The NFL Draft is "officially coming to Nashville" in '19, "bringing to fruition what the city’s top tourism executive called the biggest media event ever to be recruited" to the area, according to Nate Rau of the Nashville TENNESSEAN. Cleveland-Canton, Las Vegas, K.C. and Denver were the "other contenders." Nashville had "made overtures to host the draft for nearly a decade," and what "seemed like a long-shot as recently as last year is now a reality." The Draft, which will take place April 25-27, is the "latest sports and entertainment victory for a city that has recently landed an MLS expansion franchise, seen its hockey team, the Predators, explode in popularity and cemented its reputation as a global destination for music fans." The precise venues to be incorporated for different components of the football, music and food festival are "still to be ironed out." But Nashville Convention & Visitors President & CEO Butch Spyridon said that he "anticipates lower Broadway, the Nissan Stadium parking lot, Ascend Amphitheater and the Music City Center convention hall being incorporated." Pointing to Nashville's "popularity for leisure tourists and its close proximity to NFL franchises within a day's drive, Spyridon predicted Nashville will outpace the previous drafts in terms of attracting out-of-town fans." The city's event marketing fund committee is "considering a proposal to commit" $1M in tourism tax dollars to promote the NFL Draft. Spyridon said that there will be an "additional private fundraising effort, led by a not-yet-assembled steering committee," to raise an additional $1-2M. He added that reps for country musician Tim McGraw have "already reached out offering its support, and that McGraw volunteered to serve on the steering committee." Other artists such as Kings of Leon and Little Big Town have "offered promotional help through their substantial social media reach" (TENNESSEAN.com, 5/23).
LIFE OF THE PARTY: In Denver, Ryan O'Halloran writes a "key component for Nashville might have had nothing to do with its bid." Last month, the Titans "held a new uniform unveiling event in the Lower Broadway section of downtown that featured a live concert and an estimated 20,000 fans attended in 40-degree weather." The host city for the '20 Draft was "not announced, but Denver, citing scheduling conflicts, is not under consideration." The NFL "continued its approach of naming the draft’s host city a year before the event." K.C., Las Vegas and Cleveland-Canton back in February "were named finalists" for '20 (DENVERPOST.com, 5/23). YAHOO SPORTS' Terez Paylor writes the NFL wants to make the Draft a "fun spectacle, and Nashville has long been mentioned as the leading contender" for '19 "due to its warm weather, central location in America (a relatively easy trip for fans from all over) and passionate fanbase." The announcement "comes much earlier than it has in past years." Arlington, which hosted the Draft last month, "wasn’t officially announced until last October" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 5/23).
TOO MUCH GOING ON? In Ohio, Alison Matas writes losing the '19 Draft "means Canton’s option now is to hold a day of the 2020 draft in a year that already has some other major events planned for the birthplace of football." Canton "always hosts the annual enshrinement festival in August, and it’s expected the city also will hold a days-long centennial celebration around Sept. 17, 2020, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the league’s origins in downtown Canton." Both "would require the aid of thousands of volunteers and an upfront commitment of millions of dollars from the surrounding community" (CANTONREP.com, 5/23).
