Sales staff point to convention wins and longer-term group bookings

Adrianne, sales staff, told the commission that quarter 1 and quarter 2 definite room-night goals are on pace and that several large conventions in January at Music City Center contributed to a January lift in downtown demand.

Adrianne said Safari Club has secured a 10-year deal to return to the city each January, providing a dependable annual event. She also announced that Cvent Connect, a meeting-industry event, will be held in Nashville in July 2026 after a competitive bid process; staff estimated roughly 3,000 meeting professionals will attend that event, which could help fill future pipelines for both current hotels and new construction.

The sales team described other recent convention activity—Anheuser-Busch, Granger and similar groups—that helped January room demand, and said they are pursuing multi-market sales blitzes to drive future bookings. Adrianne also noted staff are monitoring potential federal and medical-sector spending changes that could affect group attendance and are tracking reported cancellations from some international markets.

Commission members asked about outreach to hotel sales directors for cancellation tracking; staff said they planned additional communications with the hotel community and partners such as Opryland to capture timely data.