I build convention AV for a living, so I will be honest: I am not the tourism board. But my crew spends a lot of convention weeks downtown, and planners and attendees ask us the same question every time. What is there to do between sessions, and what is worth doing after the keynote?

Here is the short list we give people. Everything on it sits close to Music City Center and downtown hotels, which matters more than you would think when your agenda runs on a clock.

Plan the gaps before you plan the fun

A general session almost never ends exactly when the agenda says it will. Speakers run long, Q and A takes over, and a room flip eats the break. If you are planning an outing for your group, build in a cushion. A 90 minute window on paper is really about an hour you can count on.

Two things that help:

  • Pick one or two stops per outing, not five.
  • Tell attendees the walking time, not just the name of the place.

When we run a general session, the run of show is the one document everyone leans on. Use the same run of show to decide when your group can actually leave the building.

Broadway, when you only have an hour

Lower Broadway is the easy answer. It is a short walk from the convention center and the downtown hotels, and there is live music going most of the day and well into the night. You do not need a reservation to walk in, listen for a song or two and walk back out.

A few practical notes from people who work these weeks:

  • Go early in the day if you want a seat and a conversation. It gets loud and crowded by evening.
  • Wear comfortable shoes. Everything feels close until you are in dress shoes on a sidewalk.
  • If you are bringing a group of more than six or eight, call ahead or split into smaller tables.

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

This one is hard to beat for a planner, because it is close to Music City Center. Walk out of a session and you are a few minutes from the door. It is a good fit for a group that wants something a little more relaxed than Broadway, and you can see a good chunk of it without committing to a whole afternoon.

Check the current hours and ticket options on their website before you promise your group anything. Hours change, and a closed door is a bad way to end a break.

The Ryman Auditorium

The Ryman is known as the Mother Church of Country Music and it is a National Historic Landmark. Some people tour it during the day, and some buy a ticket for a show in the evening. Either way, it is a good option for a client dinner or a team night out, because the whole evening is built around one place.

If you are thinking about a show, look at the calendar early. Convention weeks are busy for everybody downtown, and the good dates go first.

A Predators or Titans game

If your dates line up with a home game, it is one of the easiest group plans you can make.

  • The Predators play at Bridgestone Arena, which is downtown and not far from Broadway, the Ryman and the Hall of Fame. You can usually walk there from the convention center.
  • The Titans play on the east side of the Cumberland River, so plan on a ride or a longer walk across the river.

Check the schedule for your dates. When there is a game, hotels and restaurants downtown fill up fast, so book dinner first.

One thing that is not downtown

If your convention is at Gaylord Opryland instead, you are out of downtown and a drive from Broadway. A lot of groups at Gaylord stay on the property, which is a fine plan. If you want a downtown night, treat it as a real trip and schedule the transportation like you would any other part of the event.

Why an AV guy is telling you this

Because the best convention weeks are the ones where the program runs on time and the attendees leave happy. A lot of that comes down to planning the day around the clock you actually have. We do our part on the production side: screens that everyone can see, audio that reaches the back row, and a crew that shows up early and stays through tear-down. You take care of the people.

Here is the quick version to hand your team:

  • Break between sessions: Broadway or the Hall of Fame, one stop.
  • After the keynote: the Ryman or a Predators game, planned ahead.
  • Anything across the river: a ride, not a walk.
  • Anything on a clock: confirm hours before you tell the group.

Ready to plan yours?

If you are putting together a convention in Nashville and want a straight quote on the AV, send me the dates, the venue and a rough idea of how many rooms you have. I quote every event myself and I answer my own phone. Request a Quote or call me at (615) 481-4887.