2012 CMA MUSIC FESTIVAL SETS NEW ATTENDANCE RECORD WITH 71,000 FANS
Hundreds of Artists, New Stages, and More Music Attract Thousands of Visitors to Nashville
NASHVILLE
– CMA Music Festival set a new attendance record in 2012 with daily
attendance topping 71,000 fans, a 9.2 percent increase over the 65,000
in attendance in 2011 and a sell out for
the third consecutive year at LP Field. Tickets for 2013 CMA Music
Festival, which will be held
Thursday through Sunday June 6-9, are on sale now.
The
increase was attributed to expanded seating at LP Field for the nightly
concerts and mild temperatures that drove increased attendance in the
free event and concert areas downtown.
“Third
time’s the charm and to achieve a sell out for a third straight year
and increase attendance says a lot about the strength of this event, the
dedication of our fans, the support of
our industry and local community, and the popularity of our music and
artists,” said
Steve Moore, CMA Chief Executive Officer.
Attendance
figures for 2012 include four-day ticket packages, promotional and
single night tickets, as well as attendance in non-ticketed free areas
and events. In all, more than 450 artists
performed more than 200 hours of concerts.
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 Friday and Saturday at Chevrolet Riverfront Park
with more than 25,000 fans attending the free concerts throughout each
day on the sloping bank of the Cumberland River. Crowds for the new BIC®
Soleil Bella® Beach Stage were strong and
attendance at the Bud Light Stage on the Bridgestone Plaza increased
over 2011. The new BMI Stage at LP Field was bustling each evening as
crowds entered the stadium for the nightly concerts.
“Eighty
percent of our four-day ticket holders come from outside of Tennessee,”
said Moore. “What we are seeing is gains with our locals who are coming
out to support our free areas in increasing
numbers.”
According
to the Nashville Convention and Visitors Bureau, the direct visitor
spending generated by CMA Music Festival in 2011 was $30 million, a $6
million increase over 2010 making the Festival
the top annual generator of tourist income in Nashville. And it appears
that 2012 was a boon to business again. Figures for 2012 will be
released by the NCVB at a later date.
“More
stages, more music, and more fans. This event outperforms itself every
year and at every level and the ‘halo’ effect lasts all year long,” said
Butch Spyridon, President of the NCVB.
“For us, the Grand Ole Opry and CMA Music Festival go hand in hand,” said
Melissa Fraley Agguini,
Director of Retail, Opry Originals on Broadway, which premiered its
Accessories Bar this year. “Although we are open year-round, we
definitely see a peak during
Festival week. This year we brought in extra staff and added security
due to the number of artist autograph signings in-store. And while we
had increasing traffic throughout the week, Sunday was our largest day
because people feel they can carry what they
purchase directly home, and the Country fans definitely love us for our
unique apparel and accessory offerings.”
“The CMA Music Festival has been everything as advertised,” said
Brian Pedrick,
Manager, Bailey’s on Broadway. “Money-wise, CMA Music Festival
increases about 400 percent of the normal business we do here downtown
in a week.”
“We’ve tripled our inventory for these four days, and it was much needed,” said
Linda Gorby, Manager of Boot Country on Broadway. “The store has been packed nonstop.”
CMA
Music Festival benefits downtown businesses, but it also 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.
To date, CMA has donated more than $6.1 million to the cause.
CMA’s valued corporate partners are contributing to this worthy and important initiative, too.
For
the third consecutive year, longtime partner Chevrolet invited music
industry professionals to a pre-Festival Industry Test Drive. Held at
CMA on June 1, the event featured a wide variety
of Chevrolet cars and trucks. For every test drive, Chevrolet donates
$25 to the Keep the Music Playing program.
“Another
great year at the CMA Music Festival where Chevrolet’s support of
Country Music, engagement with passionate music fans, and offerings of
multiple Chevrolet activities made for a fun,
multi-day experience for fans and customers alike,” said Phil Caruso, Manager, Chevrolet National Promotions. “CMA Music Festival is good example of how Chevrolet continues to play a
role in popular culture and the lives of many musical artists and their fans.”
Corporate brand partnerships are a key element to the marketing, fan
experience, and financial support of the Festival. Nearly 50 different
brands participated in the CMA Music Festival generating a combined
activation and consumer engagements of more than
1.25 million – an increase of nearly 40 percent over numbers for 2011
(900,000). These various engagement elements included product sampling,
dedicated registrations and sales leads, as well as brand impressions.
“This
year more than 15 new brands – including AT&T, BIC, Hunt Brothers
Pizza, Emerald Coast Vacations, Jelly Belly, Jack in the Box, Cracker
Barrel, Bad Boy Buggies, and Cabot Cheese – participated
at the Festival with dynamic consumer activities,” said Sheri Warnke, CMA Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications. “The Festival is always a fan favorite thanks in no small
part to the commitment that our partners make to delivering an outstanding fan experience.”
“Pepsi,
on a regional, national and even global scale, enjoys and seeks out
innovative partnerships with companies and associations that share our
values and vision for integration into daily
lives of families and individuals alike,” said Tawni Fite,
Pepsi Americas Beverages Mid Atlantic Region Food Service Marketing
Manager. “We are passionate about creating quality beverages
for every taste, activity, and occasion, while enriching our
consumer’s experiences by capturing the excitement of now and
encouraging people to live each moment to the fullest, the concept
behind our first-ever global campaign launched last month, ‘Live
for Now.’ For this reason, we couldn’t be more excited about teaming up
with CMA.
“CMA
is passionate about bringing a quality, wholesome product into the
homes of music fans everywhere and enriching their lives through music,”
Fite added. “It’s summertime in the U.S.A.,
and what could be more enjoyable for families everywhere than to enjoy
cool, refreshing Pepsi beverages and wholesome, fun music brought to you
by the CMA? Pepsi and CMA, a perfect partnership, one which we hope to
grow for years to come.”
“CMA was a natural fit for Hunt Brothers Pizza,” said
Kurt Solsvig,
VP, Marketing, Hunt Brothers Pizza. “As a Nashville-based company we’ve
always been interested in Country Music, and Hunt Brothers Pizza
consumers are also huge Country Music
fans, so a partnership with CMA seemed like a great way to leverage our
common strengths and reward our loyal fans. The results were
phenomenal. We achieved more than $600,000 in media coverage, received
more than 21 million impressions, and more than doubled
our following on Facebook.”
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 2012, 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.
“Martin
Guitars has enthusiasts from all over the world which was evident by
the performers in our Martin Jam Tent; from Japan, Cuba, France,
Germany, Holland and the U.S.A. all strummed their
finest tunes at the CMA Music Festival,” said Amani Duncan, VP Brand Marketing, CF Martin & Co., Inc.
Tickets for 2013 CMA Music Festival, which will be held
Thursday through Sunday, June 6-9, are available now.
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
www.ticketmaster.com. Prices
not include applicable handling fees. Ticket prices are subject to
change without notice. All sales are final and non-refundable. Four-day
ticket package categories correspond to different levels of seating at
LP Field. Children 3 years and younger are admitted
free.
2013 CMA MUSIC FESTIVAL- FOUR DAY TICKET PACKAGE PRICES
SEATING LEVEL
Gold Circle (sections A-E) – $350
Floor – $250
Lower Level Premium – $250
Lower Level – $200
Club Level Premium – $200
Club Level – $160
Upper Level Reserved – $135
Upper Level General Admission – $125
2012 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.
“Understanding how fans experience Country Music is a priority for the industry,” said
Karen Stump,
CMA Senior Director of Market Research. “During Music Fest, attendees
provided extremely valuable contributions to this understanding by
eagerly participating in the variety
of research studies we have going on.”
Top line research findings from the 2012 CMA Music Festival:
- Average age: 38.5
- 71 percent are college educated
- More than 50 percent (53.2%) of attendees say they are listening to more Country Music now than they did two years ago
- Satisfaction level is extremely high with 94 percent of the respondents stating they plan to return to next years’ Festival
Highlights of 2012 CMA Music Festival
The
Eighth Annual CMA Music Festival Kick-Off Parade claimed Broadway from
Tenth to First Avenue on Wednesday before an estimated 20,000 cheering
spectators. Country Music Hall of Fame member
Glen Campbell served as Grand Marshal. Little Big Town
invited 40 lucky fans on their flotilla of four Premier
pontoon boats and the Keep the Music Playing All Stars Marching Band,
which is made up of high school musicians representing eight Metro
Nashville Public Schools, made its second appearance in the parade.
Following
the procession, the fun kicked into high gear with The Seventh Annual
CMA Music Festival Block Party. An estimated 11,400 fans gathered at the
Chevrolet Riverfront Stage for the
kick off with Little Big Town followed by full-tilt performances from Brazilbilly, Eric Lee Beddingfield, and
LoCash Cowboys. Angie Johnson
performed the national anthem.
Nightly Concerts at LP Field
The Nightly Concerts at LP Field featured 38 acts over four nights of star-packed shows.
Pre-show
activities Thursday included pre-taped remarks from students who have
benefited from the Keep the Music Playing program followed by a special
performance with
David Nail and the
Nashville School of Arts Chamber Choir (under the direction of
Walter Bitner).
Nail and the students performed a moving version of Nail’s “The Sound
of a Million Dreams” before the students performed the national anthem.
Welcoming the audience was
CMA’s Moore and Nashville Mayor Karl Dean,
who declared, “Welcome to Nashville…If you’ve come a
short distance or a long distance, we are thrilled to have you in
Nashville. I hope in the next few days you experience all that Nashville
has to offer.”
Performing Thursday were
Jason Aldean, Glen Campbell, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Brad Paisley, and
Zac Brown Band. Hank Williams Jr.
made a surprise appearance, joining Paisley on “I’m Gonna Get Drunk and Play Hank Williams.”
Lauren Alaina and
Kellie Pickler delivered acoustic sets.
“I
started way back there at the top,” said Lambert, pointing to the high
seats at LP Field. “How are y’all doing up there? Slowly over the years,
I made my way down. I can’t tell y’all how
much it means to me to be here as an artist with y’all singing back to
me.”
“The
amazing thing about Country Music is that while it’s all about reality,
it still has the ability, between our music and beer, to help you
forget what you want to forget tonight,” said
Paisley.
The Band Perry, Brantley Gilbert, Ronnie Milsap, Jake Owen, Blake Shelton, and
Carrie Underwood
performed on Friday. Randy Houser
and Gwen Sebastian
of “The Voice” performed
acoustic sets and the national anthem was performed by the
Oak Ridge Boys.
“Nashville,
every single person that came from all over the country and the world,
don’t think I can’t love you,” called out a jubilant Owen.
More reflectively, Kimberly Perry of The Band Perry told the audience, “You may not know this, but you have changed
the lives of my brothers and me. Thank you, to each and every one of you.”
Performing Saturday were
Luke Bryan, Eric Church,
Hunter Hayes,
Faith Hill,
Little Big Town, and Kenny Rogers.
Rodney Atkins made a surprise appearance, performing “Just Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll.”
Love and Theft and
Kip Moore performed acoustic sets and the national anthem was performed by
Julie Roberts.
“Nashville! Are you having the night of your life out there?” queried Bryan.
Church
made his LP Field debut in 2012. “I just wanted to tell you that I’m
having a really, really good time right now,” he exclaimed.
“What’s
up, LP Field? I can’t tell you how cool it is that I can actually say
that!” said Hayes, who also made his debut on the CMA Music Festival’s
LP Field stage.
The Sunday lineup featured
Dierks Bentley, Alan Jackson, The Mavericks, Martina McBride, Scotty McCreery, and
Rascal Flatts. Little Big Town’s
Karen Fairchild made a surprise guest appearance with Bentley. Country Music Hall of Fame member
Bill Anderson and
Steel Magnolia performed acoustic sets and the national anthem was performed by
Sarah Darling.
Dedicating
his song “Home” to the fighting men and women of the U.S. armed forces,
Bentley said, “When we think about those guys in Afghanistan who
traveled west, they fly across that ocean
and they see that eastern seaboard for the first time and have that
American flag on their sleeve, those guys must be thinking, what’s that
song? Well, this is ‘Home.’ Let’s sing this song for them.”
“You guys got me here today, voting me through ‘American Idol,’ so I owe this to you,” said McCreery.
“All
I’ve ever wanted to do since I was 4 years old was sing,” said McBride,
who closed the Festival Sunday night. “That’s all I wanted and that’s
all I was good at. And you guys did this
for me. Thank you for making my dreams come true.”
Thursday and Friday were hosted by GAC “Headline Country” host
Storme Warren; Saturday was hosted by CMT “The Singing Bee” host/actress
Melissa Peterman; and Sunday was hosted by CMT’s
Evan Farmer.
BMI Tailgate Party
New at this year’s Festival was
The BMI Tailgate Party.
Located outside LP Field, the new stage featured a strong selection of
BMI’s songwriters and artists warming up the audience and providing a
popular pre-show destination
before fans entered the stadium for the Nightly Concerts.
“This opportunity to partner with the CMA for the Tailgate Party was a natural fit for BMI,” said
Jody Williams,
BMI VP Writer/Publisher Relations Nashville. “Both organizations share a
passion for championing great new artists, and together we can shine an
even brighter light on the
next generation of stars – and have a lot of fun doing it.”
Digital Promotions Engage the Fans
Through digital and social media, CMA connected with more fans than ever during the 2012 CMA Music Festival.
Digital
planning and assistance tools included the CMA AWARDS & MUSIC FEST
App (17,000 new downloads for the 2012 event); CMAfest.com and its
mobile phone-optimized counterpart CMAfest.mobi;
the Custom Schedule
feature available via both the App and CMAfest.com, allowing
fans to build their weekend schedule while viewing the totality of the
entertainment options; the CMA MOB
text alerts, which fans may opt in to by texting keyword
FESTIVAL to shortcode 66937 (standard text and data rates apply); the
official blog (blog.CMAfest.com);
and social media channels Facebook.com/CMA,
Twitter.com/CountryMusic,
YouTube.com/CountryMusicAssoc
and Pinterest.com/CMAworld.
In
2012, CMA launched a Social Media Team, who in addition to tweeting and
posting live happenings at the Festival, held daily games and contests
to give away prizes such as
Luke Bryan and
Scotty McCreery
meet-and-greet passes, LP Field Gold Circle seat upgrades, Fan Fair
Hall CMA booth Fast Passes, and more. CMA’s social audiences were
notified of times and places of games,
and contestants were selected from the groups amassed at each
respective locale through activities such as dance-offs and Country
Music trivia. Games included “Dancing on the Stars,” CMA’s version of a
cakewalk; “What Was I Thinkin’,” CMA’s take on “The Newlywed
Game;” and “Man! I Feel Like a Woman,” in which contestants played
dress-up using non-clothing household items including table cloths and
toilet paper. Each night, the Social Media Team capped off the evening
passing out LP Field Fan Photo Line Fast Passes
at random locations revealed via Twitter.
Nightly
text-to-screen and tweet-to-screen promotions at LP Field were a hit
during pre-show and set-change periods, resulting in more than 31,000
tweets and 22,500 texts sent to the Jumbotrons.
Winners of text and tweet promotions won prizes including upgrade to
the front row Chevrolet Best Seats in the House, and backstage
meet-and-greets with artists including
Brantley Gilbert, Hunter Hayes, Faith Hill, Jana Kramer, Jake Owen, and
Blake Shelton.
Through these promotions, CMA’s MOB climbed to nearly 165,000 members
by the close of the Festival, while CMA’s Twitter (@CountryMusic)
followers increased nearly four percent
Thursday to Sunday.
CMA’s total aggregate digital audience now exceeds 1.4 million fans.
Chevrolet Riverfront Stage
“The party is here, baby!” proclaimed
Eddie Montgomery of
Montgomery Gentry
as the 2000 CMA Vocal Duo of the Year opened their set and four days of
music at the popular Chevrolet Riverfront Stage in front of one of the
biggest opening day crowds
on record – 14,500.
The
stage bustled with a roster of outstanding performers delivering longer
sets for the appreciative crowd. In all, 41 acts performed nearly 30
hours of concerts over the four days.
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 39 acts performing on the stage during 26
hours of concerts. The exceptional lineup included up-and-comers,
established stars, and legends.
“The
CMA Music Festival is one of the premier events for Country Music fans,
and we’re thrilled that Bud Light continued its role as the official
beer partner in 2012,” said
Mike Sundet,
VP, Bud Light. “We are also proud to have sponsored the new Bud Light
Stage at Bridgestone Arena Plaza, which was one of top destinations for
live music throughout the Festival.”
BIC® Soleil Bella® Beach
New
to the Festival in 2012 was the BIC® Soleil Bella® Beach and Stage with
a non-stop lineup of talent performing in the beach-like setting in
Hall of Fame Park. In all 39 acts performed
including Soleil Bella belle Sunny Sweeney.
Volleyball, food trucks, interactive exhibits, cabanas,
and a real sand beach with lounge chairs and umbrellas provided the
perfect setting for the beautiful weather.
AT&T U‐verse®
with Cisco® Technology Fan Fair Hall
The
state of continuous commotion that’s been the standard for Fan Fair
Hall was back in force with more than 250 artists and celebrities
appearing at the Nashville Convention Center. All
exhibit booths were sold out in advance of the event. Artists meeting
fans, posing for photos, and signing autographs in the AT&T U-Verse®
with Cisco® Technology Fan Fair Hall included
Lauren Alaina,
Lynn Anderson, The Band Perry, Laura Bell Bundy, Easton Corbin, Bucky
Covington, Billy Dean, Edens Edge, Eli Young Band, Sara Evans, Donna
Fargo,
actress Jennie Garth, Brantley Gilbert, Linda Gray
and Josh Henderson
from the upcoming TNT revival of “Dallas,”
Hunter Hayes, Randy Houser, Brenda Lee, Little Big Town, Martina
McBride, Scotty McCreery, Montgomery Gentry, Justin Moore, David Nail,
Heidi
Newfield, The Oak Ridge Boys, Craig Morgan, James Otto, Gwen
Sebastian, Doug Stone, Josh Turner, Mark Wills, and
Chris Young, who also did a virtual meet-and-greet with fans on Friday.
New
procedures for securing autographs were in place in 2012 making the
Exhibit Hall safer and the process of getting a coveted signature fair
for all attendees. The online drawing was created
to improve safety, enhance the overall Festival experience, and make
the process for securing an autograph equitable for all
Festival goers.
“There was something cool about spending the night outside Fan Fair Hall before the first day,” admitted
Andy Soto, 40, from Austin, Texas. “But the new system does make things a lot easier and a little bit safer for us all, too.”
Durango®
returned to present the Acoustic Corner, which launched in 2004 as a
showcase for independent artists, and featured 38 solo or group
performers. The Acoustic Corner’s move to the
floor of the Fan Fair Hall was extremely popular with fans and the area
stayed packed throughout 20 hours of music. All performances were
broadcast and streamed live by 650 WSM-AM Nashville.
The Wrangler Fashion Show on Saturday, hosted by GAC’s
Suzanne Alexander, was a hit with spectators. Participants included Trace Adkin’s wife
Rhonda Adkins and daughters
Mackenzie, Brianna, and
Trinity, members of Brassfield Aly, Kristy Lee Cook, Ali Dee, Dee Hilligoss, Rachel Holder, child actor
Jet Jurgensmeyer, members of
Parmalee, Michael Ray, Lizzie Sider, Bridgette Tatum, Tennessee Titans cheerleaders, Olympic bobsledder
Jeremy Ware, Trent Willmon and other Festival fashionistas modeling 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. Manuel will be embellishing a few of the Wrangler
fashions that will be auctioned off
to benefit Keep the Music Playing. A few lucky fans won the chance to
strut their stuff with the artists, compliments of Wrangler.
New
in 2012 was the Fan Fair Hall Red Carpet, where fans got to be the
paparazzi and photograph artists as they were entering or leaving the
booths. Highlights of the Red Carpet included TNT
“Dallas” stars Linda Gray and Josh Henderson posing for photos and
addressing the enthusiastic crowd;
Neal McCoy who serenaded fans;
Gwen Sebastian, who did a somersault down the catwalk; and a surprise appearance by
Luke Bryan with The Band Perry on Sunday.
“I try to make it to the Red Carpet at the CMA Awards,” said
Geoff Brown,
51, from Minneapolis, Minn. “Having the same chance to see my favorites
up close in Fan Fair Hall makes the Festival experience even better.”
Good Sports
A
partner of CMA Music Festival, the City of Hope Celebrity Softball
Challenge Saturday morning game pitted two teams of Country stars
against each other at Greer Stadium. The game ended in
a 15-15 tie between Team “After Midnight with Blair Garner” (including Bucky Covington, Scotty McCreery, Robin Meade, David Nail, Tennessee Titan
Dave Ball, and more) and Team Grand Ole Opry (Lauren Alaina, Brantley Gilbert, Vince Gill, Carrie Underwood, Tennessee
Titan Jake Locker,
and more). Proceeds from tickets to the game will be donated to City of
Hope to fund research into curing cancer, diabetes and other
life-threatening diseases.
The grassy area south of Riverfront Park was home to several exciting events. On Thursday the
Field & Stream Celebrity
Total Outdoorsman Challenge showcased artists and a few lucky fans
testing their skills in fly casting, archery, and air rifle shooting.
The overall winner was
Ty Brown (score 104) followed by
Trent Willmon (score 102), and
Mark Wills (score 97).
During
Total Outdoorsman Challenge regional qualifiers, two of the
participants shot the equivalent of a hole-in-one known as a “Robin
Hood.” A Robin Hood is a once-in-a-lifetime event for
an archer where an arrow is split by a second arrow.
Both
Brian Newhouse 29, St. Charles Mo, and
Chase Gibbs,
40, Brentwood Tenn., were shooting Bowtech Diamond brand bows at a
distance of 25 yards, using carbon arrows. They accomplished the amazing
feat on consecutive shots.
Gibbs,
a veteran big game hunter with a bow, said he has shot thousands of
arrows, but the Robin Hood at the Total Outdoorsman Challenge was his
first. “I’m pretty excited,” he said. “I’ve
been hunting for 32 years and this is just about the most exciting
event in archery I’ve ever experienced.”
High-flying
four-legged athletes competed in Ultimate Air Dogs. The overall winner
was Trout, a 3-year-old Chesapeake Bay Retriever owned by
Pat Trainor of Cherry Log, Ga. Trout’s leap measured 26 feet 4 inches.
Press Here
CMA
credentialed more than 730 journalists, photographers, and
videographers representing more than 230 domestic and international
media outlets including: AOL Music/The Boot, Associated Press,
BBC Radio 2 (UK), Billboard, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (Canada), CMT, CMT Canada (Canada),
Country Aircheck, Country Music Channel (Australia),
Country Music People (UK),
Country Weekly,
Deutschlandradio (Germany), Dial-Global Radio Network, “E! News,”
Envision Radio Network, FOX News Channel, FOX News Radio, GAC, “Good
Morning America,” Gray Communications, “Headline
Country,” “Inside Edition,” MSN.com, Music Row,
Nashville Business Journal, NYT.com,
People, Premiere Radio Network, Reuters News Service, RTL (France), Sirius XM Satellite Radio,
Tennessean, “The Better Show,” “The Chew,” “The View,” The Travel Channel,
TV Guide, United Stations Radio Network, UPI Newswire,
US Magazine,
USA Today, VH1, Yahoo!, and more.
International
media outlets came from the following countries: Australia, Canada,
France, Germany, Holland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Sweden,
Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
Earlier
this year, CMA designated 2012 as “The Year of Country Radio.”
Broadcast professionals from more than 40 radio stations attended the
event and many hosted the various event stages.
“Hosting a show at Music Fest is without question a career highlight of mine,” said
Philip Gibbons of
“The Philip Gibbons Show” on WGSQ-FM Cookeville, Tenn., who hosted on
the Bud Light Stage. “CMA and Country radio have an outstanding
partnership that continues to enhance
and propel Country Music to new heights during the Year of Country
Radio!! Great teamwork, CMA!”
“The opportunity to get up in front of the most passionate Country fans on the planet was invaluable,” said
Billy Greenwood
of “The Billy Greenwood Show” on WSIX-AM Nashville, who hosted on the
Bud Light Stage. “This was the best CMA Music Fest to date – and all of
the artists I talked to backstage
agreed! We’ll never take for granted the support we’re given through
CMA and look forward to another BIG party next year!”
“We’ve
been hosting The Chevrolet Riverfront Stage on Friday afternoons for
several years now, and this was the loudest and most enthusiastic crowd
ever,” insisted
Big D and Bubba
of Clear Channel Radio’s syndicated “Big D & Bubba Show.” “We were
surprised by the number of people who told us this was their first time
and how many of them were already
planning their next visit to CMA Music Festival.”
Safety First
CMA
took numerous steps in 2012 to protect the safety of fans so they 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.
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. In all, they logged 882 patient
contacts with 14 ambulance transports. Vanderbilt LifeFlight also
unveiled its new state-of-the-art transport helicopter, an AmericanEuro
EC 130 Helicopter, during the event.
People Power
For
the third year, CMA enlisted volunteers for the Festival. More than 460
people stepped up from across the country and around the world to
volunteer their time to fill 822 positions including
the Fun Team, shuttle drivers, managing lines at the Fan Fair Hall, as
well as balloon and banner holders for the Kick Off Parade. The
volunteers worked more than 10,000 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, Sept. 17 (8:00-11:00 PM/ET) and hosted for the first time by
Luke Bryan and The Band Perry’s
Kimberly Perry.
Robert Deaton
is the Executive Producer. The special was shot in high definition and
will be broadcast in 720 Progressive (720P), ABC’s selected HDTV format,
with 5.1 channel surround
sound.
This
is the eighth year the show will air on ABC. The primetime event
debuted on the CBS Television Network in 2004. The special features
stadium concerts and intimate club-like performances
with behind-the-ropes access to the artists.
For
up-to-the-minute information about tickets, travel information,
schedules, artists appearing at 2013 CMA Music Festival and more, visit
www.CMAfest.com.
Sign up for CMA Exclusive, the official eNewsletter of Country Music,
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CMA
Music Festival is the Ultimate Country Music Fan Experience – a
celebration of America’s music that takes over downtown Nashville with
non-stop concerts on multiple stages with a vast
and varied roster of artists. 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).
CMA
Music Festival is organized and produced by the Country Music
Association. Fan Fair® is a registered trademark of CMA. Chevrolet™ is
the Official Ride of Country Music. American Airlines
is the Official Airline of the CMA Music Festival. BIC is an Official
Partner of the 2012 CMA Music Festival. Bad Boy Buggies are the Official
UTV of the CMA Music Festival. Connect with CMA online at CMAfest.com,
Facebook.com/CMA and Twitter.com/CountryMusic.
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Luke Photo credit: Donn Jones/CMA. |
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The Photo credit: Jim Hagans / CMA. |
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Blake Shelton performs at LP Field in Downtown Nashville on Friday, June 8 during the 2012 CMA Music Festival. Photo credit: Donn Jones/ CMA. |
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Miranda Lambert performs at LP Field in Downtown Nashville on Thursday, June 7 during the 2012 CMA Music Festival. Photo credit: John Russell/CMA. |
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Brad Paisley performs at LP Field in Downtown Nashville on Thursday, June 7 during the 2012 CMA Music Festival. Photo credit: John Russell/CMA. |
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Carrie Underwood performs at LP Field in Downtown Nashville on Friday, June 8 during the 2012 CMA Music Festival. Photo credit: John Russell/CMA. |
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Faith Hill performs at LP Field in Downtown Nashville on Saturday, June 9 during the 2012 CMA Music Festival. Photo credit: John Russell/CMA. |
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Eric Church performs at LP Field in Downtown Nashville on Saturday, June 9 during the 2012 CMA Music Festival. Photo credit: John Russell/CMA. |
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LP Field during the nightly concerts on Friday, June 8 at the 2012 CMA Music Festival in Downtown Nashville. Photo credit: Bennett Farkas/CMA. |
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Scotty Photo credit: Jim Hagans/CMA. |
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Martina Photo credit: Jim Hagans/CMA. |
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Linda Photo credit: Theresa Montgomery / CMA. |
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Fans Photo credit: John Russell/CMA. |
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Designer Photo credit: Theresa Montgomery / CMA. |
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Glen Photo credit: John Russell/CMA. |
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Fans enjoy the 2012 CMA Music Festival Kick Off Parade on Wednesday, June 6, on Broadway in Downtown Nashville. Photo credit: John Russell/CMA. |
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Little Photo credit: John Russell/CMA. |
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Montgomery Photo credit: Theresa Montgomery/CMA. |
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Fans gather at the Chevrolet Riverfront Stage on June 7 at the 2012 CMA Music Festival in Downtown Nashville. Photo credit: John Russell / CMA. |
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Cuban Photo credit: Karen Hicks/CMA. |
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The Photo credit: Donn Jones/CMA. |
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Fans enjoy The Buckle on Thursday, June 7 during the 2012 CMA Music Festival in Downtown Nashville. Photo credit: John Russell/CMA. |