2013 CMA MUSIC FESTIVAL WITH 80,000 FANS

NASHVILLE
– CMA Music Festival set a new attendance record in 2013 with daily attendance
topping 80,000 fans, a near 13 percent increase over the 71,000 in attendance
in 2012 and a sellout of LP Field tickets six weeks before the event.

The
increase was attributed to expanding the event into the new Music City Center,
which was dubbed the AT&T U-verse Fan Fair X. The new venue nearly tripled
the size of the former space in the Nashville Convention Center creating room
for new exhibits, additional stages, and attractions for families in the Keep
the Kids Playing Pavilion.

“This event has a global reputation
as the destination for any Country Music
fan,” said Steve Moore, CMA Chief Executive
Officer. “The support we receive from our industry and the dedication of our
fans is unduplicated. Each year we strive to improve and enhance the event for
our attendees and the artists – and this is undeniably our best CMA Music Festival ever!”

Attendance
figures for 2013 include four-day ticket packages and promotional tickets, as
well as attendance in Fan Fair X, and free areas downtown. In all, more than 450
artists and celebrities participated in more than 200 hours of concerts on a record
11 different stages.

Week-long mild temperatures in Nashville
resulted in increased attendance in the numerous free areas including The Buckle,
Fan Alley, public events, and concert venues. In fact, there was record attendance
on opening day at Chevrolet Riverfront Stage with more than 44,000 fans passing
through the gates for the free concerts on the sloping bank of the Cumberland
River. Crowds for the new Transitions Performance Park were strong and attendance
at the Bud Light Stage on the Bridgestone Arena Plaza increased over 2012. The
BMI Tailgate Party stage at LP Field, which debuted in 2012, was bustling each
evening as crowds entered the stadium for the Nightly Concerts.

Corporate
brand partnerships are a key element to the marketing, fan experience, and financial
support of the Festival. Nearly 40 different brands participated in the CMA Music
Festival generating a combined activation and consumer engagements of more than
1.8 million. These various engagement elements included product sampling, dedicated
registrations, and brand impressions.

“In 2013, we
built on the strength of our established
Festival partnership development program by working with partners who were excited
about engaging our attendees in new and entertaining ways,” said Sheri Warnke, CMA Senior Vice
President of Marketing and Communications. “The growing popularity of our Festival
is due in no small part to the commitment of our corporate partners in creating
and delivering a great fan experience.”

“We were thrilled
with our experience at this year’s CMA Fest,” said Michael Weidman, National Promotions
Manager for Chevrolet. “We had a record number of people engage with our products.
We are already starting to think about how we can up our game for next year.”

“The
2013 CMA Music Fest was the best ever, providing the ideal platform for HGTV to
connect with passionate Country Music fans,” said Denise Conroy, Senior Vice President
of Marketing and Creative, HGTV & DIY Network. “From the top-notch
concert lineups to the overall rich experiential environment, CMA Music Fest was
the perfect setting for the HGTV Lodge.”

“As first-year
partners, the 2013 CMA Music Fest has exceeded our expectations,” said Tim Skiba, Director of Media
for Gander Mtn. “The Festival has proven to be an excellent avenue for
us to reach and engage with avid outdoors enthusiasts and Country Music fans.
We can’t wait for 2014!”

CMA Music Festival supports
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,
The CMA Foundation donates proceeds from the event to music education on the artists’
behalf through CMA’s Keep the Music Playing program. Since 2006, CMA has donated
more than $7.6 million to the cause.

CMA’s fans are contributing
to this worthy and important initiative, too. For the first time during the Festival,
fans were able to bid on signed items and one-of-a-kind experiences during the
CMA Silent Auction benefiting Keep the Music Playing, which was held in Fan Fair X.

The
auction raised more than $80,000 and included items such as a Jack Daniel’s
Commemorative Whiskey Barrel autographed by the Master Distiller and branded with
the CMA Music Festival logo; a Chevrolet Camaro Convertible hood, signed by artists
on the 2011 CMA Awards Red Carpet; and a 2012 CMA Awards commemorative guitar,
autographed by hosts Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley.

CMA
Music Festival, which started as Fan Fair® in 1972, is about the fans and their
relationship with the artists and the music.

The theme is universal
and in 2013, Festival attendees came from all 50 states and two dozen countries,
including Australia, Austria, Canada, Chile, China, Cuba, Czech Republic, Denmark,
Dominican Republic, France, Germany, Holland, Honduras, Ireland, Italy, Japan,
Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Arab
Emirates, and the U.K.

Tickets for 2014 CMA Music Festival,
which will be held Thursday through Sunday, June 5-8, are on sale now
and selling 52 percent ahead of this time last year.

“The
pace of the advance ticket sales speaks to the strength of the event, the popularity
of our music, and the experience that our fans had at this year’s CMA Music
Fest,” said Moore.  

Fans can order tickets by calling
the CMA Box Office at 1-800-CMA-FEST (262-3378) or Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000. To
purchase tickets online, visit Ticketmaster.com.

Fans
Connect Digitally

CMA continued its
practice of interacting with fans through digital and social channels at the 2013 CMA Music
Festival, to both inform and reward loyal Festival attendees.

Visits
to the official Festival Web site, CMAfest.com, spiked 35 percent
over 2012, pointing to the utility’s value and wealth of content available to
fans. As the digital home for The Ultimate Country Music Fan Experience, CMAfest.com houses all pertinent
details about the event and featured a special “Live @ CMA Fest” section with
content posted and streaming for Country fans not able to join the festivities in person.

Re-launched
for 2013, the free CMA MUSIC FEST APP for iPhone and Android saw nearly 25,000
downloads – a 14 percent uptick year to year. App features included event maps,
schedules of activities and performance lineups with the option for users to create
their own personalized, custom schedule. Additionally, CMA social media streams
and news bulletins were integrated, and the CMA MUSIC FEST APP offered push notifications
to update attendees on weather alerts and schedule changes.

The
interactive fan tweet-to-screen element at LP Field concerts was expanded to the
Chevrolet Riverfront Stage in 2013. In total more than 68,000 tweets were sent
using the official hashtag, #CMAFEST. The tweet volume represents 120% growth
over 2012. Additionally, fans were encouraged to post their Festival photos to
Instagram throughout the weekend using hashtag #CMAFEST, and photos were also
featured nightly on the LP Field Jumbotron. This Instagram-to-screen promotion
yielded more than 7,000 photo submissions.

The CMA mobile
database (CMA MOB) grew an impressive 33 percent year over year, with eager fans
opting in to receive updates, promotional opportunities, and event alerts via
text message. Anyone may join the CMA MOB by texting keyword FESTIVAL to shortcode
66937 (message and data rates apply).

CMA’s total aggregate
digital audience has reached 1.9 million fans, growth of 36 percent from the 1.4
million in June 2012.

2013 CMA Music Festival
Research Recap

With so many ardent
Country Music fans in one place, opportunities abound for CMA to conduct research
with this important consumer group.

“Country Music continues
to rise as a favorite genre among all segments of the population, across the U.S.
and beyond,” said Karen Stump, CMA’s Senior
Director of Market Research. “This year’s Festival provided CMA, and
the industry, with several opportunities to learn from both existing and new Country
Music fans about their Festival experience and Country Music listening habits. Our
attendees are extremely loyal and eager to share their experiences and CMA truly
appreciates their participation in our research during this year’s event.”

Top
line research findings from the 2013 CMA Music Festival:

• More
  than 50 percent of attendees were under the age of 40
• 48
  percent were first time attendees this year and more than 90 percent of both first
  time and returning attendees stated that they are planning on attending in 2014
• Nearly
  95 percent of attendees stated that, overall the 2013 CMA Music Festival met or
  exceeded their expectations
• 70 percent traveled 250
  or more miles to attend this year’s Festival 

Highlights of 2013 CMA Music Festival

The Ninth Annual CMA Music Festival Kick-Off Parade claimed
Broadway from Tenth to First Avenues on Wednesday before tens of thousands of
cheering spectators. Country Music superstar Kix Brooks served as Grand
Marshal. The Keep the Music Playing
All Stars Marching Band, which is made up of 80 high school musicians representing
eight Metro Nashville Public Schools, made its third appearance in the parade,
as well as the world-famous Budweiser Clydesdales.

Following the procession,
the fun kicked into high gear with The Eighth Annual CMA Music Festival Block
Party. Fans gathered at the Chevrolet Riverfront Stage for the kick off with The Henningsens followed by Brazilbilly, The
LACs, and The Cadillac Three. Lyndsey Highlander performed the
national anthem. A highlight was headliner Joe Diffie singing “Pick
Up Man” with his nine-year-old daughter, Kylie.

AT&T
U‐verse® Fan Fair X

X marked the coolest
daytime spot for Nashville’s “signature” event in the new AT&T® U-verse®
Fan Fair X (FFX) with autograph signings, concerts, lifestyle exhibits, marketplace,
live broadcasts, and more in the shiny new Music City Center.

Lady
Antebellum kicked it off with “Lady A Day at FFX” on
Thursday with an official ribbon cutting, acoustic performance, and Q&A session
with the fans, hosted by Lorianne Crook.

”Welcome
to Nashville, everybody!” proclaimed Hillary Scott of Lady Antebellum
at the ribbon cutting. “We just want to say how honored we are to be a part
of this. It’s such a huge moment, not only for Country Music and CMA but for
Nashville as a city. This Music City Center is just state-of-the-art and gorgeous
– and we get to be a part of the grand opening. Here’s to a great CMA Fest!
We love ya!”

FFX offered fans an enhanced experience with four
stages and the new Keep the Kids Playing Pavilion, with events and activities
created especially for children and families. Another popular destination was
the FFX Vault featuring an amazing gallery of stunning music memorabilia including
artwork created by Steve Wariner. Wariner also
participated in a Q&A session on the Keep the Music Playing Stage in the Pavilion
about how music can influence art.

“I wasn’t sure what
to expect when I arrived today, but I thoroughly enjoyed talking about my artwork
with the audience and my friend, [host] Bill Cody,” said Wariner.
“I enjoyed bringing the kids up onstage to draw with me, and I hope I might
have encouraged or inspired some folks in the audience to follow their creative
path. The event went too fast – I want to do it again!”

A
record-breaking 65,000 visitors passed through the turnstiles into Fan Fair X
throughout the Festival. The number of artists signing autographs and performing
on the stages was 393, exceeding 2012’s figure of 254.

The
number of artists signing in CMA Central, CMA’s signature headquarters, led
to some unique photo ops for fans, such as when Little Big Town met and posed
for photos with Kristian Bush. Similarly, Brenda Lee and Jean Shepard crossed paths
and ended up agreeing to sit and sign autographs together for a brief time.

Highlights
at the CMA Close Up Stage included The Oak Ridge Boys singing “Amazing
Grace” a cappella at the ‘70s Heritage Panel; Randy Travis introducing a
song he had recorded as a tribute to George Jones and playing it
for Nancy Jones during a panel in tribute
to the legend who passed away in April; and an acoustic performance and question-and-answer
session with Wynonna.

Large
numbers of fans also gathered at Fan Fair X to witness a surprise appearance by
Blake Shelton at the Pepsi Music
Experience, where the reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year played a variation
of “Pictionary” with attendees; and at the table tennis match between Dave Haywood and Charles Kelley and the father-son
team of Homer and Adam  Brown of Birmingham,
Ala., in the final round of their Ping Pong & Songs tournament to raise funds
for the band’s LadyAID Fund (Team Lady A, who get a lot of practice time on
the road, won in straight sets, 11-8 and 21-19).

Popular autograph
signings included Lauren Alaina; Kix Brooks, who signed for
several hours; Laura Bell Bundy; Dog & Beth from CMT;Eli Young Band,
Florida Georgia Line; Brantley Gilbert; “Grits &
Glamour” (Pam Tillis and Lorrie Morgan); Kree Harrison;
Justin Moore; Kip Moore; Joe Nichols, Kellie Pickler (who also had a
surprise appearance with the cast of “Duck Dynasty”); Lisa Marie Presley;
members of the Robertson family from the
popular A&E Channel reality series “Duck Dynasty”; Josh Turner; Wynonna; and Chris Young, who was scheduled
to sign for three hours on Sunday but ended up staying all day.

This
marks the second year that AT&T has been title sponsor of the exhibit hall
experience, first at the Nashville Convention Center and now FFX at the Music
City Center. The AT&T Showcase Stage sponsored stage in FFX featured performances
from 17 of Nashville’s great songwriters, celebrity Q&A sessions, and more.

“From
the opening of AT&T U-verse Fan Fair X in the new Music City Center, to the
U-verse Karaoke Stage at The Buckle, and our launch of Country Deep, we couldn’t
be more thrilled with the 2013 CMA Festival,” said Brian Collins, Vice President
of Wireline Consumer Marketing, AT&T Home Solutions. “We were proud to participate
in this event with Country Music fans, and we look forward to next year.”

Durango®
returned to present the Durango Music Spot, which launched in 2004 as a showcase
for independent artists, and featured nearly 40 solo or group performers. The
Music Spot was extremely popular with fans and the area stayed packed throughout
nearly 20 hours of music in FFX. All performances were broadcast and streamed
live by 650 WSM-AM Nashville.

The Wrangler Fashion Show
on Saturday, hosted by “Headline Country’s” Storme Warren, was a hit with
spectators. Participants included Country artists Ali Dee, Peyton Rae, Bridgette Tatum, Josh Thompson, and Trent Willmon; champion bullfighter,
actor, and recording artist Hollywood Yates; Mrs. Tennessee
Bethany Sharp; Tennessee Titans
kicker Rob Bironas with his girlfriend
Rachal Bradshaw; and five members
of the Tennessee Titans Cheerleaders. These Festival fashionistas, along with
professional models, showed off the hottest styles from Wrangler, Durango boots,
and additional designs from Manuel, designer to the
stars who is known world-wide for his embellished and embroidered motifs.

FFX
also featured a Marketplace with numerous vendors including Manuel and his son
Manny, who demonstrated the
art of making their fabulous, embellished couture clothes.

“It
was great to be back at the CMA Music Fest again this year,” said Liz Burnham Murphy, Chief Marketing
Officer of the Bonnier Men’s Group, which encompasses Field & Stream. “Attendance
and overall engagement with the audience, particularly in the new Fan Fair X Hall,
was fantastic. We learned once again that so many of those who love Country Music
and come to the Festival also have a great love for the outdoor sports.”

Nightly
Concerts at LP Field

The Nightly Concerts
at LP Field featured 62 performers spanning four nights of star-packed shows.

Pre-show
activities Thursday included The Oak Ridge Boys performing the
national anthem, CMA’s Moore, and Nashville Mayor Karl Dean, who declared, “I
want all of you to have a wonderful time in our great city. Whether you traveled
a short distance or a long way, we want you to enjoy the city and this great weather.”

Performing
Thursday were Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Miranda Lambert, Taylor
Swift, and Zac Brown Band. The audience also
enjoyed a heritage performance from Tracy Lawrence. Surprise guests
for Thursday night’s show included Kid Rock, Tim McGraw, and Kenny Rogers.

“Who’s
feeling a little frisky tonight in Music City?” shouted Bryan to thousands of
fans before singing ‘Rain Is a Good Thing.’”

“Whether you
drove right down the road or came from across the world, thank you for coming
and for making us a part of your lives. We love you,” said Swift.

Hunter
Hayes, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Kip Moore, and Blake Shelton performed on Friday. Randy Travis
was the heritage act of the evening and Gloriana performed the national
anthem. Special guests on Friday
included Sheryl Crow, who performed with
Little Big Town and Jason Mraz, who joined Hayes.

Moore
used the occasion to share a sweet memory with the stadium audience. “I played
some songs for a bigwig producer,” he recounted. “He showed me what I was
up against and told me to pack my stuff up and go home. I was polite, I thanked
him and said, ‘To hell with that, I ain’t goin’ nowhere.’ And now I’m
playin’ for y’all at CMA Fest!”

And in closing
out the night as the last performer, Shelton scanned the thousands of cheering
onlookers and said, “It takes a special breed of human being to stand out here
this late at night after drinkin’, partyin,’ and listening to Country Music
all day. You’re still freakin’ here!”    

Performing
Saturday were Dierks Bentley, Kelly Clarkson, Florida Georgia
Line and Keith Urban. The Oak Ridge
Boys returned Saturday to perform and Brett Eldredge sang the national
anthem. Jason Aldean, Lenny Kravitz, and Trisha Yearwood were surprise guests.

“I
hate that we have to play so short. I wish we could play all night for you guys,”
Urban said during his closing set.

Bentley was more succinct.
Kneeling on the stage before a sea of illuminated cell phones after his performance
of “Home,” he said with emotion: “This might be the best night of my life.”

Severe
storm threats shortened sets on Sunday, but didn’t dampen the spirits of the
outstanding lineup featuring Gary Allan, The Band Perry, Jake
Owen, Brad Paisley, and Carrie Underwood. Lee Greenwood was the heritage
act and Lorrie Morgan and Pam Tillis joined musical
forces to perform the national anthem. Country icon Charlie Daniels joined Paisley
for his performance; and Lennon and Maisy of the hit ABC
series “Nashville” also performed.  

“Everybody, think
positive thoughts about the rain,” said Allan as skies turned threatening. “Just
remember, every storm does run out of rain.”

“According to
my calculations, right now, summer starts,” said Paisley before launching into
“Beat This Summer” with fans who had downloaded Paisley’s Light App that
was synched to match the music.       

Dee
Jay Silver warmed up the crowd with remixes of popular Country
hits Friday and Saturday. Thursday and Sunday night’s shows were hosted by “Headline
Country’s” Storme Warren, who also helped
emcee Saturday night along with the cast of the popular A&E series “Duck
Dynasty”; Friday was hosted by CMT’s Cody Alan, Katie
Cook, and Alecia Davis.

BMI
Tailgate Party

For the second
year, the BMI Tailgate Party was located outside
LP Field with a strong selection of more than 20 BMI songwriters and artists warming
up the audience and providing a popular pre-show destination before fans entered
the stadium for the Nightly Concerts.

Chevrolet Riverfront Stage

”It’s great to be in Nashville, and I’m happy to
be opening CMA Music Festival,” proclaimed Sara Evans as the CMA Award-winning
artist opened her set and four days of music at the popular Chevrolet Riverfront
Stage in front of one of the biggest opening day crowds on record – 44,000.
2013 marked the first time Evans opened the Festival. 

It
was an auspicious start to a full slate of performances. The stage bustled with
a roster of outstanding artists delivering longer sets for the appreciative crowd.
In all, 40 acts performed 30 hours of concerts over the four days including a
surprise appearance by Hunter Hayes on Friday. More
than 162,000 fans passed through the gates to watch the performances at Chevrolet
Riverfront Stage over the course of the four-day Festival.

Bud
Light Stage at Bridgestone Arena Plaza

The audience at
the Bud Light Stage at the Bridgestone Arena Plaza was enthusiastic and didn’t
hesitate to demonstrate their appreciation for the 33 acts performing on the stage
during 25 hours of concerts. The exceptional lineup included up-and-comers, established
stars, and legends.  

“This was my first time witnessing
the Music Fest after many years of overseeing events from a corporate sponsorship
perspective and I could not have walked away more satisfied,” said Jason Hayes, Director of Trade
Marketing, Anheuser-Busch InBev. “I ultimately want a natural synergy of brand
identities that can build on each other for the greater good of an event as well
as a partner that cares as much as I do about my brand. The CMA management team
delivers both in a signature event which Nashville should be very proud of and
I look forward to supporting on behalf of Bud Light for years to come.”

Transitions
Performance Park

New to the Festival
in 2013 was the Transitions Performance Park with a nonstop lineup of talent performing
in Walk of Fame Park. In all 32 acts performed including the Marshall Tucker
Band, who kicked it into high gear on Thursday.

“How
many of y’all are so happy God took those clouds away and made the sun shine?”
asked Kristy Lee Cook during her Transitions
Performance Park performance, speaking for many who enjoyed the favorable weather
lounging in hammocks covered by giant sunglasses, or playing volley ball or putt
putt in the park.  

Press Here

CMA credentialed more than 700 journalists, photographers,
and videographers representing more than 230 domestic and international media
outlets including: ABC Radio Networks, Associated Press, AXS Live, BBC Radio 2
(UK), Billboard, CMT, CMT Canada (Canada),
CNN International, Country Aircheck, Country Music
Channel (Australia), Country Weekly, ESPN, Great American
Country, “Good Morning America,” “Headline Country,” MSN.com, Music Row, Nashville Business
Journal, OK Magazine, People, Premiere Radio
Network, Rolling Stone, Sirius XM Satellite
Radio, Sports Illustrated, The Tennessean, “The Better
Show,” United Stations Radio Network, UPI Newswire, US Weekly, USA Today, Yahoo!, and more.

International
media outlets represented 14 countries including Australia, Brazil, Canada, France,
Germany, Ireland, Israel, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, the
Netherlands, and the U.K.

Safety First

CMA took numerous steps in 2013 to protect the safety of
fans, artists, volunteers and staff, so everyone could fully enjoy The Ultimate
Country Music Fan Experience. Enhanced information booths were scattered throughout
the downtown footprint with trained staff to serve the needs of a steady stream
of visitors. In addition there were water stations and misting tents for quick
relief from the heat.

CMA also utilized the “If You See
Something, Say Something” program from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
“If You See Something, Say Something” is a simple and effective program to
raise public awareness and to emphasis the importance of reporting suspicious
activity to the proper local law enforcement authorities. 

Medical
tents and roving medical teams from Vanderbilt Medical Center, a nonprofit medical
facility, were readily available for Festival goers needing attention for a variety
of ailments including treatment of blisters and sunburns. The mild temperatures
and pre-planning by CMA and the medical crews resulted in one of the lowest years
in medical treatment since the event moved to downtown Nashville in 2001.

In
all, they logged 436 patient contacts with 9 ambulance transports – well below
numbers for previous years, which typically exceeded 1,000 contacts and slightly
above 20 transports.

People Power

For the fourth year, CMA enlisted volunteers for the Festival.
More than 400 people stepped up from across the country and around the world to
volunteer their time to fill 630 positions including the Fun Team, shuttle drivers,
managing lines at the Fan Fair X, as well as balloon and banner holders for the
Kick-Off Parade. The volunteers contributed more than 12,400 total hours.  

ABC
Television Special

As previously announced,
the Festival was filmed for a three-hour television special “CMA Music Festival:
Country’s Night to Rock” airing Monday, Aug. 12 (8:00-11:00 PM/ET)
and hosted for the first time by Little Big Town.  

This
marks the 10^th anniversary of the special,
which aired for the first time in 2004. This is the ninth year the special will
air on ABC. The primetime event features stadium concerts and intimate club-like
performances with behind-the-ropes access to the artists.

Stay
Connected

Fans can stay in
the loop by visiting CMAfest.com, the official
website of CMA Music Festival, where they can sign up for the CMA Exclusive e-news.
Fans can also connect with CMA at Facebook.com/CMA, Twitter.com/CountryMusic, Pinterest.com/CMAworld, and Instagram.com/CMA.

CMA
Music Festival – The Ultimate Country Music Fan Experience – is a celebration
of America’s music. CMA Music Festival is a four-time winner of the International
Entertainment Buyers Association’s LIVE! Award for Festival of the Year (2004,
2006, 2008, 2010). According to Budget Travel Magazine, Nashville
is one of the Top 10 Best Budget Destinations and CMA Music Festival is “the”
time to visit. Conde Nast Traveler selected Nashville
as one of the Best Places to Go in 2013 citing easy access to “incredible live
music.” And CMA Music Festival was named one of the Top 10 Summer Festivals
of 2013 by Livability.com, a national website that ranks quality of life and travel
amenities of America’s small and mid-sized cities.

Don’t
miss it June 5-8, 2014!