Leaders Tour GA16 Assembly Site
Nashville, TN—Church of God International Offices leaders and staff who will be involved in executing the upcoming International General Assembly, took a day trip to Nashville to tour the Music City Center and nearby hotels.
More than 65 participated on the Wednesday, September 2 excursion. The delegation represented virtually all of the ministries of the Church of God, including those who are planning events, banquets and seminars, and others handling logistics.
The Music City Center (MCC) is a 2 ½ year old venue consisting of four halls on five levels. The 76th International General Assembly will be conducted July 19-22, 2016 and will encompass the entire complex. For the first time in decades, the business session and worship venues will be in separate locations. Exhibits will be on another level and will include multiple food outlets in addition to displays, interactive sets, and a stage.
David Ray, center left, points out dimensions of the exhibit hall at the Music City Center (click photo to enlarge)
“The exhibit area will be unlike anything we have staged in the past,” stated David Ray, director of the General Assembly Cabinet. “While we are still ten months away from the Assembly, there is already a lot of creative thinking being brought to the table.”
The Music City Center covers a total of 16 acres, has over 350,000 square feet of exhibit space, contains 55 meeting rooms and 1,800 covered parking spaces. There is also a covered drop-off and pick up area. Total square feet of the facility is 1.2 million.
During the site visit, Ray described the proposed layout, which includes a worship venue that can seat up to 12,000.
“No matter where a delegate sits in the worship venue, there will not be a bad seat in the house,” Ray stated. He explained the plan for audio-visual in the halls, as well as multiple sites at all levels where social media outlets will be located.
After a lunch provided by the convention center staff, the IO staff loaded vans to various hotel sites. There, department leaders toured facilities to plan events, such as the Chaplain’s Conference, collegiate reunions, and other meetings which traditionally take place every two years at the General Assembly. The Church of God has contracted for more than 3,500 hotel rooms in 30 hotels across the city.
Ray also announced plans for a new event to take place following the Thursday night worship service. The event will be called “Throw-back Thursday” and will include a concert with Christian artist Jason Crabb, as well as food trucks and a festive atmosphere located outdoors adjacent to the MCC.
“We look forward to what is in store for the General Assembly next year,” Ray concluded. “This is a venue and a city unlike we have been before and a lot of effort is going in to making it the most memorable ever.”
