Job seekers are invited to a hospitality industry job fair on March 20 as the city brings together employers in the tourism and convention sectors for a hiring event. The job fair will take place from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Opry Mills near the Regal Cinema entrance. This is the fourth time the hospitality industry has come together to host a job fair as Nashville’s tourism and convention sectors continue to grow. The job fair is free and open to the public.
More than 25 employers have registered to attend, including several of the city’s major hotels, restaurants, venues, attractions and transportation companies. (See list below.) Employers will be looking for workers from entry-level to management to the executive level.
“The hospitality industry is creating thousands of jobs and great opportunities for Nashville area residents,” said Butch Spyridon, president and CEO, Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp. “There’s really something for everyone, whether you’re looking for full-time employment or seasonal work or certain shifts. Whether you’re an entrepreneur or seek a corporate setting, this industry has all types of careers to pursue. We’re known for being a friendly city, so as long as you have a desire to serve and showcase our city, there’s a place for you in our industry.”
“Hiring events such as this are important for us to showcase the diversity of jobs in our industry,” said Jennifer Bracken, Director of Human Resources for Gaylord Opryland Resort & Attractions. “Hospitality is truly a great industry to launch a career with diverse growth opportunities, from sales and marketing to culinary and HR.”
Nashville’s hospitality industry employs 68,320 people and can be a successful career path leading to high-paying, quality positions. The hospitality industry is expected to continue to grow and place even more pressure on the need for workers. Thirty-nine hotel properties have opened since 2015 and another 20 have already opened or will open this year, adding another 3,018 rooms. Additionally, 113 bars and restaurants opened in the city in 2018 and another 60 have opened or announced they will open in 2019. Every new hotel room that opens typically requires one employee.
Hospitality is Nashville’s second-largest industry with worker/income paychecks equaling $1.65 billion. Last year, 15.2 million visitors came to the greater Nashville area with annual visitor spending generating $6.5 billion, one-third of all visitor spending in the state. Nashville has experienced year-over-year growth in hotel rooms sold for 95 out of the last 98 months.
Additional details about the job fair and an up-to-date list of employers are at visitmusiccity.com/jobfair.
The job fair is hosted by the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp and the Greater Nashville Hospitality Association 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.
Employers who have registered to attend the hospitality industry job fair include the following:
- Chartwell Hospitality
- DoubleTree Nashville Downtown
- Dream Nashville
- Four Points Brentwood
- Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center
- Gray Line of TN
- Goo Goo Shop and Dessert Bar
- Hilton Brentwood/Nashville Suites
- Hilton Nashville Airport
- HMS Host
- Hutton Hotel
- Infinity Hospitality Group
- Millennium Maxwell House
- Music City Center
- Nashville Airport Marriott
- Nashville Shores
- Nashville Zoo
- Ole Smoky Distillery
- Omni Nashville Hotel
- Opry Mills
- Pastaria
- Renaissance Nashville Hotel
- Strategic Hospitality
- Thompson Nashville
- Trail West
- Union Station Hotel
- Vision Hospitality
- Wise Coaches
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Bethany Bowman is an entertainer writer for The Tennessee Star. You can follow her on Twitter and Instagram.
