Visitors’ exec. says struggling to get conventions
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – The man responsible for booking Nashville’s $585 million Music City Center says he’s losing possible conventions because of a shortage of luxury hotels. Butch Spyridon is president of the Nashville Convention and Visitors Bureau. He told The Tennessean the city is losing business because it can’t piece together a 2,000- to 3,000-room block. He described the lost convention groups as “higher-end” organizations that are “willing to pay a little more.” Spyridon is hoping Nashville lands a 400- to 500-room full-service hotel to complement the city’s new 800-room Omni Hotel coming online. He says the city should also consider tax incentives to spur construction of another hotel. The Music City Center is scheduled to open in May.
