Butch Spyridon, CEO of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp, confirmed he is negotiating a deal that could bring the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series awards banquet to town.
Sports Business Journal writer Adam Stern reported Monday that the banquet, which has been in Las Vegas the past 10 years, is expected to move to Nashville, according to sources.
When asked in an email whether the awards banquet was coming to Nashville, Spyridon replied: "We have been in talks with NASCAR for quite some time. While we love the speculation (and hope there is substance), we do not have any signed contracts at this time. It would be inappropriate to comment at this time."
--- Tennessean ---
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The [Sports Business Journal] article notes that the city's sprawling Music City Center will be the event's likely venue.
It's not immediately clear if Nashville will offer incentives to attract the event; the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority offered an annual $400,000 subsidy. Charlotte, where NASCAR is based, was also thought to be in the mix to land the banquet, Sports Business Journal reports.
High-profile sports events have become an increasingly important part of Nashville's booming tourism mix. For example, the city will host the NFL Draft later this year, recently announced a deal to host the SEC basketball tournament for the next 17 years and is in the running to be a host city for the 2026 World Cup.
--- Nashville Business Jounal ---