CNBC Spotlights The CMA

Normally, the Country Music Association is happy to draw attention to the music and the artists and not to the organization, but this reporter was so impressed with the CMAFest last weekend that he gives props to Music City's powerful trade organization, which are richly deserved, I'd echo.

"Ask any of the myriad of sponsors, from GM, to JM Smuckers, to Mary Kay, why they're in Nashville for the festival, all they need to do is point to the convention center at 8 am. There is a line around the block. At 10 am they open the doors, and once inside, sometime over the four days nearly every big star and small will be at the convention center at least for a few hours singing autographs. And the loyalty goes both ways. There are other festivals around the country that are older, bigger, with higher attendance figures. But there is none other as focused on 'taking care of business' like the CMA festival in
Nashville."

-- Mike Hegedus