From Nashville's Co-President

By Mike Montgomery

I truly hope 2013 finds you happy, healthy and ready to work because in many respects Nashville finds itself poised to take the next step to becoming a business and arts mecca. Forbes magazine finds us one of the most attractive places to live and work. Travel and Leisure recently ranked us as a top tourist destination with one of the most exciting food scenes in the country and Kiplinger touts Nashville as a top-10 place to start a business. Our star is rising in the entertainment world as well.

The ABC series Nashville has injected new life into our film and television industry by providing steady work for our IATSE brothers and sisters, recurring roles for several local SAG-AFTRA members, day-player roles for many others and an opportunity for songwriters to pitch and land songs on the soundtrack. Nashville seems to be acting as a springboard for other productions considering our area as well. Currently there are 14 SAG-AFTRA projects, using several different contracts, either in production or pre-production in Tennessee and Kentucky. Let's all hope this upward trend gains traction as Nashville's star continues to rise.