Nothingspectacular

Memphis can’t seriously compete in attracting larger size conventions. The lack of large, high-quality hotels has been a big part of this problem for years. Even with renovations, the Renasant convention center is still too small. The city’s crime and negative publicity haven’t helped. Kevin Kane has been in charge of the CVB far too long and has largely failed in every initiative to improve this situation. Typical of how things stagnate in the Bluff City.

For decades now Memphis has suffered from an inferiority complex of just about everything happening in Tennessee’s capital city. That’s understandable as Nashville is one of America’s fastest growing and most popular cities along with its peer cities of Austin, Raleigh/Durham and Charlotte. Memphis is at a different tier, more similar to Birmingham, Little Rock and Jackson, MS. Also it should be pointed out that CMA and CMT are different organizations and awards shows. Facts and data matter.

Quote ”Perhaps you should be concerned that Nashville lost the CMT Awards, because the city has become too expensive. “ This is false information. The CMA Awards were moved to Austin for one year only because CBS TV changed the broadcast date and no suitable venues were available in Nashville as all were fully booked with other performances. The show returns on November 8, 2023 at Bridgestone Arena in downtown Nashville.

More bad news for Memphis. This city can’t catch a break. From Commercial Appeal, 10/12/23 Memphis in May scraps Beale Street Music Festival in 2024. Here's what we know. Memphis in May has suspended Beale Street Music Festival for 2024, The three-day music festival will not be held in 2024, according to an email from Memphis in May obtained Thursday by The Commercial Appeal. Memphis in May sent a new release officially announcing the news later Thursday afternoon. "We wanted to share that the Board of Directors has made the very difficult decision to suspend the Beale Street Music Festival in 2024," said Kevin Grothe, vice president of sponsorships for Memphis in May, in the email. Grothe added that several factors played into the decision including, "record financial loss in 2022 and 2023... decline in attendance, increasing costs of artists fees, and the extraordinary $1.4 million bill to repair Tom Lee Park."

It seems like a lot of downtown events and entities are moving East. The move of the MLGW HQ is a big blow to downtown. Memphis is stagnant and has way too many empty buildings and vacant lots. Unfortunately development rarely seems to happen.

MLGW seems ready to purchase the Smith and Nephew building out East. It’s never good when a major employer moves its headquarters out of downtown in favor of a suburban campus. Small businesses that depend on downtown workers will certainly suffer. The MLGW building is 50+ years old and will need to be razed. Yet another empty building or vacant lot is not desirable. Given the dismal track record for development in downtown Memphis, it may be decades before anything is built to replace MLGW.

If MLGW relocates it’s headquarters away from downtown to East Memphis that is very bad news for density and foot traffic. MLGW employs a lot of people and not having those people there will be a hardship for the entire area, especially small businesses that rely on them. Downtown Memphis just doesn’t need another vacant building or lot — there are already so many of them. Another huge setback to a downtown that has been struggling for years.

San Juan is most definitely NOT an international flight. It’s also been served nonstop from BNA on and off for years, dating back to American’s hub days.

Let’s hope the MNAA has a “surprise” or “special” announcement about new international service in conjunction with the opening of the new International gates and facilities next week. Otherwise it’s a huge embarrassment for BNA.

https://www.actionnews5.com/2023/09/20/legal-fight-aims-stop-construction-new-brooks-museum/

Reading today’s news, yet another major downtown project seems to be in trouble. Memphis development curse continues as multiple projects always seem to stall, fail or disappear. Those that materialize are small scale and generally underwhelming. Memphis can’t ever seem to catch a break. What is it about this city that these failures continue? I would agree that even the demolished parking garage looked better than this brutalist bunker.

The design of this building resembles a machine gun bunker, not an art museum. So very bad.

Korn Ferry is one of most respected and successful executive search and consulting firms in the world.

Sorry Nashville is not your cuppa tea. It’s so awesome and highly impressive that you have lived in such worldly cities and that you no longer have to “worry” about direct routes anywhere.

BNA was not included in Lufthansa’s announcements of new US destinations. Raleigh/Durham and Minneapolis were selected instead. RDU now has 4 nonstops to Europe, American to London Heathrow, Delta/ Air France to Paris CDG, Icelandair to Keflavik, and Lufthansa. Frankfurt. This is a big blow to the management and board of BNA just prior to the opening of the BNA International Arrivals facilities.