Director of Communications
Amanda.Murphy@tn.gov
615-741-9010
Senior Communications Manager
Jill.Kilgore@tn.gov
615-927-1320
Communications Manager
Chelsea.Trott@tn.gov
629-395-8941
May 6, 2021 - NASHVILLE, Tenn – Job seekers are invited to two job fairs as the hospitality industry looks to fill open positions at a time when capacity restrictions are being lifted at businesses and for events. The job fairs will be Tuesday, May 11 at the Gaylord Opryland Event Center and Wednesday, May 12 at Music City Center. Building back the hospitality industry’s workforce will be key to the recovery of Nashville’s important tourism sector, which is an economic engine for the city and state. The job fair is free and open to the public, and parking is free. #NashvilleJobFair
The job fairs are hosted by the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp in partnership with the Greater Nashville Hospitality Association and Hospitality TN. There are 66 employers from the hospitality industry who are registered to participate. Positions are available at area hotels, restaurants, venues, attractions, transportation, security companies and more.
The job fair will be in person, masks will be required and booths will follow social distancing protocols. The job fair on May 11 at the Gaylord Opryland Event Center (2806 Opryland Drive) will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and include 50 booths. The May 12 job fair at Music City Center will take place in Exhibit Hall C from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and include 62 booths. Additional details about the job fair and an up-to-date list of employers are at visitmusiccity.com/jobfair.
“After the year we’ve had, getting our labor force back into jobs is a top priority,” said Dr. Bob Fisher, president of Belmont University and board chair of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp. “A strong workforce is key to the hospitality industry’s rebound, which will be central to Nashville’s economic recovery. In hospitality, there is something for everyone, whether it is seasonal summer work, a full-time position in your career path or individuals looking to restart their career.”
Nashville’s tourism industry had been in an upward trajectory prior to 2020’s pandemic with 16.1 million visitors to the city generating $7.5 billion in direct visitor spending in 2019. Nashville’s hospitality industry has employed 71,140 people and can be a successful career path leading to high-paying, quality positions. Hospitality is Nashville’s second-largest industry with worker/income paychecks equaling $1.90 billion in 2019.
The hospitality industry is expected to continue to grow and place even more pressure on the need for workers. Thirty-four hotel properties representing 5,505 rooms opened in 2019, 2020 and thus far in 2021. Over 115 new restaurants opened their doors since the start of 2020. Five hotels with 1,555 rooms are currently under construction, including four that will open this year. Those are the Hyatt Centric Downtown, W Hotel, Embassy Suites by Hilton Nashville Downtown and the 1 Hotel, with the Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences slated to open in April 2022.
The job fair is hosted by the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp, the Greater Nashville Hospitality Association and Hospitality TN as part of a workforce initiative called Hospitality Works. The initiative includes a jobs board at visitmusiccity.com/hospitalityworks, where employers can post jobs and job candidates can submit profiles.
Community partners for the job fair include NewsChannel 5, Music City Center and Gaylord Opryland Event Center. As an incentive to attend, gift cards will be given to the first 100 job seekers on both days.
Employers who have registered to attend include the following:
The Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp
The mission of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp is to maximize the economic contribution of the convention and tourism industry to the community by developing and marketing Nashville as a premier destination. Visit the NCVC’s website at www.visitmusiccity.com and follow us on social media.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Bonna Delacruz Johnson
bonna@visitmusiccity.com
Director of Communications
Amanda.Murphy@tn.gov
615-741-9010
Senior Communications Manager
Jill.Kilgore@tn.gov
615-927-1320
Communications Manager
Chelsea.Trott@tn.gov
629-395-8941