2009 CMA MUSIC FESTIVAL ATTENDANCE UP 7.2 PERCENT

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2009 CMA MUSIC FESTIVAL ATTENDANCE UP 7.2 PERCENT

15 Jun 09

cma-festival-fans NASHVILLE – CMA Music Festival hit an all-time high attendance record in 2009 despite a downturn in the economy and a general decline in festival attendance across the nation with a 7.2 percent increase over 2008 during the four-day Festival, Thursday through Sunday, June 11-14, in Downtown Nashville.

“Even with gasoline prices more than $2 a gallon and weak economic conditions around the country, we saw increases in our attendance from local and regional residents,” said CMA Chief Executive Officer Tammy Genovese. “We believe that is due in large part to a strong regional advertising push, the addition of free concerts, the popularity of our artists, and the entertainment value of the nightly shows at LP Field.”

The average daily attendance in 2009 was 56,000. By comparison, in 2008 the average daily attendance was 52,000. The uptick was felt in single concert tickets and attendance in the Festival’s free zones and concert venues including Riverfront Park, which was free to the community for the first time.

Fans definitely enjoyed themselves and made it known at the box office. Tickets for CMA Music Festival 2010, which will be held June 10-13, went on sale Saturday and consumer ticket sales, which include pre-sale tickets, are up 4.6 percent over 2008. 2010 CMA Music Festival tickets go on sale nationwide today.

“You know you are giving the fans what they want when they put down their hard-earned money – especially in light of economic uncertainty – for an event that is 12 months away,” remarked Genovese.

When the final counts were tallied Sunday night, there was a slight 3.6 percent drop in four-day ticket sales. The biggest increases were in single night tickets, which increased 19.5 percent, and record attendance in the free areas – including Riverfront Park, the Dr Pepper®-McDonald’s® Family Zone, Fun Zone, Sports Zone, and the new Music City Zone on the Public Square at Metro Courthouse.

“The Music City Zone was a hit and is a lock for the future – more value, more music, more fun!” said Butch Spyridon, President of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau, which programmed the concerts and activities in the Music City Zone.

According to the NCVB, the direct visitor spending generated by CMA Music Festival in 2008 was $22 million. And it seems that 2009, was a boon to business again. Figures for 2009 will be released at a later date.

“This was another home run,” Spyridon said. “Hotels were full, sales were up downtown, and it seemed like the fans came earlier than ever.”

“This was absolutely the best CMA Music Festival EVER,” said Brenda Sanderson, owner of The Stage on Broadway Legends Corner, Second Fiddle and Nashville Crossroads. “Crowds were over the top and so excited to be here in Music City. CMA really created an attitude that Nashville puts on a great party. I saw a lot of families this year and people of all ages seemed to enjoy all the diverse events going on.”

Surprise appearances are a hallmark of this event. And 2009 didn’t disappoint. The lineup Friday night at the VAULT^TM Concert Stage at LP Field included an unannounced appearance by Kid Rock. On Sunday, Sugarland delighted the crowd.

“Each year we strive to give the fans something fun and unexpected,” Genovese said. “We delivered again this year.”

And it all benefits children and music education in Music City. The artists and celebrities participating in CMA Music Festival donate their time. They are not compensated for the hours they spend signing autographs and performing. In appreciation of their exhaustive efforts, CMA donates half the net proceeds from the event to music education on their behalf through a partnership with the Nashville Alliance for Public Education called “Keep the Music Playing.” To date, CMA has donated more than $2.2 million on behalf of the artists who participate in the Festival.

To supplement the thousands of instruments purchased by funds from the Festival, the Nashville Alliance collected gently-used band instruments in the Dr Pepper-McDonald’s Family Zone, including a clarinet from “American Idol” finalist Bo Bice. The potential value of the program prompted the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum to be a drop off location for the instrument drive through the end of June. Instruments may be dropped off during regular Museum hours at Guest Services in the Conservatory. As an added incentive, the Museum is offering a $5 discount off admission to the Museum for up to five family members that can be used until Dec. 31, 2009.

This year, the Hard Rock Cafe Nashville stepped up to support the music education program by creating two collectible pins for the Festival with funds going to support “Keep the Music Playing.” By Friday, the CMA Music Festival branded guitar pin was sold out.

“We are thrilled about how well-received Hard Rock’s partnership with CMA has been by the fans during this 2009 CMA Festival season,” said Vilma Salinas, Sales and Marketing Manager for Hard Rock Cafe Nashville. “Thanks to the success of our co-branded pin program, Hard Rock is pleased to foster continued music education and help ‘Keep the Music Playing’ for many years to come in Music City.”

CMA Music Festival is – and always will be – about the fans and their relationship with the artists and the music. The theme is universal and in 2009, Festival attendees came from every state, including Washington, D.C., and 26 foreign territories including Africa, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jersey, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom (which includes England, Northern Ireland, and Scotland).

Provided by CMA World.