Historic Flooding Closes Nashville Landmark

2011 SWPP Annual Conference Set
for March 23-25 at Opryland Hotel

By Vicki Herrell

Many of you may have heard about the historic flooding in Nashville during the first week in May. Unfortunately, the Opryland Hotel, the venue for all eight of our SWPP Annual Conferences, is located in one of the hardest hit areas. The Cascades Lobby was deluged with 8-10 feet of water, and many other areas of the hotel were flooded. The hotel will be closed for several months for cleanup and renovation, but is scheduled to re-open on November 15, and will be back in full swing for our 2011 SWPP Annual Conference on March 23-25.

The pictures below show some of the damage from the flood in the beautiful Cascades Lobby. The Ryman Ballroom area where our 2010 conference was held was totally underwater. The hotel was evacuated by bus to a nearby high school before the water started coming in the hotel, but hundreds of cars were underwater in the hotel parking lots. Also, the Opry Mills Mall was flooded and has not even estimated a re-opening date.
In downtown Nashville, water flooded Broadway past 3rd Avenue, flooding many of the businesses in that area. BB King’s Blues Club and the Wildhorse Saloon, both sites of SWPP conference evening events, were both affected, but have renovated and re-opened already. The QATC Annual Conference, which was set to be held at the Opryland Hotel, had to be moved to the Renaissance Hotel downtown and is scheduled for September 15-17.

We are looking forward to coming back to the Opryland Hotel in March and enjoying the newly renovated space. During the clean up efforts, Opryland also is redesigning the Cascades Lobby, Cascades American Café Restaurant, and the Cascades Terrace Bar, as well as Volare and Jack Daniels Restaurants. The hotel is also introducing a new Mexican restaurant concept as well as redesigned Magnolia guest rooms, and renovations to the presidential suites.

A Call for Speakers for the 2011 SWPP Conference will go out to the SWPP membership in October. SWPP members are encouraged to submit session proposals on relevant WFM topics. Another option is to participate in a panel discussion with other members.

I hope to see you in Nashville in March at the Opryland Hotel for our ninth SWPP Annual Conference.

Over 13 inches of rain were recorded in a two-day period over May 1-2, more than doubling the previous record, and the Cumberland River in Nashville crested at over 12 feet above flood stage. Besides the hotel, The Grand Ole Opry and Opry Mills Mall were both flooded. The Grand Ole Opry will re-open the first week in October, but no date has been set for the mall.

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