Tennessee Notes - Fall 2015

An Official Publication of the Tennessee Hospitality & Tourism Association

Fall 2015

New Americana Music Triangle

Features Several TnHTA Members

Using Social Media in Hospitality and Tourism Businesses Food Code Update

12

16

20

Contents | Fall 2015 Features

Departments

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6

rom the TnHTA Chair, F Ken Maples

8

Story Several TnHTA Member Destinations and Attractions Featured on New Americana Music Triangle

rom the TnHTA F President/CEO, Greg Atkins

11

elcome, W New TnHTA Members

21

Index of Advertisers

16

Recent

22

ocal Associations News/ L Updates

20

Communications

12

On

the Menu Food Code Update Cover

Event August 3, 2015, Stars of the Industry Awards

Using Social Media in Hospitality and Tourism Businesses

4 • Tennessee Notes • Fall 2015

An official publication of the Tennessee Hospitality & Tourism Association 475 Craighead Street l Nashville, TN 37204 l T: 615-385-9970 l F: 615-385-9957 l john@tnhta.net l www.tnhta.net

Published by Leading Edge Communications, LLC 206 Bridge Street l Franklin, TN 37064 l T: 615-790-3718 l F: 615-794-4525 l info@leadingedgecommunications.com l www.leadingedgecommunications.com Tennessee Notes Editor: John Whisenant, TnHTA | Managing Editor: Liz Nutter, Leading Edge Communications

2015 TnHTA BOARD OF DIRECTORS * Denotes Executive Committee Member Ken Maples (2015 Chair)* Comfort Inn & Suites – Dollywood Lane, Pigeon Forge

Bob Cantler General Morgan Inn & Conference Center, Greeneville

Steve Holmes Cornerstone Insurance Group, Chattanooga

Radesh Palakurthi The University of Memphis, Memphis

Wayne Tabor* Holiday Inn Select – Downtown, Memphis

Tom Loventhal (2015 Vice Chair)* Noshville Delicatessen, Nashville

Kimberly Carlson Memphis Restaurant Association, Memphis

Anthony House Chick-fil-A Germantown, Memphis

Scott Pejsa Homewood Suites by Hilton, Knoxville

Tina Tackett Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, Nashville

Darik Dawes (2015 Treasurer)* MainStay Suites, Chattanooga

Lauren Chesney Sevierville Hospitality Association, Kodak

Brad Ivens Eagles Ridge Resort, Pigeon Forge

Mary Phillips Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies, Gatlinburg

Danny Sumrall (Immediate Past Chair)* The Half Shell Restaurant, Memphis

Christie Connatser Hampton Inn – Gatlinburg, Gatlinburg

Teresa Karson Representative of Buddy’s Bar-B-Q, Pigeon Forge

Chuck Pinkowski Pinkowski & Company, Memphis

Bo Connor* Connor Concepts, Knoxville

Anita Lane Hampton Inn & Suites – Downtown, Knoxville

Perrin Anderson Sevier County Convention & Visitors Bureau, Sevierville Andrea Anderson Greater Chattanooga Hospitality Association, Chattanooga Martha Axford* ABC Design and Consulting, LLC, Knoxville Jim Bambrey Station House Restaurant, Chattanooga Dennis Barber Residence Inn/SpringHill Suites, Nashville/Vanderbilt, Nashville Regena Bearden Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau, Memphis Shannon Bowles* Marriott – Nashville Airport, Nashville Ben Brock Amerigo, Nashville

Tom Cupo The Chattanoogan Conference Center & Hotel, Chattanooga Shawn Danko* Kooky Canuck, Memphis Peter Demos* Demos’ Restaurant, Murfreesboro Cornelia Dobbins Hilton Garden Inn, Gatlinburg Bob Dollinger 3H Group Hotels, Chattanooga Jeff Dunham The Grove Grill, Memphis Anne Marie Famalette Courtyard by Marriott, Collierville Michael Gibson* M. Gibson Hotel Group, Knoxville Gary Hahn Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc., Memphis

Doug Browne The Peabody Hotel, Memphis

Theresa Harrington Clarksville/Montgomery County Convention & Visitors Bureau, Clarksville

Fred Bullard Hilton Garden Inn – Knoxville West, Knoxville

Dan Haskell Gullett, Sanford, Robinson, & Martin, PLLC, Nashville

Kim Bumpas Visit Knoxville, Knoxville

Tom Headla Bluff Mountain Rentals, Pigeon Forge

Mary Calorio* Elvis Presley Heartbreak Hotel, Memphis

Johnny Hill Holiday Inn, Pigeon Forge

Jackie Leatherwood* Greystone Lodge at the Aquarium, Gatlinburg Dee Lundy Lundy & Associates, Knoxville Andy Marshall* Puckett’s Grocery & Restaurant, A. Marshall Family Foods, Inc., Franklin Brenda McCroskey Sevierville Chamber of Commerce, Sevierville Jeff Messinger* Mt. Vernon Restaurant, Chattanooga Mike Milller* Patrick’s Steaks & Spirits, Memphis Claudia Moody* Northeast Tennessee Tourism Association, Johnson City Hugh Morrow Lookout Mountain Attractions, Chattanooga Lori Nunnery Jackson Convention & Visitors Bureau, Jackson Ray Ogle* The Inn at Christmas Place, Pigeon Forge

Deanna Ross Metropolitan Memphis Hotel & Lodging Association, Millington John Rothkopt MeadowView Marriott Conference Resort & Convention Center, Kingsport

Bobby Tanner S&D Coffee, Inc., Chattanooga Karl Thomas Inn on the River, Gatlinburg Jill Thompson Greater Knoxville Hospitality Association, Knoxville Peter Tziahanas Embassy Suites, Murfreesboro Pete Weien Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, Nashville

John Rucker Key Magazine of Memphis, Memphis

Melissa Woody Cleveland/Bradley Chamber of Commerce, Cleveland

Matt Scanlan Gullett, Sanford, Robinson, & Martin, PLLC, Nashville

Dan Zink Chattanooga State, Chattanooga

Sarah Scokin Vista Host, Inc., Jackson

TnHTA STAFF

Pat Sheehy* Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc., Lebanon

Greg Adkins President & CEO

Chuck Smart Fairfield Inn & Suites, Murfreesboro

Lisa Bass Director of Membership and Business Development

Pam Smith Bluff Mountain Rentals, Pigeon Forge

Amy Grace Dunsire Director of Finance and Administration

Bob Speck Blue Coast Burrito, Knoxville

John Whisenant Director of Tourism and Events, and Editor of Tennessee Notes

Annie Steal Chattanooga Choo Choo, Chattanooga

Austin White Director of Education

Jindy Strader InterContinental Hotels Group, Franklin Butch Sypridon Nashville Convention & Visitors Corporation, Nashville

The Tennessee Hospitality & Tourism Association serves its members in the industry through education, promotion and representation. The statements and opinions expressed herein are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the association, its staff, or its board of directors, Notes, or its editors.

Likewise, the appearance of advertisers, or their identification as Tennessee Hospitality & Tourism Association members, does not constitute an endorsement of the products or services featured in this, past or subsequent issues of this quarterly publication. Copyright ©2015 by the Tennessee Hospitality & Tourism Association. Notes is published quarterly. Subscriptions are complimentary to members of the Tennessee Hospitality & Tourism Association. Third-class postage is paid at Nashville, TN. Printed in the U.S.A. We are not responsible for unsolicited freelance manuscripts and photographs. Contact the editor for contribution information. Advertising: For advertising rates and insertions, please contact Leading Edge Communications, LLC, 206 Bridge Street, Franklin, TN 37064, (615) 790-3718, Fax (615) 794-4524.

Tennessee Hospitality and Tourism Association • 5

Message from the Chairman

These Are

Exciting Times!

W

hat an exciting few months these have been for our industry and our association!

We honored some of the very best professionals in our industry at the 2015 Stars of the Industry Awards Gala in August. Once again, I was struck by the incredible talent of the people who make up our industry — from the creative visionaries and entrepreneurs who lead hospitality and tourism businesses and organizations in the state to the front-line and behind-the-scenes professionals who provide first-class service to our visitors and guests. Yes, Tennessee is blessed with great hospitality and tourism assets, but it’s the people who make up our industry that truly make us so unique and successful. I certainly offer my congratulations — and thanks — to each of this year’s winners!

We were all thrilled with the new 2014 economic impact figures for hospitality and tourism that were announced by Governor Haslam and Tourism Commissioner Kevin Triplett in August. Wow! New records in every category: $17.7 billion in direct expenditures; 152,900 hospitality and tourism-related jobs; $1.5 billion in state and local taxes generated by hospitality and tourism; and 101.3 million person stays, moving Tennessee into the top 10 states in the U.S. for travel! These figures represent the hard work and dedication of the entire industry across the state: lodging partners, attractions, convention and visitors bureaus and destination marketing organizations, restaurants, local governments and, of course, the great work of the Department of Tourist Development. It is obvious from these figures that the investments made by our industry and by the state are yielding an incredible return for Tennessee!

Capping off this fall is the 2015 Tennessee Governor’s Conference on Hospitality and Tourism, the state’s premier annual industry event. I am so delighted that we have been able to secure some of the most outstanding speakers and presenters in the nation for this year’s conference! Combine that with the great networking opportunities, professional develop- ment activities, the EXPO tradeshow and so much more, and it is truly an event that will benefit us all. I want to thank all of our sponsors, our partners at the Department of Tourist Development, our exhibitors and our wonderful Nashville hosts for all they’ve done to make this event possible.

And what’s ahead? Well, I think even bigger and better things await us as an industry.

Yes, we will have some challenges, but through our association, we can and will face those challenges head-on. It is an incredible time to be a part of this industry in this state, don’t you think? I look forward to working alongside each of you in the days ahead as together we continue to build the state’s second-largest industry.

Ken Maples 2015 TnHTA Chair

6 • Tennessee Notes • Fall 2015

Message from the President/CEO

Exercise Your Right to Associate

W

hy does the United States have more associations than anywhere else in the world? Because in a democracy like the United States, groups of like-minded individuals can participate in the democratic process and advocate for their cause through an association. It is a freedom that many people take for granted, but it’s critical in the democratic legislative process.

The Tennessee Hospitality & Tourism Association (TnHTA) is your advocate, and we can’t be successful without your participation and involvement. The hospitality and tourism industry is arguably one of the most regulated industries in Tennessee, and it is important to participate in this very important right to associate with and educate each other.

One of the keys to association involvement is communications. We realize it’s important to provide you with up-to-date, accurate information. We attempt to accomplish this through a variety of means: our regular e-newsletters and special alerts, our website (tnhta.net) and this publication. Another communications tool available to you is social media, such as our TN Hospitality and Tourism Facebook page. (By the way, our Communications Committee chair, Shawn Danko, has written a great article on utilizing social media in your business for this edition of Notes — I know you’ll enjoy and find it very helpful.)

Of course, one of the best means of communication is one-on-one interaction. Your association staff and leadership are always available to you to discuss your ideas and issues of concern. I hope you will always feel free to contact us.

One of the best opportunities for communication and participation each year is when we all gather for the annual Tennessee Governor’s Conference on Hospitality and Tourism!

I hope you have made plans to join us October 7–9 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville for this great industry event.

Thank you for all you do by being a part of TnHTA. Working together works for our businesses, our industry and our association!

Greg Adkins TnHTA President & CEO

8 • Tennessee Notes • Fall 2015

On the Menu

Food Code Update

By Greg Adkins, TnHTA President/CEO

The

new food code rules were adopted and went into effect on July 1, and it is important to take note of the new rules.

The new Tennessee law is guided by the new FDA food code model, which was cre- ated by national experts in the hospitality industry and government regulators. The new code changes the health-inspection focus from the physical building to focusing on the way food is actually handled, thus reducing the threat of food-borne illness.

Areas of emphasis in the new law are food labeling, food storage, bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat food, cross contamination and training.

It is critically important that your staff knows the Tennessee food code law changes.

The new food code requires the person in charge to have such food code knowledge.

TnHTA’s ServSafe program can meet this standard. You can learn more about the ServSafe program by visiting the TnHTA website (tnhta.net).

An excellent resource that will help you better understand the new food codes is the Tennessee Department of Health website (tn.gov/health), which has many documents related to the new food code changes as well as regular updates on the codes.

As with any changes of this type, there will be a time of transition. During this time, we need your help to make sure that the transition is as smooth as possible for both the industry and the Tennessee Depart- ment of Health. If you have any challenges during the transition period with your local or state health department, please document the issue, and TnHTA will work with you and the department in question to resolve the problem. J 10 • Tennessee Notes • Fall 2015

Welcome,

New TnHTA Members! (May 1 – August 31, 2015) Associates

End Slavery Tennessee Goodwill Industries of Knoxville Pathway Lending Tennessee Training Solutions

Lodging

Insurance Applications Group/ HospitalityCARE Journal Communications Liquid Environmental Solutions, Inc. On-Site Drapery and Upholstery Cleaning On Site Food Education Services

Pioneer Sight and Sound Rhyme and Reason Design Roomlia Smithfield Farmland Trojan Labor of Nashville J

Day’s Inn North, Nashville Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort Hampton Inn – Oak Ridge Hampton Inn – Pigeon Forge Holiday Inn Express – Columbia Holiday Inn Express & Suites – Nashville Southeast Antioch Red Tail Mountain Hospitality, LLC Sheraton Read House Hotel Sleep Inn Suites – Smyrna

Restaurants

Carolina Ale House Clyde’s on Main Community Pie Milk & Honey Restaurant Scoreboard Bar and Grill Taco Mamacita – Chattanooga Taco Mamacita – Nashville Urban Stack Burger Lounge

Tourism

Anderson County Tourism Council Bristol Convention & Visitors Bureau Buford Pusser Home & Museum Cumberland Caverns Discovery Park of America Elizabethton / Carter County Chamber of Commerce Fayetteville / Lincoln County Chamber of Commerce Jawbreaker Adventures, LLC Monroe County Department of Tourism Old Town Trolley Tours of Nashville, Inc. Sumner Co. Convention & Visitors Bureau Tennessee Overhill Heritage Association

Preferred Vendors

The Bingham Group, Inc. Bizkeys, LLC Blue Ridge Country Magazine Camfil USA Civis Bank Custom Interiors & Supply Company, Inc. FWE / Food Warming Equipment Co. Heritage Exposition Services Tennessee Hospitality and Tourism Association • 11

Cover Story

Several TnHTA Member Destinations and Attractions Featured on

New Americana Music Triangle

By John Whisenant, TnHTA Director of Tourism and Events and Editor of Tennessee Notes

The

recently launched Americana Music Triangle (AMT) features the roots of nine distinctive and uniquely American genres of music born in a region bounded by Nashville, Memphis and New Orleans: blues, jazz, country, rock ‘n’ roll, R&B/soul, gospel, southern gospel, Cajun/zydeco and bluegrass. The Triangle, which originated in and was launched from Franklin, Tennessee, offers travelers an opportunity to visit a collection of historical, musical and cultural attractions where, as the AMT website says, “history made music, then music made history.” This “Gold Record Road” driving tour features literally dozens and dozens of cities, towns and points of interest, including a number of TnHTA attractions and CVB members.

Nashville is known around the world as “Music City,” and the city is teeming with nearly every type of music, including, of course, country. Two famous points of interest in Nashville that are featured on the AMT are TnHTA attractions members The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum and the Grand Ole Opry. The Hall of Fame

12 • Tennessee Notes • Fall 2015

houses special exhibits as well as hundreds of thousands of artifacts, images, moving images, oral histories and recordings that tell the colorful story of country music in rare and precise detail. The Grand Ole Opry is “the show that made country music famous” and the one that sealed Nashville’s identity as the home of country music.

Going strong since 1925, it’s now the longest-running weekly radio broadcast in the world. Driving south from Nashville, travelers can also visit charming and historic Franklin, with its many unique points of interest, as well as Lawrenceburg, home of the James D. Vaughan Museum, which details the life and career of the “Father of Southern Gospel Music.”

Jackson, Tennessee, is known as an anchor in rockabilly culture, thanks to native son Carl Perkins, and the area fea- tures a number of points of interest related to the unique sound created by a marriage of hillbilly music and rock ‘n’ roll. One of the best-known attractions in Jackson is TnHTA attractions member Casey Jones Village, where visitors can tour the historic, 1890s home of the legendary railroad engineer and an 8,000-square- foot train station and railroad museum, as well as eat at Brooks Shaw’s Old Country Store Restaurant.

Traveling west from Jackson, tourists can visit a truly unique musical treasure, TnHTA attractions member The West

The Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville. Photo courtesy of the Nashville CVC.

The Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. Photo courtesy of the TN Dept. of Tourist Development.

The Tina Turner Museum in Flagg Grove Schoolhouse in Brownsville, TN. Photo courtesy of the West Tennessee Delta Heritage Center.

Casey Jones Village in Jackson, TN. Photo courtesy of Casey Jones Village.

Tennessee Hospitality and Tourism Association • 13

Cover Story | Continued

Graceland, Home of Elvis Presley in Memphis. Photo courtesy of Graceland, Home of Elvis Presley.

14 • Tennessee Notes • Fall 2015

Tennessee Delta Heritage Center in Brownsville. This free regional museum actually houses two exhibits that can’t be found anywhere else in the world: the relocated home and memorabilia of blues legend Sleepy John Estes and the Tina Turner Museum at Flagg Grove School.

This exhibit houses the largest collection of Tina Turner memorabilia in the world, including costumes, gold records, concert videos and personal items, all housed in the actual segregated schoolhouse that the “Queen of Rock and Roll” attended as a child.

Memphis is famous as the “The Home of the Blues and the Birthplace of Rock ‘N’ Roll” and, as a result, is a natural to be included on the Gold Record Road. The city features the famous sounds of Beale Street, venues highlighting the unique sounds of rock and soul, and significant civil rights and cultural museums. And certainly, no tour of the region’s musical heritage would be complete without the inclusion of one of the world’s most famous attractions, TnHTA attractions member Graceland, the home of Elvis Presley, where visitors can tour the singer’s house and see wall after wall of gold records, original film memorabilia, famous costumes and more.

Several other destinations and attrac- tions in Tennessee are also featured as great options to add to visitors’ trips along the AMT’s trails, including Knoxville, Sevier County and Bristol.

In Knoxville, a stop by the Knoxville Visitors Center is a great place to not only learn about the all of the area’s attractions and points of interest, but to also experi- ence the world-famous WDVX Blue Plate Special Radio Show, broadcast live every day from the visitor center at noon. From bluegrass and blues to folk and funk, hear national and local acts spanning all genres — you never know who will take the stage.

A short distance from Knoxville, visitors will travel near Pigeon Forge, home to Dolly Parton’s famous Dollywood theme park, a thriving attraction backed by the country superstar since the 1980s. Travelers to the area also have a great opportunity to visit both Sevierville and Gatlinburg,

two unique and thriving tourist areas nes- tled in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Then it’s north to Bristol, where the dotted line down the middle of State Street, marked by the famous Bristol Sign, is the actual border between Tennessee and Vir- ginia. As you get into town, look for the 20-foot guitar outside the Bristol Convention and Visitors Bureau, where you can rent a self-guided audio tour of the city.

Bristol is known as the Birthplace of Coun- try Music, where the sessions of the Carter Family, Jimmie Rodgers, the Stoneman Family and others led to the first broad exposure of the country genre — the “Big Bang” of country music.

More information on the Americana Music Triangle and the TnHTA members affiliated with it can be found on the web: • Americana Music Triangle: www.amerianamusictriangle.com • Nashville Convention and Visitors Corporation: www.visitmusiccity.com • Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum: www.countrymusichalloffame.org • The Grand Ole Opry: www.opry.com • Franklin/Williamson County Convention and Visitors Bureau: www.visitwilliamson.com • Lawrence County Tourism: www.lawrencecountytn.webs.com • Jackson Convention and Visitors Bureau: www.jacksontn.com/tourism • Casey Jones Village: www.caseyjones.com • West Tennessee Delta Heritage Center: www.westtnheritage.com • Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau: www.memphistravel.com • Graceland, Home of Elvis Presley: www.graceland.com • Visit Knoxville: www.visitknoxville.com • Pigeon Forge Department of Tourism: www.mypigeonforge.com • Dollywood: www.dollywood.com • Sevierville Convention and Visitors Bureau: www.visitsevierville.com • Gatlinburg Convention and Visitors Bureau: www.gatlinburg.com • Bristol Convention and Visitors Bureau: www.visitbristoltnva.org J

Tennessee Hospitality and Tourism Association • 15

2015 Stars of the Industry

2015

By Austin White, TnHTA Director of Education

The

Tennessee Hospitality and Tourism Associa- tion honored its 2015 industry all-stars at the annual Stars of the Industry Awards Gala, held Monday, August 3, at the Embassy Suites Hotel and Conference Center in Murfreesboro.

“Hospitality and tourism make up the state’s second-largest industry,” said 2015 TnHTA chairman Ken Maples. “The individ- uals and companies we honor with these awards are the driving force behind that success. They provide the top-notch guest service that keeps people coming back to Tennessee. The winners were selected to receive these honors by people who truly understand the level of commitment that is required to provide excellent service to customers on a daily basis — their peers. We’re honored to have them as part of our membership, and we congratulate them on a job well done!”

The Stars of the Industry awards are presented to individuals, companies and industry partners whose commitment to hospitality and tourism has improved the overall industry statewide and has allowed the industry to “wow” guests on a daily basis. This year’s winners epitomize the true spirit of hospitality that makes Tennessee a great place to live and visit.

2015 Hotelier of the Year: Mary Calorio, Elvis Presley’s Heartbreak Hotel

A self-made professional hotelier icon is one way to describe Mary Calorio. She grew up in Manchester, Tennessee, and her first taste of the hotel business was when she started working in housekeeping with her mother, who was the head housekeeper at Days Inn in 16 • Tennessee Notes • Fall 2015

Manchester. There was no stopping Mary after that experience. The hotel business was in her blood.

She later moved on to head housekeeper and general manager jobs, including some at Holiday Inn Vanderbilt (Nashville), Cohasse Country Club (Southbridge, Massachusetts) and ITT Sheraton Four Points (North Conway, New Hampshire). In 1999, she opened Elvis Presley’s Heartbreak Hotel at Graceland in Memphis as general manager.

Since that time, she has hosted nearly 500,000 guests and has built a broad and incredibly loyal clientele who come from around the world and return to the Heartbreak Hotel year after year. Guests return annually because of the outstanding service and attention they receive from Mary and her dedicated staff. Her dedication to her family, job and the public is never-ending. She is always there to listen, counsel and support anyone who reaches out to her. Her compassion and passion for life are contagious. Mary is a star not only in Memphis but also throughout the state of Tennessee. She has served as the president of the Metropolitan Memphis Hotel & Lodging Association for five years now and sits on the board of directors of the Tennessee Hospitality and Tourism Association.

2015 Restaurateur of the Year: Lauren McHugh Robinson, Huey’s Restaurants

Lauren Boggs McHugh Robinson is the oldest daughter of Thomas and Charlotte Boggs. Lauren started working with her father at a very early age. She and her sisters would go to work with their father while he was the manager of Huey’s Midtown in Memphis, and they would entertain themselves in the game room. Eventually,

Left to right: Lauren McHugh Robinson, 2015 Restaurateur of the Year; Butch Spyridon, 2015 Tourism Professional of the Year; and Mary Calorio, 2015 Hotelier of the Year.

the game room was closed to create more dining space. By the age of 13, Lauren was making onion rings, salads and other prep items in the kitchen. Eventually, she began to work at Louie’s, Thomas’ other business interest. She served as a hostess, bussed tables, ran food and waited tables.

After graduating from high school, Lauren attended The University of Tennessee at Knoxville her freshmen year and then transferred to Memphis State University. She graduated in 1987 with a BA in Business and Marketing, cum laude. In 1988, she began working for National Bank of Commerce in the Bank Card and Commercial Lending Divisions. In 1990, while working at NBC, she decided to go back and get her MBA in Management.

She received her MBA in 1993.

In June 1993, everything changed when Lauren’s dad talked her into coming on board at Huey’s. He was ready to open a third location in Cordova, and he knew that Lauren would be the perfect fit as the general manager. Huey’s Cordova opened in 1994.

After seeing the need to create tighter controls and more consist- ency in operations, Lauren was promoted to vice president of oper- ations in 1995. By 2003, Huey’s had added five new locations.

Lauren continued to work side-by-side with her father as he steadily taught her the ropes in preparation for her promotion to president of Huey’s in 2007.

Lauren is also a partner in the Half Shell and Tsunami restaurants, and she is also CEO and co-owner of Folk’s Folly Prime Steak House. Lauren currently serves on the board of directors for Shelby Farms Park Conservancy and Leadership Memphis. She served on the board for Paragon Bank from 2012–2014. She is also a member of the Kiwanis Club of Memphis. She is a graduate of Leadership Memphis class of 2007. She served several years with the Memphis Food Bank as the co-chair for Feed the Need, and she has worked with Family Link.

2015 Tourism Professional of the Year: Butch Spyridon, Nashville Convention & Visitors Corporation

Butch Spyridon has served as president and CEO of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corporation for 24 years. A native of Pascagoula, Mississippi, he graduated from Vanderbilt University and went on to work as the manager of travel and conventions at

the Mobile Chamber of Commerce and as executive director of the Baton Rouge Area Convention & Visitors Bureau.

In 1991, he made his way back to Nashville to lead the Nashville CVC. Under his leadership, Music City has evolved into a year- round destination for meeting and leisure visitors, and tourism has grown to become the city’s second-largest industry, with visitor spending of $5.5 billion and more than 13 million visitors annually.

Throughout his tenure in Nashville, Butch has guided the industry through many challenging times, including the closing of Nashville’s theme park, the national tragedy of 9/11, the 2008 recession and the historic 2010 flood. Over the past 20+ years, Butch has led the strategic development of Nashville’s emergence as a premiere travel destination and has been involved with major projects like the Tennessee Titans, Bridgestone Arena, the Nashville Predators and, most recently, the $585 million Music City Center.

In 2006, Butch spearheaded Nashville’s first-ever, citywide brand- ing program to grow the image of Nashville as multi-genre Music City. He and his team have created, and continue to produce, the two largest single-day events in Nashville: Music City’s July 4th “Let Freedom Sing” celebration and the New Year’s Eve Bash on Broadway. And of course, in a town called Music City, Butch has worked closely with the music industry and was part of helping the CMA and the city transform the CMA Music Festival and move it downtown. He also worked with the National Academy of Record- ing Arts and Sciences to bring the Grammy Nominations show to Nashville in 2012.

All of these efforts by Butch and his team have led to unprece- dented tourism growth, including the current run of 55 straight months of year-over-year consecutive growth in rooms sold. He has served on the board of directors for DMAI and PCMA Foundation, and he currently serves on the U.S. Travel board and is the Tennessee Tourism Committee, Marketing Subcommittee chair. Locally, Butch gives his time to the Nashville Hospitality Association, Adventure Science Center, the Delany Walker Charitable Foundation, the National Museum for African American Music and the CMA.

2015 TnHTA Stars of the Industry Destination Marketing Organization of the Year: Visit Knoxville TnHTA Attraction of the Year: Tennessee Smokies Baseball TnHTA Preferred Vendor of the Year: Donald Tatum, PepsiCo TnHTA Hospitality & Tourism Educator of the Year: Joseph Cairns, Walter State Community College Women in Hospitality & Tourism Leader of the Year: Jill Thompson, Greater Knoxville Hospitality Association Tennessee Hospitality and Tourism Association • 17

2015 Stars of the Industry | Continued

TnHTA Young Professional Emerging Leader of the Year: Kellie Keyes, The Omni Nashville Hotel

Restaurant Manager of the Year (Independent): Chris Farsee, Kooky Canuck

Community Service Award (Restaurant): Flying Squirrel

Restaurant Manager of the Year (Chain): Toby Winters, Copper Cellar Family of Restaurants

Community Service Award (Small Property): The Crash Pad: An Uncommon Hostel

Chef of the Year (Independent): Brandon Frohne, Mason’s of Loews Vanderbilt Hotel

Community Service Award (Large Property): The Park Vista, a Doubletree by Hilton

Restaurant General Manager of the Year (Independent): Mahasti Vafaie, The Tomato Head

Community Service Award (Tourism Property): Ruby Falls

Restaurant General Manager of the Year (Chain): Thomas “Sid” Gribble, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc.

Good Earth Keeping Award (Small Property): Inn on the River

Tourism Employee of the Year (Small): Barry Dunford, M&M Productions USA

Good Earth Keeping Award (Tourism Property): Ruby Falls

Tourism Employee of the Year (Large): Lisa Catron, Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau

Guest Relations Award (Restaurant): Flying Squirrel

Tourism Manager of the Year (Large): Kelli Gibson, Visit Knoxville

Guest Relations Award (Small Property): Nina Grisham, Hampton Inn Gatlinburg

Tourism General Manager of the Year (Large): Dana Hart, Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame

Guest Relations Award (Large Property): Angel Strong, Loews Vanderbilt Hotel

Lodging Employee of the Year (Small Property): Jordan Haag, The Crash Pad: An Uncommon Hostel

One-Time Special Event Award (Restaurant): Trattoria II Mulino

Lodging Employee of the Year (Large Property): Shannon Gray, Loews Vanderbilt Hotel

Ongoing Special Event Award (Large Property): Five and TENN Retail Store, The Omni Nashville Hotel

Lodging Manager of the Year (Small Property): Julio Galvez, Staybridge Suites Chattanooga

Ongoing Special Event Award (Tourism Property): Ruby Falls

Lodging Manager of the Year (Large Property): Don Michael Norwood, The Westin Memphis Beale Street

Restaurant Employee of the Year (Independent): Kolby Carpenter, Flying Squirrel

Lodging General Manager of the Year (Small Property): Cornelia Dobbins, Hilton Garden Inn Gatlinburg

Restaurant Employee of the Year (Chain): Becky Harris, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc.

Lodging General Manager of the Year (Large Property): Jackelyn Schafer, The Park Vista a Doubletree by Hilton J

18 • Tennessee Notes • Fall 2015

Communications

Using Social Media

in Hospitality and Tourism Businesses

By Shawn Danko, Founder of the Kooky Canuck Restaurant Group and TnHTA Communications Chairman

S

ocial media continues to be a rap- idly evolving landscape, constantly challenging business operators to keep their brand current and their customer base engaged. Pics, vids, snaps, tweets, hashtags and boosts are just a few words that have become commonplace when talking about social media. What do they mean, and how important are they?

Hands down, images and video generate more traffic than does text. Without pics or vids, your message has lost its ability to impact the viewer. SocialBakers.com reports that of all branded videos on Twitter, only 31% are posted natively — but those account for 67% of total video engagement.

20 • Tennessee Notes • Fall 2015

SocialBaker.com also says, “Making the case for native video even stronger, we found that posting native videos onto Twitter instead of third-party videos resulted in a 216% increase in engagement for brands.

For both media and entertainment, that improvement was a still-notable 58%.”

Snapchat is not for everyone, but if your brand has a younger demographic, it may be the most effective way to reach them.

According to Snapchat.com, 60% of smartphone users from ages 13 to 24 are “Snap- chatters.” Snaps containing an image or video as advertising can be part of a success- ful marketing program. There may also be an opportunity to drive brand awareness

through photo or video competitions using this platform.

The key to Twitter success is engaging your followers through replies, re-tweets, quotes and favorites. Automated messages have a (small) place, but don’t use them exclusively — get in touch with your audi- ence. Hootsuite.com can be used to schedule posts and help with search engine opti- mization. The recently launched Twitter Ads companion for business (which appears to be not as strong as Facebook for messaging) has been shown to increase your follower- ship effectively.

Hashtags (#) are big in the world of Twitter and have carried over onto most

Advertiser index

other social-media platforms. And even though they are the most misunderstood and misused tools in social media, they are here to stay, at least for the immediate future.

While it may be fun creating new hashtags (#TheBestPaperEverWrittenOnSocialMedia), their greatest power comes in searching.

Rather than trying to manage the impossible (reading EVERY tweet/post EVERY day), a quick search using a hashtag will bring all the conversations about your business right to your fingertips. There is no better way to increase your brand loyalty than by engag- ing in those conversations.

While the social-media world has seen several platforms come and go, the big play- ers still remain. However, the way businesses interact with these platforms has completely changed. Gone are the days of simply post- ing content to a business page and effort- lessly receiving a substantial number of engagements. The major social-media plat- forms have figured out that those engage- ments are worth money — your money.

Social media for business has evolved from being a free, bonus marketing opportu- nity to a pay-to-play environment. While it is still free to post information on your Facebook and Twitter feeds, the number of followers who actually see it has been dra- matically reduced or limited by the plat- forms themselves; paying is now the only way to increase visibility.

So, if you have not already budgeted for social-media advertising, it’s now time to do so. It’s very difficult to generate substantial impact on your fans unless you pay to boost your messages. You can dramatically increase visibility by ‘boost’ing your content, which makes this money well spent if you’re look- ing for engagement from your current and potential customer base.

As useful as a social-media presence is, please remember that the common online anchor for your brand is still your website.

Social media should be used as a tool to drive traffic back to your website. If you link multiple social-media feeds to your website, do your best to ensure the feeds are all different.

Remember to stay active in your social media, keep your content consistent and current, and engage your fans and follow- ers frequently. J

AAA – The Auto Club Group...........11 www.aaa.com

Koorsen Fire & Security..................10 www.koorsen.com

Broadcast Music, Inc.......................15 www.bmi.com

M. Gibson Hotel Group..................23 www.mgibsonhotels.com

Distilled Spirits Council of the United States...........................6 www.discus.org

Nolan’s Audio Visual, Inc...................8 www.nolansav.com

Ecolab..............................................14 www.ecolab.com Gullett, Sanford, Robinson & Martin, PLLC................................9 www.gsrm.com Heartland Payment Systems............19 www.heartlandpaymentsystems.com Hospitality Control Solutions.........15 www.alohancr.com

Point of Sale Connection, Inc..........21 http://pointofsaleconnection.com Purity Dairies....................................3 www.puritydairies.com Sysco, LLC.........................................7 www.sysco.com Tennessee Dept. of Tourism............. Inside Front Cover www.tnvacation.com

Hoffman Media.................Back Cover www.hoffmanmedia.com

Tennessee Hospitality and Tourism Association • 21

Local Association News Contributors: Andrea Anderson, Dennis Barber, Pam Smith, Kimberly Carlson, Christie Connaster, Jill Thompson, Deanna Ross and Jay Sheridan.

Greater Chattanooga Hospitality Association

Kevin Triplett and TnHTA President/CEO Greg Adkins.

The Chattanooga Choo Choo plans to develop 300 luxury apartments on its prop- erty located in the Southside of downtown.

In addition, the “Track 29” concert venue will be relocated to “Centennial Theater.”

Local restaurant “Flying Squirrel” won the “People’s Choice” category for best-designed café and bar in the Restaurant Design Awards sponsored by the Los Angeles chap- ter of the American Institute of Architects.

Tom Cupo of the Chattanoogan Conference Center and Hotel was installed as the 2015– 2016 chairman of the board of the Chatta- nooga Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The October PAC Fund raiser will be held October 16 at the International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum.

Greater Nashville Hospitality Association

Gatlinburg Hospitality Association In July, GHA gave $2,000 to the Pi Beta Phi Elementary School to help fund a new playground. We also participated in the annul Gatlinburg Fourth of July parade and celebration. The annual GHA golf tourna- ment, which raises funds for scholarships and local charities, was held on September 17. The August GHA meeting was held at Ripley’s Aquarium and featured Justin Jones from IMEG; the September meeting was held at the Park Vista Hotel and featured speakers from Expedia on Lodging Partner Services and a speaker on employee benefits.

Greater Knoxville Hospitality Association GKHA’s Golf Classic in June was a “hot” success, thanks to great local participation and the support of our sponsors. The Knox- ville Museum of Art achieved accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums, the highest recognition for a museum. In July, ESPN SportsCenter hosted a live national broadcast from the Knoxville Convention Center of the World Championship of Cornhole X. The new Everly Brothers Park was dedicated in August, and a new adven- ture park opened at the Iiams Nature Center.

“Boomsday” had its final countdown in a 28- year run of downtown fireworks on Labor Day. The Greater Knoxville Hospitality Trade Show 2015 will be Thursday, Octo- ber 29, at The Grande Event Center/Expo Center. The GKHA monthly meetings have featured outstanding programs and speakers, including TDTD Commissioner 22 • Tennessee Notes • Fall 2015

The summer and fall seasons have been off the charts for visitation to Music City, as has the work and activity of GNHA. The local Stars of the Industry event was held earlier this summer, where we recognized the “best of the best” in Nashville’s hospital- ity industry. We’ve been actively involved in government relations, particularly as they apply to elections for both Nashville’s new mayor and City Council. A great network- ing event was held in August with GNHA Night at First Tennessee Park, the new home of the Nashville Sounds.

Memphis Restaurant Association A great night of fun and networking was had

by MRA members and their guests at the June Joint MRA & MMHA Night with the Redbirds at Memphis’ AutoZone Park.

Attendees enjoyed the game and a number of special activities, including treats for both adults and kids and a great game-night buf- fet dinner. Later in June, MRA members met at the Peabody Hotel to hear from the Shelby County Health Department about the new food code updates. Additional MRA activities included two board meet- ings, the MRA Associate Coffee Club in August and a general business meeting and mixer in September.

Metropolitan Memphis Hotel and Lodging Association Despite the heat, the annual MMHAPAC Golf Tournament in June had tremendous participation and was a great success. We also enjoyed a great night of fun at AutoZone Park at a joint MMHA & MRA Night with the Redbirds. One of the biggest industry events of the year, the Southern Lodg- ing Summit, presented by MMHLA and Pinkowski & Company, was held August 18–19. In September, the annual World Series of Housekeeping, one of the associ- ation’s favorite and events, was held at the Memphis Cook Convention Center. Hotels challenged each other for the championship trophy in this fun-filled competition rec- ognizes our local lodging industry’s hard- working employees.

Nashville Originals Nashville Originals’ professionally devel-

oped rack card and free mobile app have had great success. Since January, web traffic has grown by 20% year over year, and traffic in the month of July was up 56%. In terms of social media, we now have 10,800 Facebook Likes, 5,565 Twitter followers and an Insta- gram feed of 1,426. We participated in national restaurant week in August through outdoor, online, print and radio promotions.

We’ve added several new restaurant mem- bers, including Fenwick’s 300, Americano, Noelle, Harvest at Homestead and Smokin Thighs, and the rollout of the new affiliate member program has begun to pick up steam with several new supplier members.

We have continued to support the local community, participating in Second Harvest Food Bank’s Generous Helpings and 12th and Broad’s Meat Ya’ in the Park.

Pigeon Forge Hospitality Association In addition to planning and participating in a number of membership meetings and special events, we planned and executed our biggest fundraiser of the year, the 18th Annual Golf Tournament, which raises money for the local Boys and Girls Club and for our PAC. The August event was a great success with excellent local-industry participation. Our board is discussing the implementation of our strategic plan, which will set the course for the PFHA and local industry for the next several years. We are excited about the future of our association and our members!

Sevierville Hospitality Association Sevierville Golf Club hosted our July meet- ing, with the program provided by Sevier County historian Carroll McMahan. We also presented our scholarships to Sevier County High School students. The August meeting was hosted by Collier Restaurant Group at Sevierville Golden Corral with the program featuring Smoky Mountain Area Rescue Ministry. Members donated hygiene items to SMARM. The September meeting was hosted by Wilderness at the Smokies. On September 23, we hosted our biggest fund- raiser of the year to benefit our scholarship program and other charitable causes. This year, we presented $4,500 in scholarships, sponsored the Sevierville Chambers BBQ Button Campaign to publicize the May Bloomin’ BBQ & Bluegrass Festival and sponsored the Sevierville Chamber Mem- bership Breakfast. J