the bronze plaques of the Country Music Hall of Fame's inductees hang. As an added bonus, a buyout is available for groups that want to have exclusive access to the museum and all of its musical wonders.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Prevue March/April 2015

Planner’s Pick: Los Angeles
Fresh Meets: The Evolution of Local Hospitality
Bureau Buzz: Atlanta
Good Business: On the Agenda: Zero Waste
Sea Shores: American Queen Steamboat Company
Incentive Bound
FLORIDA
CALIFORNIA
NASHVILLE
IHG EUROPE
On Location: Bermuda
CLUB MED CANCUN YUCATAN
On Location: Beaches Turks & Caicos
On Location: St. Kitts
On Location: Delano Las Vegas
Club Med Meetins, Incentives and Corporate Events 2015 Edition

Prevue March/April 2015