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.

Where else but Memphis would a Holiday Inn Express be big news? Yes, it’s good to renovate an old building but Downtown is in desperate need of a much larger, better brands of hotels, restaurants and attractions. With so many failed attempts to land something like a Grand Hyatt or JWMarriott, this is just embarrassing. 50 years ago Memphis had Kemmons Wilson and the world HQ of Holiday Inns here with more than a dozen inns across the city, and some decent flagship-type properties like the Holiday Inn Rivermont. Today the tourism and convention sector in Memphis is not robust enough to attract big name venues to the city. Kevin Kane has been CEO at the convention and tourism bureau far too long.

While the park is an improvement, it still looks very suburban. Too much like Shelby Farms. It’s a shame they didn’t have the money or imagination to build something truly spectacular with an iconic centerpiece. The night time lighting needs to be brighter as there are many dark areas. I would worry at lot about safety at night and hope the Memphis police will have a lot of presence both day and night.

INCORRECT. Memphis does not have any international passenger flights, not even to Canada. Japan Airlines (not Air Japan), Air France, Korean Air and Emirates DO NOT serve Memphis. The only international flights from MEM are cargo only on FedEx and you have to be in a box to fly.

The only thing happening at MEM is FedEx, and even FedEx is having trouble and even parking some planes. Memphis DOES NOT have any scheduled service by Emirates, Japan Airlines, Air France or Korean Air. It’s only cargo airlines like FedEx, UPS, DHL, etc. Passenger traffic is very small with only about 75 flights per day on all the airlines serving Memphis. Memphis lacks nonstop flights to many major US cities, especially the west coast. MEM renovated a concourse last year , but closed two others due to its shrinking size. The city’s poor air service is another reason growth, economic development and tourism is so weak in Memphis.

Maybe a delay or postponement would give museum trustees a chance to totally rethink the horrible architecture and brutalist design of this museum. It’s an insult to the site and the city, especially so for a prime riverfront site. The museum’s design turns its back on the Mississippi river with very few windows and a the appearance of a concrete military bunker.

Nashville is a far superior market to Memphis for pretty much everything. It has a rapidly growing population base and the economic development is about the fastest in the entire country. Downtown Nashville continues to build dozens of skyscrapers so much so that the city is hardly recognizable today compared to just a few years ago. In comparison, Memphis has a sleepy small city vibe that’s not a good fit to attract professional sports like NFL, NHL, MLB.

It’s much more than just perception. The facts and data about crime, poverty, education and population loss are nothing new and speak volumes about the problems facing Memphis. Yes there is some development and redevelopment underway or planned, but the big projects don’t ever seem to become reality in Memphis., especially downtown. The city and mid south region have a tepid economy and are decades behind other cities.

Memphis has suffered from consistently bad national and international news coverage since the assassination of Dr. King in 1968. The city’s poverty, high crime and a declining population have only added to that negative image. Many areas of Memphis have seen much better days and there has been an overall long term lack of investment and development compared to the fast growing cities.

The Manning is strangely unattractive and has taken over 3 years to complete. I think the location is particularly bad.

Incorrect. No way BNA will never ever come close to the enormous hub United has in Denver. United has done fine without a southeastern US hub and has no plans to establish one. With Washington Dulles, Chicago OHare, and Houston surrounding the region there is absolutely no need for one. BNA could not physically support it as it is already pretty much at capacity even with the new IAB and the concourse additions and renovations.