Nashville Hotel, Tourism & Retail Insights

Jai B. Patel serves as the CEO for Vivid Capital, in addition to leading the hospitality investment efforts for a local family office, Essex Development. Prior to founding Vivid Capital in 2020 and joining Essex Development in 2022, Jai enjoyed over seven years at HVS, a consulting and valuation firm that specializes in hotels and resorts. He co-founded the Nashville office for HVS in 2014 and oversaw operations over five states in the surrounding region. Over the course of his career, Jai has consulted on over 250+ existing and proposed hotel and mixed-use projects, worth in excess of $10 billion, highlighted by the Four Seasons, The Joseph, Virgin, and W hotels in Nashville. Jai is currently overseeing a portfolio of over $850 million in mixed-use development for Essex Development, while also growing his alternative lodging portfolio with Vivid Capital across the southeast.

A career in music may have eluded Richard Poskanzer, but that didn’t stop him from landing top billing in the heart of Music City as General Manager of Four Seasons Hotel Nashville. “This is really a standout, a Four Seasons unlike any other, with a culture that compliments the southern hospitality this city is known for,” he says. He takes inspiration from those he works with as well as the destination. “Nashville is a feast for so many senses. Like everyone here, I get pure joy from creating outstanding experiences that make people happy and hungry for more. When everything comes together, it’s special.” Quite a lot comes together under Poskanazer in Nashville. As opening GM, he is proud to weave Four Seasons into the fabric of an incredible city, staffing one of the tallest residential skyscrapers on the skyline, with 40 floors housing 231 guest rooms, 143 Private Residences, Southern Italian-inspired cuisine and a world-class spa. With floor-to-ceiling windows and a private garden terrace on the 14th floor that looks out onto the rolling hills of Tennessee and the upmarket neighbourhood of SoBro below, the property is nothing short of a standout.

A member of the firm's Litigation & Dispute Resolution team, Joe Watson's commercial litigation practice is focused on construction-related issues for a broad range of clients. In his construction practice, Joe assists clients in resolving commercial construction disputes in the most cost-effective way possible, whether in the courtroom or through alternative dispute resolution. By working closely with his clients and learning the issues that are most important and valuable to them, Joe is able to efficiently and pragmatically resolve disputes, so clients can focus on their day-to-day operations. In his construction practice, Joe represents commercial real estate owners, developers and contractors in disputes related to construction defects and delays, payment disputes and construction lien issues. Joe has made numerous continuing legal education presentations regarding Tennessee's construction lien statute, and he regularly defends and prosecutes lien claims, not only in Tennessee but also in disputes throughout the country. Prior to joining Waller, Joe served as Law Clerk to the Chief Justice of the Tennessee Supreme Court, the honorable Gary R. Wade.

Deana Ivey serves as the Chief Marketing Officer for the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corporation (NCVC) and has been with the organization for more than 16 years. She oversees Marketing, Advertising, Public Relations, Promotions, Research, Special Events, Strategic Partnerships, Creative Services, Digital Marketing, Convention Services, Membership and Visitor Services. Ivey has spent the last 12 years branding Nashville, Tennessee as Music City to the world, and has been an integral part of growing the city’s tourism efforts into a $4.6 billion industry. In 2014 Nashville was named one of the best places to visit by Travel + Leisure, Condé Nast, Fodor’s, & The New York Times. The Nashville CVC is often cited in the hospitality industry for its creative and progressive thinking. Several unique marketing initiatives have played a key roll in the overall branding efforts of Music City. Seven years ago Ivey helped create “Music City Connection: Heroes Behind the Hits” a songwriter show that airs monthly on SiriusXM Satellite Radio. The national broadcast highlights the professional songwriters that call Nashville home and promotes the diversity of the music produced in Music City. Two of Nashville’s key events are produced by the CVC under Ivey’s direction – Music City’s July 4th: Let Freedom Sing and New Year’s Eve Bash on Broadway. The July 4th event has received numerous accolades including being named #1 in the country for Independence Day events by aol.com and “Top 5 Most Interesting July 4th Celebration” by USA Today. The Bash on Broadway was named in the top 5 events for New Year’s Eve in the U.S. by The Huffington Post and is featured on CNN’s New Year’s Eve coverage. Ivey worked diligently on the award-winning documentary “For the Love of Music: The Story of Nashville”, which aired nationally on ABC, CMT and Palladia as well as Australia’s Foxtel Network. A project that is particularly meaningful to Ivey was co-creating “Music City Keeps on Playin’” – a benefit concert for flood relief following Nashville’s historic flood of 2010. The show aired live on GAC-TV and raised over $2 milllion to help rebuild the City of Nashville. She also led the marketing and messaging efforts to attract visitors to Nashville following the flood. Since that time Nashville has seen record numbers in hotel occupancy and tax collections every year. Prior to working at the Nashville CVC, Ivey was the Director of the Gatlinburg Chamber of Commerce in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

Leesa LeClaire is the President/CEO of the Greater Nashville Hospitality Association. Leesa has a hospitality career that spans some 40 years, mostly working in hotel operations and training and development. Her work has taken her to 46 of 50 states, Canada, Mexico and the United Arab Emirates. She is passionate about Leadership Development in Hospitality. She most recently served 8 years as General Manager of the Hilton Nashville Airport. Locally she has been involved in several non-profits, a graduate of Leadership Brentwood, Past President of the BELL Garden and participant in the Nashville Mayor’s inaugural Nashville Neighborhood Academy.

Andy Marshall is Founder and CEO of A. Marshall Hospitality, restaurant management group, where he oversees the administration and staff of over 400 employees representing: Puckett's locations in the downtown areas of Franklin, Nashville, Columbia, Chattanooga, Murfreesboro; on the main strip of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. The group also owns Americana Taphouse in downtown Franklin; Burger Dandy in downtown Franklin; Puckett’s Trolley, the brand’s mobile food venue; Puckett’s Events & Catering; Scout’s Pub in Franklin; and Deacon’s New South, a Southern steakhouse in downtown Nashville. In September of 2022, Marshall and team opened a second location for Scout’s Pub in Midtown Nashville. In October of 2022, the first Puckett’s outside of Tennessee opens in Cullman, Alabama . Each family-owned eatery focuses on providing chef prepared Southern inspired foods and hospitality, the Marshall way. In early 2020, Marshall served on the Governor’s sub-committee to the Economic Recovery Committee to help establish guidelines for the safe opening of restaurants in Tennessee during the Covid-19 pandemic.. Through this process, A. Marshall Hospitality was one of the leading brands in the country to reopen its restaurants. The group’s idea to reintroduce the QR code, sanitation and safety standards was an integral key to opening the economy safely and productively across Tennessee. In addition to the restaurants, Marshall serves on the board for Williamson County Convention and Visitors Bureau, and is a member of the boards of: the Predators Foundation, the Boys & Girls Club of Maury County, the Williamson County Fair, and the Nashville State Community College. A. Marshall Hospitality members are all members of Hospitality TN. In 2019, Marshall was presented with a resolution from the Tennessee General Assembly recognizing his services to the citizens of Tennessee. He was also honored with the Ed Moody Award of Excellence by Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee (BGCMT). He was named the 2017 Restaurateur of the Year by the Tennessee Hospitality and Tourism Association and was a 2017 recipient of the Joe M. Rodgers Spirit of America Award, presented by his alma mater, Middle Tennessee State University. He received the 2017 state-level Friend of Extension award from Epsilon Sigma Phi (ESP), a national leadership organization which governs the local and state-wide extensions of state universities’ agriculture branches. The Friend of Extension award is the highest honor presented to a non-Extension member. In 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018, A. Marshall Hospitality was recognized on the Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing private companies. The company was also awarded the Nashville Business Journal’s Best in Business award in 2015 and 2018. In 2014, 2015 and 2016, Marshall received the Nashville Business Journal’s Williamson County IMPACT award. In 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2019, the publication also recognized him as one of Nashville’s Most Admired CEOs. A Tennessee native, Andy Marshall grew up in the grocery business. At age 26, he purchased

Real estate emphasis with results-oriented approach Clients with challenging development schedules or complex real estate acquisitions rely on Steve Kirkham to bring their transactions to successful closings. Steve efficiently handles high-value and high-transaction real estate portfolios for clients operating locations across the country. Despite the heavy development schedules set out by these clients, Steve maintains their timeline and gets the deals done. Described as "unflappable," Steve confidently solves problems with a persistent, yet pleasant style. Steve is also the top-of-mind attorney for owners and developers of apartment complexes across the country, regardless of whether the project is to acquire new property or assist with complex ownership structures and securitized lending. Steve often oversees his client's broader legal needs, assisting C-suite executives with corporate finance, litigation management, corporate governance and other matters and supervising multi-disciplinary legal teams.