http://www.news2wkrn.com/mctv/index.php?paged=1

Ok now, realistically, how accessible are *most* of these artists if you don't go to FF or have access to backstage passes?! Most of them hop on their busses after their m&g and just go, even though there might be legions of fans waiting by the gates. Not very many of the current crop of hitmakers are very accessible to their fans.

That is a really interesting article and conference clip. I know that the CMA has been having a hard time getting artists to commit over the past few years and I know that the artists are giving up a huge paycheck to even attend one night of the coliseum show. I was told that the CMA have been asked to at least pay the band members for their time and I think that is fair. I also think that something can be done for the artists as last year it was said that over 150 000 people attended the festival so between the 4 day passes and other money the CMA makes off of the festival...where is all the money going? The money from this festival helps Nashville's economy in a huge way so maybe like kix says the business should give some of that money back to keep the festival in Nashville. I can't say that I agree with him when he says that if money was paid we could then have pop stars and people from other genres perform at the festival as well. IMO this is and always has been a country music festival and all of those people are there to hear country music and have the country music/nashville experience. I think that the more commercialized it get's the less people will want to go. Just my opinion....I am sure others feel differently but this will be my 5 year attending and I have witnessed it getting more and more commercialized every year and that really is a shame.

I agree with what Leah said .

http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ar...ESS11/802200422

Joan

Between the money they make off ticket sales and the money ABC pays to air the special every year, they really could pay performers something for their time, as long as they don't raise ticket prices to an amount that people can't afford. When they moved FF to downtown they raised ticket prices, and cut the number of days down from a full week to 3-4 days, but if they keep raising ticket prices they're going to get to a point where people will refuse to pay the prices, especially with the economy the way it is right now and gas prices going up again.

I know...the prices are getting crazy. The downtown hotels have jacked their prices wayy up this year as well. The Hilton is now charging $400 a night to stay there during the festival and the other downtown hotels (if you can find any available) are not far off of that price.....craziness.

Good grief! I think at those prices, if I were going, I definately wouldn't stay downtown! I'd check into staying in the Percy Priest area or even a little further away from downtown!

The hotels know that people want to be as close as possible to all the action so they can raise their prices to pretty much whatever they want....craziness!! All the downtown hotels have been booked solid since last year. We are staying out near Vanderbilt U which is way cheaper than downtown and only a mile and a half away. WE booked a suite with a kitchen and separate bedroom at more than half the cost of a downtown hotel.

YEP - it's crazy!!!!!!!!!! I feel like an idiot staying at the Hilton this year, but you know ----- I'm old - retired - and this will probably be my last year to go, so I'm going for close and comfort! My sister has hip problems and last year she nearly passed out on me walking back to our hotel a few blocks, so this year - we are shelling out big $$$$ for the comfort aspect. Of course, our husbands don't know we had the option to stay cheaper! That's our secret!!!!!!!!

IF we do go again, we'll stay cheaper. Dang - I hate wasting money!
This year, I'm not ordering any tickets to some of the other stuff. If we decide we want to go, we'll go to the Ryman and try to purchase tickets then, and just chance it. Last year and the year before, I "ate" many tickets because of conflicts. Not going to happen again. As much as I love to go ------ this may be my last time. I could take my g-babies to Disney World for what I'm spending on myself in Nashville!

Cathy,

Just wait until your g-babies get a little older to go to DisneyWorld, because right now they 5-yr old is still a little bit too young to actually be able to remember the trip. I know there's very little I remember from when I was that age. Besides, when they're a little older, they'll be able to go on some of the better rides, like the rollercoasters and Splash Mountain. They'll also be able to enjoy Epcot, and Disney-MGM when they're a little older, because Epcot doesn't really have much for young kids.

Good advice, Val!!! AND - I'll need to save some $$$ to take them!

I am feeling the same way about the tickets cathy. Last year we spent money on tickets and then had to eat them when we didn't attend the show and felt pressured to go to the Opry Trust Find benefit because we had tickets but there was really nobody there we wanted to see. This year we have tickets to the Coliseum and we went ahead and bought tickets to the saturday night opry but that is it for us I think. There is just so much to do and we are always missing out on so much. Did the Hilton give you at least some sort of deal because you stayed there before? It really is crazy what they are charging but I totally get why you would want to stay there....it is definitely convenient and a very nice hotel. We would have booked it also if it hasn't been so expensive this year.

This is our first time at The Hilton. NO - no kind of special price on ANYTHING! We definitely get our money's worth when we go! It's just that it is getting VERY expensive!

Heck --- to go to Neal McCoy's fan club party - it's $30 taxi out there, and $30 back!!! YIKES! Do that a couple of times, and you are broke!

I am not getting Trust Fund tixs ---- ate them 2 years in a row, and I'm not getting Saturday matinee tixs, nor Marty Stuarts tixs. If we decide to go - we'll chance getting back row, balcony seats the night of. Those tickets start tasting 'bad' after a while!!!!!

I know what you mean...the past few years the Opry Trust Fund show has been the pits but you never know who is going to be there when you buy tickets. Every year when we go there are loads of empty seats because people don't want to leave the coliseum so this year we are just going to wait and see who will be there and we will then take our chances at last minute tickets.
So far the only fan club party we plan on attending is Kyle Wyley's and of course Vince's if he does decide to have one.

Yes you will! But don't stay on Disney property...you can get much better deals by staying in Kissimmee around the Main Gate, either east or west. There are also tons of things to do on 'the strip' (which is 192/Irlo Bronson Mem. Hwy.). When you do get ready to take them, just e-mail me for advice because I can give you plenty...I know that area real well.

lodging shouldn't be a problem when we go. My son-in-law's dr. dad has a timeshare on the property! NICE!!!!!!