Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp’s Post

Tomorrow is 'Fat Tuesday,' the epicenter of the celebration of Mardi Gras. Those two words evoke a lot of imagery for a lot of different folks, but any of you who know me probably aren't surprised that, to me, it is all about the music. That quintessential sound of brass bands plying their trade with the unmistakable blend of New Orleans jazz and Dixieland conjuring the images of a second-line parade strutting through the Quarter... there's really nothing like it in the world (though we do have our own thing here in Philly which has a shared history with Mardi Gras, but that's a story for another day). So... what parallel can we draw from that to what we do in the technology space? Well, to me, it has a lot to do with the idea of a 'Second Line' parade. What is a Second Line? It is when a band, the grand marshal, and whoever they are honoring (whether a family for a Jazz funeral, a couple for a Wedding celebration, etc) form the 'first line' or the beginning part of the parade, and the 'second line' is full of all of the spectators actively joining with the band and parading behind them, dancing, strutting, and celebrating along with the music being played. So, what can I take away from this that's relevant for my day-to-day? In our industry, it is easy to get so caught-up in what we are doing, what is important to us, what new piece of technology is compelling and why 𝘸𝘦 think so, etc, etc, etc, that we forget that the only reason this stuff is important to begin with is to 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐮𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲 - to make them a part of the process and help them to connect with the story we're telling, the solution we're selling, the thing for which we're trying to advocate. We want to try to make everyone 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒑𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒔, not spectators. As tech professionals, especially those of us in the 'Sales space,' we can't get 'caught with our head down in our music' and forget that, without an engaged audience, there is no performance at all. So, this Mardi Gras, I'm going to really try to remember to not only try to find the celebration in every day, but more importantly, never forget that, without the second line, there IS no parade. Let the good times roll!

𝟓 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲 𝐉𝐚𝐳𝐳 🎷 From restaurants and bistros to waiting rooms and shops. Jazz is a popular choice of background music across many retail and hospitality sectors. Check out the video for five great reasons you should consider it 🎵 #BackgroundMusicforBusinesses #RoyaltyFreeMusic #JazzMusic

Are you a Swiftie? Did you attend one of Taylor Swift's Eras Tour concerts? If so, you helped boost local restaurants. Analyzing Circana's CREST® Performance Alerts DMA data, we found that restaurants in the 10 cities with three shows received a 2% boost in transactions vs. the national average that week. Miami, New Orleans, and Indy: get ready for a strong week for restaurants when Taylor comes to town in 2024! Want to learn more about how we can measure the impact of local events? https://lnkd.in/ehVbhRHf

We know call centres and cheesy hold music are really annoying. That's why every time you call us, a member of the Simply team will answer your call within just 5 rings. It's a record we're really proud of and we know this because we monitor it closely. It's also one of the things our clients tell us they love about us. So if you've had enough of listening to Rod Stewart's greatest hits on repeat, maybe it's time to switch to Simply Washrooms | B Corp for your washroom services? #customerservice #clientservice #washroomservices

We know call centres and cheesy hold music are really annoying. That's why every time you call us, a member of the Simply team will answer your call within just 5 rings. It's a record we're really proud of and we know this because we monitor it closely. It's also one of the things our clients tell us they love about us. So if you've had enough of listening to Rod Stewart's greatest hits on repeat, maybe it's time to switch to Simply Washrooms | B Corp for your washroom services? #customerservice #clientservice #washroomservices

Here are five interesting facts about New Orleans you should know before you visit! From its vibrant music scene to its unique cuisine, our city is full of surprises. ✨ Check out the article below and work with our local title company at southerntitleonline.com. #neworleans #Louisianalove

My favorite thing about living in Nashville? Broadway, of course. But it’s NOT what you think. In fact, you’ll rarely find me hopping from honky tonk to honky tonk any day of the week. 😬 What makes Broadway truly unique isn’t just the live music or the endless flow of beer. It’s the strategic partnerships between brands, artists, and tourism that make this strip so successful. Contrary to popular belief, most bars associated with country music stars aren’t fully owned by the stars themselves. Instead, these venues are typically the result of partnerships or licensing agreements with larger hospitality groups or investors. Take Jason Aldean’s Kitchen + Rooftop Bar, Miranda Lambert’s Casa Rosa, or Luke Bryan’s 32 Bridge—all of them leverage the artist’s brand to attract crowds, while the day-to-day operations and financial backing come from companies like TC Restaurant Group or Big Machine Label Group. These entities manage the business while artists focus on the branding and overall vibe. What’s more, when a star fades, these venues can easily rebrand for the next rising star. For instance, FGL House closed after Florida Georgia Line disbanded, and it’s being replaced by Lainey Wilson’s Bell Bottoms Up. The modern artist-branded bar may seem like a trend, but it all started with Tootsie Bess—the country music star who opened Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge in the 1960s on Lower Broadway. She set the stage for today’s music-themed venues. So, who’s next? Personally, I’d love to see a Texas/Red Dirt country invasion on Broadway. Maybe a George Strait “Strait Shooter Bar” or a “Hold My Beer Bar” headlined by Randy Rogers and Wade Bowen. What do you think? No matter who steps up next, one thing is for sure: Broadway will remain a must-visit destination for tourists and a prime spot for industry leaders looking to invest in Nashville’s music-driven economy. And I’m all for it! 🎵🎤🎸🥁 #Partnerships #CountryMusic #Tourism #StrategicPartnerships #Licensing #Nashville

Shake it off with us! 💃 Our Taylor Swift-themed cocktail classes are perfect for team-building events, bachelorette parties, or just a fun night out. Learn how to make delicious cocktails inspired by your favorite Taylor Swift songs, all while singing along to her hits. It's the perfect blend of fun, friendship, and fabulousness! 🍸 #TaylorSwift #CocktailClass #GirlsNightOut #BacheloretteParty #FunTimes"

After Parties and Late Nights are a great event format that can really elevate a venue and connect with different audiences. Howie Schnee shares a ton of insights in this 15-minute interview all about After Parties. Some takeaways: 🥳 Target audiences that like to stay out late (probably not great for family events, but a great new use for a traditionally family-focused spaced. Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium does a great job of this with their Late Nights at the Zoo). 🥳 Make it unique. Events are competitive. You can give yourself an edge by doing something unique. Go deeper for the fans or put a twist on something traditional. 🥳 Create partnerships. If booking talent isn't your strong suite, offer favorable terms to a local, well-connected promoter. 🥳 Support a cause the artist cares about. If you're piggy-backing off a big name performing nearby, consider supporting a cause they care about to improve relations with them and their fans. Howie dives into the details in the video below. Give Howie Schnee a follow too. He's often sharing great insights from his decades as a promoter.

Watch Me Shoehorn The Most Interesting Phenomenon in Independent Music into a Discussion About My Accounting Firm Niching is all the rage within accounting firmrunning circles, and with good reason. The refrain is almost always that you're not niched *enough*. But what if there's another way to think about niching? Enter Australian psych-rock/jazz-fusion/prog-rock/thrash-metal sensation King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard. You might think based on the name alone that something strange is afoot, and you'd be right. Let's start with some numbers: - 25 albums released in 10 years - Released 5 albums in one year....*twice* (2017 and 2023) - Released a trio of albums based on microtonal harmony (and made it work three times) - Didn't release an album for 55 weeks and instead playing 113 shows in that time period. - The wikipedia entry for KGLW states that the genres they've covered include: psychedelic rock, garage rock, acid rock, progressive rock, surf rock, krautrock, psychedelic pop, indie rock, neo-psychedelia, thrash metal, stoner metal, progressive metal, sludge, folk, jazz, Tropicália, synth-prog, and microtonal music. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, then, is the antithesis of niching at least as it's usually defined. There are no labels, no constraints, and they certainly don't have a website that only caters to serving physician practices based on the West Coast in beach communities. But to anyone into music, it's woefully apparent that KGLW is about the most niched interest that any music fan into moderately mainstream music can have. You're not going to hear many I-V-vi-IV chord progressions, and you have to be as at home listening to jazz as you are metal. And therein lies the niche: people interested in complex harmony and innovative soundscaping, folks who have it bad for always hearing something new and fresh to their ears. And it works for King Gizzard. They have their own music festival which sells out annually. They routinely play 3 and 4 night residences at some of the largest and most prestigious venues worldwide. Their merch store is constantly sold out of popular items, and they answer to no music label, executives, or higher music industry power. How does this relate to accounting? For Seamless, we've taken a similar approach to niching. Our niche is not based on industry; we're agnostic to industry. Instead, our niche is the nature of our clients and what they have in common. They're almost always family-owned, entrepreneur-operated business with thin or non-existent middle management staffing who face the same problems regardless of industry. We're able to take the same base playbook and tweak it across a multitude of industries, much the same way King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard takes the same approach to complex and innovative harmony and applies it across a variety of genres. I'll take a bow for this very tortured metaphor and wish you a very happy Thursday