NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — He's been called the most powerful man in Nashville. He's not the mayor. Not a Metro Council member. Not even a wealthy businessperson or developer.
His name is Butch Spyridon, and tourism is his game.
I sat down with him ahead of his retirement from the Nashville Convention and Visitors' Corporation, an agency he's led since 1991.
Spyridon admits he's not good at glancing over his shoulder... reflecting on his accomplishments.
"I've never allowed myself to look backwards. 32 years. We finish somethin', what's next?" He tells me.
Yet, as he prepares to retire after three decades leading Nashville's Convention and Visitors Corp -- he has agreed to pause a bit -- and share his thoughts on what has been, by all accounts, a remarkably successful tenure... one that began in 1991.
"Do you think you could you have ever dreamed of the Nashville now -- 2023?" I asked.
"Absolutely not," Spyridon said. "I had some dreams. I had some ideas. But no, we outkicked everybody's coverage."
That is an understatement. Since Spyridon took over, Nashville and the surrounding region have experienced unprecedented growth. Much of that can be attributed to tourism -- as Spyridon and his team helped Nashville cement itself as a top, global destination.
Consider this: when Spyridon arrived, Lower Broadway was not a "go-to" destination. Honky tonks sat next to empty buildings, some boarded up. Others home to seedy, adult entertainment. The Ryman Auditorium sat virtually empty, as the Grand Ole Opry had moved its show to the Opry House in Donelson years earlier. There was no Bridgestone Arena, no Predators, and no NFL team.
"We weren't respected really," Spyridon said. "We didn't bring the value to the table."
It was a daunting challenge. Spyridon began with the brand. "Music City U.S.A." became simply "Music City" -- and he focused overseas.
"If you're gonna be a destination, you have to look at all the market segments," Spyridon said. "Music is the universal language. And if we remember that in our marketing, and in our sales, and in our reach... these artists, some of them even back then, were touring internationally."
To draw more global tourism, Spyridon began pushing for improvements to Nashville's airport including convincing major airlines to add more international flights. He admits it took years, and a lot of patience... all while never straying from Nashville's unique brand. Still — Spyridon knew the city needed a spark.
"Is it hard for you to pinpoint one that really got the ball rolling?" I asked.
"I think the Titan relocation, Oilers, was huge, cause we came outta nowhere," Spyridon said. "If people look back, Memphis and Birmingham were fighting for that NFL team. We weren't in anybody's conversation."
Not long after, it was Bridgestone Arena and securing a pro hockey team with the Nashville Predators. That spurred more private investment downtown, more honky tonks, and live music. More hotels, shops, and restaurants -- including a Hard Rock Cafe, which opened in 1994. And then, more than a decade later, a push for more convention business with the vision of the Music City Center.
But not everyone was on board.
"Nashville's not a destination. Conventions are dying. The city's gonna have to bail this building out. That was the argument," Butch said. "And... wrong, wrong, wrong."
So just who was "wrong" in Butch Spyridon's eyes -- regarding the Music City Center? He drops a few names... in part two of my sit-down interview.
