NASHVILLE, Tenn., May 28, 2020 – The Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp (NCVC), Vanderbilt Health and Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc. (NYSE: RHP) announced today the launch of a free program supporting Nashville-area businesses with extra resources and access to public health experts as the city begins to reopen. The Good to Go program will ensure a safer city for residents and visitors as Nashville businesses pledge to implement health standards in a way that is consistent across Music City.
Good to Go is a voluntary program that asks Nashville-area businesses to commit to guidance from the Metro Public Health Department (MPHD) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and provides businesses with access to toolkits and support to help carry out the recommendations. Vanderbilt Health’s leading infectious disease experts helped develop key elements of the program and will be involved with ongoing learning and information sharing. Businesses that commit to Good to Go will also have access to training modules and other first-hand experience from Ryman Hospitality Properties.
Participating businesses will be given a special green music note to display at their locations and on their websites and materials, indicating their commitment to following these safety standards. Additionally, participating businesses will be recognized on a new Good to Go website which will be promoted to visitors.
“We encourage every business in Nashville to join Good to Go. We believe this is the first program of this kind in the nation to provide uniform industry guidelines and comprehensive toolkits for businesses throughout the city in response to COVID-19. We want to show the world that through cooperation and collaboration, Nashville is safe and sound,” said Butch Spyridon, president and CEO of NCVC. “As destinations begin to open, Good to Go will help Nashville stand apart as it ensures that our business community is following all public health guidelines and has access to leading experts at Vanderbilt Health. It will give all those who live and come to Nashville confidence and peace of mind that we are safely open for business.”
To participate, businesses must agree to adopt all applicable guidelines set forth by MPHD and CDC and participate in Good to Go’s enhanced learning program. In return, businesses will receive regular information and insights from infection prevention experts at Vanderbilt Health, key learnings, and best practices from Ryman Hospitality Properties leaders and access to new resources as recommendations change.
Good to Go program benefits include:
- Signage to display Good to Go’s signature green music note
- Business listing on Good to Go website
- Access to program toolkit and materials on infectious disease prevention and workplace safety informed by Vanderbilt experts
- Insights into best practices from RHP leaders
- Monthly calls with fellow Good to Go participants
- Timely access to Vanderbilt Health infectious disease professionals for questions
“Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Nashville has carefully managed many of the issues that have disproportionately impacted other major cities. Our success has been possible through creative problem solving by leaders from government and major industries who have joined together around a shared vision for how best to help the city get safely back to business,” said Jeff Balser, MD, PhD, president and CEO of Vanderbilt University Medical Center and dean of the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. “Good to Go will ensure that informational tools and best practices are readily available for businesses working to keep their employees and customers safe. Vanderbilt Health is proud to play a leadership role in this effort.”
“Ryman Hospitality Properties began working with Vanderbilt Health in the early days of the pandemic to provide the teams at all of our properties – including restaurants, entertainment venues, and our hotels – direct access to the nation’s foremost experts on infectious disease control,” said Colin Reed, chairman and CEO of Ryman Hospitality Properties. “We helped spearhead Good to Go because we wanted to make elements of our early work with Vanderbilt Health available so that other Nashville businesses could have access to the tools, resources, and information needed to operate a business until a vaccine or treatment is available for COVID-19.”
The NCVC, Vanderbilt Health, and Ryman Hospitality Proprieties are voluntarily offering this program for the benefit of the Nashville community. Businesses interested in joining Good to Go should sign up online at www.GoodtoGoNashville.com by June 4.
About Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp
The mission of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp is to maximize the economic contribution of the convention and tourism industry to the community by developing and marketing Nashville as a premier destination. Visit the NCVC’s website at www.visitmusiccity.com and follow us on social media: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Pinterest.
About Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc.
Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc. (NYSE: RHP) is a leading lodging and hospitality real estate investment trust that specializes in upscale convention center resorts and country music entertainment experiences. The Company’s core holdings* include a network of five of the top 10 largest non-gaming convention center hotels in the United States based on total indoor meeting space. These convention center resorts operate under the Gaylord Hotels brand and are managed by Marriott International. The Company also owns two adjacent ancillary hotels and a small number of attractions managed by Marriott International for a combined total of 10,110 rooms and more than 2.7 million square feet of total indoor and outdoor meeting space in top convention and leisure destinations across the country. The Company’s Entertainment segment includes a growing collection of iconic and emerging country music brands, including the Grand Ole Opry; Ryman Auditorium, WSM 650 AM; Ole Red and Circle, a country lifestyle media network the Company owns in a joint-venture partnership with Gray Television. For more details about Circle and how to watch Saturday’s Grand Ole Opry, please visit circleplus.com. The Company operates its Entertainment segment as part of a taxable REIT subsidiary.
*The Company is the sole owner of Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center; Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center; Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center; and Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center. It is the majority owner and managing member of the joint venture that owns Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center.
About Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) is one of the nation’s leading academic medical centers and is one of the largest comprehensive research, teaching and patient care health systems in the Southeast. The most heavily utilized quaternary, referral healthcare facility in the Mid-South, VUMC’s sees over 2.3 million patient visits per year in over 150 locations, discharging 66,000 inpatients and performing 67,000 surgical operations. The medical center is the largest non-governmental employer of Middle Tennessee citizens, with more than 25,000 staff, including nearly 3,000 physicians, advanced practice nurses and scientists appointed to the Vanderbilt University faculty. For more information and the latest news follow VUMC on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and in the VUMC Reporter.