LEMONADE FROM LEMONS: Following the flood, the Gaylord Opryland completed a $270-million renova- tion.
CONVENE ON SITE
‘Newfound Spirit’ at Gaylord Opryland’s Reopening
Resort & Convention Center, in Nashville, threw them wide open to 400 meeting planners, 150 members of the travel and trade media, and several hundred additional associa- tion and corporate executives. All told, the Gaylord Opryland hosted about 1,000 profession- als in the meetings industry for its Grand Reopening weekend, Nov. 18–21, while another 1,000 other guests — including several meeting groups and wedding parties — also en- joyed a newer, better Gaylord. The Grand Reopening
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served to kick off the hotel’s traditional holiday festivities, including its outdoor-lighting ceremony and live perfor- mances by the Radio City Rockettes. The huge resort — refreshed to the tune of $270 million — sparkled under thou- sands of hanging twinkle lights, while the lush conservatory and garden paths, adorned
IX MONTHS AFTER A flood closed its doors, the Gaylord Opryland
with thousands of poinsettias, led to soaring Christmas trees in the halls and atriums. Guests sampled from the
Gaylord’s new and signature restaurants and explored its shops and spa. Grand Reopening guest David Weil, vice president of event ser- vices for SmithBucklin, said he was glad he came. “It’s good to see for myself how the property has been restored,” he said, “so I can assure clients that it’s in great shape for their meetings.” At the Grand Reopening Ceremony on Friday night, Gaylord Chairman and CEO Colin Reed told attendees that the flood had created a “newfound spirit” within the company, and that the reopening marked “the start of a future destined to be greater than any moment in Gaylord’s past.” This celebra- tory spirit was captured in performances by local danc- ers, singers, and aerial acro- bats, and was punctuated by
a light show and fireworks — all inside the hotel’s 15-story, 4.5-acre Delta Atrium. Follow- ing a seated dinner, guests were treated to a private concert by Country Music Award winner Keith Urban. The star power was in
full force the next day with a lunch hosted by energetic ce- lebrity chef and Food Network star Guy Fieri, and a concert by Grammy winner Sheryl Crow. And, after two musical performances that rocked the house, the weekend ended on the perfect note: a lovely Sunday brunch accompanied by the dulcet tones of Craig Duncan’s string quartet. To read Colin Reed’s ac-
count of the Gaylord Opry- land’s evacuation, published in last month’s Convene, visit www.pcma.org/Convene /Issue-Archives /December-2010.htm. n — Michelle Russell