PA Meet-Ups

Friday, May 19 – Various Times

Arriving Friday? Good idea! Pick up your badge without waiting in line, and then take some time to explore the Nashville scene. Hit up Broadway for some live music or join us in one of the following PA Meet-Ups, designed to help you make some friends before your week of education and networking.

*Sign up for these PA Meet-Ups is required. Sign up when you register. If you’re already registered, log back in to your registration and housing dashboard and click on “Add Sessions & Events.” Some events are an additional fee.

Read the event description for detailed information on when and where to meet for your Meet-Up. Wear comfortable footwear, as all these activities are within walking distance of Music City Center.

Country Music Hall of Fame: Sharing the Art of Songwriting

Experience for yourself what makes songwriting in Nashville so unique with this interactive co-writing program. Work closely with one of Nashville’s most accomplished songwriters as they guide your group in composing original lyrics of your own. End this session with a group recording of Nashville’s newest tune. Fee of $50 for this experience.

(Sold Out) Martin’s BBQ

Voted one of America’s Best New Restaurants in 2017 by Bon Appetit magazine, Martin’s specializes in whole hog BBQ! Get in the true spirit of Nashville with some live music and finger-licking good food.

(Sold Out) Live Music at the Famous Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge

Voted #1 Honky Tonk in the World! Meet up with your fellow PAs and listen to some live music.

Make Your Own Goo Goo

Enjoy a “Make Your Own Goo Goo” experience in downtown Nashville at the Goo Goo Shop. You’ll join other chocolate makers to design your own flavor during their hands-on candy making and dessert sampling class. Fee of $55 for this unique experience.

(Sold Out) Serve Dinner to Those in Need

Serve a hot meal at the Nashville Rescue Mission. It truly is a rich and rewarding volunteer experience. During this time, volunteers may assist kitchen staff with light food prep projects, food service on the meal line, and/or dining room assistance. Background checks will be required.

The Hatch Show Print Experience

The Hatch Show Print tour is a sensory and educational experience on moveable type, letterpress printing and Nashville’s story as Music City. Take the tour of Hatch Show Print and learn all about the history of this iconic letterpress poster shop. Listen to the presses run. See the century-and-a-half’s worth of brilliantly colored posters printed for your favorite entertainers. Smell the ink. Handle the tools of the trade to print your own keepsake poster in our print shop-within-a-print shop Universal Music Group Space for Design. Fee of $20 for this experience.

Tour the Infamous Ryman Auditorium

It’s more than a Nashville landmark. Ryman Auditorium is one of the most active and celebrated venues in modern music. Generations of artists, seekers, creators, rulebreakers and rebels have made their mark on the famous stage. From Elvis to Emmylou Harris, Johnny Cash to Wu-Tang Clan, Paul Simon to Tom Petty, B.B. King to Kings of Leon, the Ryman is a source of inspiration where legendary moments are still in the making. Experience a venue as iconic as its performers and join us on a tour of Ryman Auditorium. Fee of $35 for this experience.

Sunday, May 21

Headquarters Beercade

8 – 10 p.m.

“Never grow up, it’s a trap!” is this bar’s slogan. Headquarters Beercade is lined with 30+ vintage arcade games and pinball machines such as Donkey Kong, NBA Jam, Rampage, Frogger, Game of Thrones, and more! Join other PAs on the Mezzanine level and spend a night playing games and making friends. This PA Meet-Up includes a complimentary beverage. Sign-up required!

Tuesday, May 23

Ole Smoky Moonshine & YeeHaw Brewing Company

7:30 – 9:30 p.m.

PAs & PA students – come on down for a party on the patio. We’ve reserved the outdoor patio specially for our attendees to come together and network for the last night of the conference. Enjoy sipping Ole Smoky Moonshine or a beer flight from YeeHaw Brewing Company. This PA Meet-Up includes a complimentary beverage. Sign-up required!