2007 Cma Music Fest

CMA fans shell out $30 million, shatter spending records

Recession? What recession?

Country music fans this year opened their wallets like never before at the CMA Music Festival.

The 65,000 country music devotees who attended the four-day event spent a record $30 million this year. Local hotels booked an estimated 110,000 nights in hotel rooms, the most ever.

The record numbers were seen across every economic indicator, including crowd size, ticket sales and festival growth, according to local data tracking firm Smith Travel Research.

Direct spending, which edged up about $1 million each year from 2007 to 2010, swelled this year by $6 million — a product of larger crowds drawn by expanded free events and a more expansive roster of artists, said Molly Suddereth, spokeswoman for the Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau. More than 440 artists and celebrities attended Fan Fair Hall this year, nearly double last year’s number.

“It was a huge win for the city and a great way to celebrate the event’s 40th anniversary,” said Butch Spyridon, president of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Since 2001, the CMA has donated half of festival proceeds to charity. Last year, after Nashville’s devastating flood, the festival dedicated all of its then $2.9 million in earnings to music education and aid for flood relief.

Festival organizers are still calculating this year’s total earnings. But officials said half of all proceeds will again support CMA’s “Keep The Music Playing” campaign.

Steve Moore, CMA chief executive officer, said the record economic impact this year “speaks volumes about the strength of this event, the dedication of our fans, the support of our local community and the popularity of our music and artists.”

Hotel room rates during the festival averaged about $137 per night, a significant surge from typical rates which run around $90, Smith Travel Research found.

Metro Councilman-at-large Charlie Tygard added that the festival’s economic effect bears on the entire city.

“People save up all year for CMA. It’s such a unique event. It solidifies Nashville’s Music City USA brand,” said Tygard, who sits on Metro Council’s tourism committee.

“The impact on hotels, restaurants and souvenir shops is so critical to our economy. The ripple effect to us all is staggering.

Large Land Mammal: Weekend adds to CMA Music Festival feel

NASHVILLE — Saturday at the CMA Music Festival always seems to take on a different feel, as Nashville’s regular downtown denizens have finished their workweek and the festival-goers truly take over. Music echoes constantly from block to block as eight different stages open to the public feature artists all day long. Newcomers and familiar faces alike are found on stages, in autograph booths, and sometimes in impromptu meetups, with fans’ point-and-shoot cameras further illuminating the already sunny Middle Tennessee afternoon. Idol country: As expected, some of the biggest buzz surrounded country’s newest ambassadors, American Idol ’s top two finishers Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina . (Check out a recap of their CMA Fest experience, including exclusive comments from the USA TODAY portrait room, at idolchatter.usatoday.com .) From this reporter’s observation, McCreery brought about the most extended individual freakout witnessed in 10-plus years of covering the event. After exiting the autograph line at the Idolwinner’s appearance in Fan Fair Hall Friday afternoon, a teenage girl walks over to her waiting family, very quietly says, “I got his signature” once before shrieking the phrase at the top of her lungs four more times and then breaking down in tears. That, dear reader, is a fan. Always on the calendar: For Rascal Flatts , CMA Fest is frequently the tentpole around which so much of their year revolves. “We finish a tour somewhere around March or April, and then try to head back out for the summer tour after this week,” says vocalist Gary LeVox . “So this is always in the plan, and it’s one of the most exciting times of the year for us.” Bandmate Jay DeMarcus mentioned the event’s changing role in exposing fans to new acts, especially in the music business’ changing and challenging times. “Because it’s so much more difficult to get songs on the radio or sell records, people can go out, hit it hard and do a great show and win new fans here,” DeMarcus says. Meanwhile, given their presence within an NFL stadium, the Flatts got to thinking that the current league labor situation is causing some to consider career changes. “We’re hearing that (NFL commissioner) Roger Goodell just got a label deal,” Joe Don Rooney quips.

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