NASHVILLE – The newly created Music City Host Committee of Nashville business leaders chaired by former Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam has been tasked with helping book major events for the newly approved enclosed stadium entertainment complex and raising private funds to support them, the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp announced today. Top on their list will be booking the Super Bowl, 2031 NCAA Men’s Final Four and college football National Championship.
“I am excited about what the new stadium can mean for Nashville and the State of Tennessee. Our committee intends to make sure the stadium is the home of great events that will generate excitement and revenue for years to come,” Haslam said. “I am thankful to the NCVC for their work in making Nashville a global events city, and I appreciate these business leaders for their dedication to ensure the stadium benefits the city, local businesses and residents.”
Mayor John Cooper requested that the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp immediately start booking events for the stadium once it was approved by the Metro Council in April. Most major sporting events and large conventions are booked several years into the future. Already, the NCVC has partnered with the Tennessee Titans to submit a letter of interest to the NFL for the Pro Bowl, Combine, Draft and Super Bowl and is submitting a bid for the 2031 NCAA Men’s Final Four. WrestleMania plans to be in Nashville in 2027.
“We know that hosting major global events will require from $10 million to $50 million each in private funds, and we are grateful these leaders stepped up to help strategize on which major events to go after and help raise the money we will need once Nashville is chosen,” said Deana Ivey, President and incoming CEO of the NCVC. “With an enclosed stadium, new hotels and a compact downtown campus, Music City is finally situated to host the world’s biggest meetings and events.”
Members of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp Music City Host Committee include the following:
- Chair, Bill Haslam, Former Governor of Tennessee and Owner, Nashville Predators
- Beth Chase, Entrepreneur and Founder, c3/consulting
- Eric Church, Country music artist
- Eddie George, Head Football Coach, Tennessee State University
- John Ingram, Majority Owner, Nashville SC, and Chairman, Ingram Industries Inc.
- Kevin Lavender, Executive Vice President and Head of Commercial Banking, Fifth Third Bancorp
- Cary Mack, Managing Partner, Southwest Value Partners
- Rob McCabe, Chairman, Pinnacle Financial Partners
- Stuart McWhorter, Commissioner, Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development
- Burke Nihill, President and CEO, Tennessee Titans
- Howie Nuchow, Co-Head, CAA Sports
- Colin Reed, Executive Chairman, Ryman Hospitality Properties
- Butch Spyridon, Outgoing CEO, Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp, and Strategic Consultant
- Ben Weprin, Founder and CEO, AJ Capital Partners
- Marcus Whitney, Founding Partner, Jumpstart Health Investors, and Minority Owner, Nashville SC
- Carol Yochem, President First Horizon Bank, Middle Tennessee Region
NCVC President and incoming CEO Deana Ivey and Scott Wright, NCVC Senior Vice President, Sales, will serve as ex-officio members.
In 2019, Sports Business Journal named Nashville as Best Sports City and the NFL Draft hosted in Nashville as Sports Event of the Year. Music City annually hosts the four-day CMA Fest, as well as Nashville’s July 4th and Nashville’s Big Bash New Year’s Eve. Nashville was recognized as a top events city in the world as Spyridon was named to the global Top 100 Most Influential People in the Events Industry list in 2022.
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The Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp and Visit Music City
The mission of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp and Visit Music City 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 @VisitMusicCity.
