Nashville in 72 hours…amazing time lots of applicable learning and ‘why nots,’ so taking a page…literally from the soon to be departed Hemispheres Magazine (United is discontinuing its in flight magazine this month sadly) which always had its great “three days in” feature highlighting the best of a destination, here are some learnings of the 72 hours we spent in Nashville that apply to what we can do better or more interestingly across the board. Little things, little touches, little engagements matter.
First a not so little thank you. Last spring at the World Congress of Sports we randomly met Dan and Will Conley, which we wrote about here. Will finished at the University of Michigan and received an opportunity to be on the football team at Vanderbilt while getting a graduate degree, so our trip to Nashville was to re-connect in person and watch the Commodores, who are now 2-0, so maybe some of the mojo Will brought with him from a National Championship as a walk on and manager in Ann Arbor is rubbing off for Vandy!
Now a few learnings pulled in from our trip to the Country Music Hall of Fame, the legendary Ryman Auditorium and the Grand Ole Opry, three places that understand history, emotion and storytelling nuance whether you are a country music fan, or just a fan of fandom.
Taking care of those on the journey to stardom. One of the more unique cases at the Hall of Fame was dedicated not to the legendary artists, but to those who helped them on their road, explaining what each job does. It contained bobble heads for everyone from public relations people to roadies to marketing managers to bookers…all of whom play those amazing behind the scenes roles without ever stepping on the stage. They were nameless but fun bobble heads and showed how much those jobs, just as much as even studio musicians, play a part in the road to stardom. Think about a sports hall, and what a case would be made of…batting coaches, ticket sellers, PA announcers, communications people, marketing professionals, ushers…what a great way to bridge the sometimes divide that exists from the field to the front office, with a little explaining that can show those wandering through what a path to the pros looks like.
Poster children. The Ryman and its shows are famous for the limited-edition posters that are available, designed and shared many times by the legendary Hatch Print Shop. Some artists in other genres, Pearl Jam being one, are known for their own limited edition show prints (one from this week in Philly is below), but it comes again as a great opportunity missed in sports…limited edition, signed commemorative prints, just as valuable as the collectible ticket stub. While it may be hard for baseball teams, for example, to have artists create prints for just one game, how hard would it be for football teams to do a series of eight, limited and signed and done even by local artists, as a valuable keepsake. The Hatch Prints and legendary and necessary and are part of the tradition, just as the artwork of game programs used to be. In a world where the tangible collectable is making a comeback, let’s look to the creators to create and share more on the sports side.
Letters, They Get Letters. One grabbed from the Opry. Artists have actual mailboxes where their fan mail comes in and can be gathered. The boxes are on display and numbered and are part of the backstage tour. While maybe fan mail isn’t as big a deal as it used to be, how great would it be as part of a Hall of Fame, or a stadium rebuild, if a mailbox setup was included. The tour guides mentioned artists will come in and sort some of their own mail from time to time, but seeing the box full, or even empty, is a great reminder of the power of fandom…and not so hard to do.
The business of fandom and all that goes with it is complex and cumbersome, but when you look at these shrines to the business…music, sports, any form of entertainment…you see attention to detail that goes beyond just the price of admission. The little extras may seem a bit trivial, but the keepsakes and little spots of note lead to memories which leads to investment which leads to opportunity, and few places take that fandom more seriously than three of our stops in Nashville.
Lots to learn, enjoy, adapt and share.
