http://www.countrymusic.org/news_publications/pr_common/press_detail.asp?re=748&year=2008
Jun. 9, 2008
2008 CMA MUSIC FESTIVAL ATTENDANCE UP 9.4 PERCENT
Tickets for 2009 CMA Music Festival Selling Fast; Gold Circle Section Sells Out In Record-Setting 15 Minutes
NASHVILLE – CMA Music Festival hit an all-time high attendance record in 2008 with a 9.4 percent increase over 2007 during the four-day Festival, Thursday through Sunday, in Downtown Nashville.
“Even with gasoline prices around $4 a gallon and weak economic conditions around the country, we saw an increase in our attendance on every level from local and regional participation to those fans that traveled from around the world,” said CMA Chief Executive Officer Tammy Genovese. “I believe that speaks to the strength of the event, the popularity of our artists, the dedication of our fans, and the entertainment value of the Festival.”
The average daily attendance in 2008 was 52,000. By comparison, in 2007 the average daily attendance was nearly 48,000.
“We made a decision this year to announce our attendance as a daily average rather than a four-day aggregate so people are not overwhelmed by a huge number and potentially turned off from attending the Festival because they are concerned about parking or moving around downtown,” Genovese said. “It is actually much easier than people think and we want to communicate that in a new way.”
Fans definitely enjoyed themselves and made it known at the Box Office. Tickets for CMA Music Festival 2009, which will be held June 11-14, went on sale Saturday and Gold Circle four-day ticket packages sold out in a record 15 minutes. By Sunday, advance sales bested sales during the same period in 2007, by 4.2 percent.
“You know you are giving the fans what they want when they put down their hard-earned money for an event and we haven’t even announced who will be performing,” remarked Genovese.