by Emily Luxen
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - One week after an explosion forced thousands to evacuate the Opryland Hotel, another large conference comes to town Wednesday.
The AME Church conference will bring 30,000 people from around the world, and First Lady Michelle Obama will be on hand Thursday. Conference officials said safety is always a priority at their events.
"When people come to the conference we want to make sure they are safe and secure," said Harold Love with the St. Paul AME Church in Nashville, "We have extra security to monitor the hotel and convention center."
Officials at the Opryland Hotel said during last week's explosion, everyone was evacuated safely and quickly and they don't plan to make any changes to evacuation procedures. They also said all the damage has been cleaned up and won't impact any events at the AME conference.
In addition to security provided by the AME conference, secret service agents have been inspecting the hotel prior to Mrs. Obama's visit.
"The explosion last week was just something that happened," said Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie, "It was a mechanical malfunction. We aren't nervous. We are looking forward to a great week."
The conference runs through July 4. It will feature meetings of church officials, prayer services and fellowship. The AME Church assembles every four years for a general conference. The last time Nashville hosted the event was in the late 1800s.
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