AlliedPRA has agreed to terms to acquire Destination Nashville, giving the business events destination management company a presence in the booming Music City tourism market.
Nashville set a city tourism record in 2017, attracting 14.5 million visitors, representing a 4.6 percent year-over-year increase. The city is also gearing up to welcome a number of new-build hotels in the next few years.
Destination Nashville founder Rhonda Marko will stay on to serve as an active strategic advisor to AlliedPRA, with Jacqueline (Jackie) Marko overseeing day-to-day operations in conjunction with AlliedPRA COO Mike Fiber.
“Our team takes enormous pride in the business we have built over nearly 25 years,” said Rhonda Marko in announcing the acquisition. “Like AlliedPRA, Destination Nashville is dedicated to our team members, local relationships and one-of-a-kind destination experiences in the Music City with our clients.
"AlliedPRA has a fantastic reputation for operational excellence and a strategic vision for our sector," she added.
Tony Lorenz, CEO of AlliedPRA, said the acquisition is a key component in his company’s expansion strategy.
“Rhonda Marko and her team have so much to be proud of in their creation of this successful business,” Lorenz said. “Destination Nashville is the best business in our sector in the Nashville market. As Nashville is a market our clients want us to be in, Destination Nashville is an important component of our expansion strategy.
"We welcome Destination Nashville to the AlliedPRA family and look forward to building [together]," he added.
AlliedPRA now operates in the following markets: Arizona; Aspen, Colo.; Atlanta; Austin, Texas; Beaver Creek, Colo.; Chicago; Colorado Springs, Colo.; Dallas/Fort Worth; Denver; Hawaii; Jackson Hole, Wyo.; Lake Tahoe, Calif.; Las Vegas; Los Angeles; Nashville; New England; New Orleans; New York; Northern California; Orange County, Calif.; Orlando; Palm Springs, Calif.; Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah; San Antonio; San Diego; Santa Barbara, Calif.; South Florida; Vail, Colo.; and Washington, D.C.
AlliedPRA also has strategic alliances in Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and Latin America.
