Leadership / 06.07.23

Why CMA Fest Matters: The Power of Country Music to Bring the World Together in Nashville

Access Staff

Pollstar (06/05/23) Gleason, Holly

The Country Music Association (CMA) Fest in Nashville, Tennessee, has grown in its 50 years from an event first known as Fan Fair into a world-encompassing celebration. CMA CEO Sarah Trahern says the TV broadcast of the event is a major draw. "Millions of people who've never been to the Festival watch the show," she comments. CMA Fest has raised $29 million since 2006 for music education in schools nationwide as an investment in music's future. Agent Tony Conway credits "some of the best production people in the world" as key contributors to ensuring ticket sales. "We hired Brian O'Connell from Live Nation and Steve Moore, who was at AEG at the time, to answer questions as they came up," he recalls. "We even had promoters flying in to see it, because it was that big." The Fest is also a tremendous opportunity for emerging artists to connect directly with fans.

Read the full story from Pollstar.

Tags: Leadership , Country Music