Thread: CMA Music Fest

oh cool..im so jelous!

ya, i'm really excited, but i dont want to fly all the way from maine to nashville and leave without getting an autograph from my favorite country singer!!!

i know im so exticed for you i hope you get carries

I have no ideas/tips for you. Sorry! I have never been there. Have fun, and I hope you get Carrie's autograph!

This will be my first year too so I also would appreciate any tips, I am very excited. I want to meet Carrie and Martina sooooo bad!

This has been confusing me, also... I'm probably going to the CMA Fest, but I don't really understand the whole ticket and autograph thing. Maybe there's an e-mail address that we can send this question to- I think I'll go check!

Thats great

I've been wondering the same thing! If anyone has any info. please let us know!

I was there last year....
some booths post a list who will be there ahead of time for the entire week
- last year Carrie was at the GAC booth with about three other names for a one hour slot of time on the second day... This was known weeks in advance.

other booths don't give out the info until that morning of fan fair when the doors open. (Carrie was at the Country Weekly booth the first day and no one knew it until that morning)

For those booths - they give out tickets for each performer when the doors open. They'll have a chalk board with all the times and the artists - and you get a ticket for the time slot you want. Usually about 100 tickets per artist. They do have overflow lines for people without a ticket. Sometimes the overflows get lucky, most times they don't. Getting a ticket doesn't guarantee an autograph! It depends how fast the line moves, people taking pics, etc... Usually when the hour is up, the performer is gone.

People start lining up to get into Fan Fair about two- three-four hours before the convention center opens just for that reason-To get these tickets. Bring some coffee, a muffin, and a newspaper and be prepared for Disneyland like lines.

The other thing - there are various booths that give out tickets - not just one main one - and they are scattered across the convention center... it's kinda pot luck - you'll see people running off into all different directions when the doors open.....

I saw a lot of smart families all break up and head in different directions to get tickets. You might head to the Wrangler booth on the left, and they are giving out Carrie tickets at the Country Weekly booth on the right... etc...
like everything else - it's being in the right place at the right time... and in this case the right time is EARLY. :-)

I Hope That You Meet Carrie And Get Her Autograph. Good Luck

Originally Posted by donturner98

I was there last year....
some booths post a list who will be there ahead of time for the entire week
- last year Carrie was at the GAC booth with about three other names for a one hour slot of time on the second day... This was known weeks in advance.

other booths don't give out the info until that morning of fan fair when the doors open. (Carrie was at the Country Weekly booth the first day and no one knew it until that morning)

For those booths - they give out tickets for each performer when the doors open. They'll have a chalk board with all the times and the artists - and you get a ticket for the time slot you want. Usually about 100 tickets per artist. They do have overflow lines for people without a ticket. Sometimes the overflows get lucky, most times they don't. Getting a ticket doesn't guarantee an autograph! It depends how fast the line moves, people taking pics, etc... Usually when the hour is up, the performer is gone.

People start lining up to get into Fan Fair about two- three-four hours before the convention center opens just for that reason-To get these tickets. Bring some coffee, a muffin, and a newspaper and be prepared for Disneyland like lines.

The other thing - there are various booths that give out tickets - not just one main one - and they are scattered across the convention center... it's kinda pot luck - you'll see people running off into all different directions when the doors open.....

I saw a lot of smart families all break up and head in different directions to get tickets. You might head to the Wrangler booth on the left, and they are giving out Carrie tickets at the Country Weekly booth on the right... etc...
like everything else - it's being in the right place at the right time... and in this case the right time is EARLY. :-)

Oooo thanks so much for clarifying that! Are you allowed to get more than one ticket per day? And do the multiple ticket booths give out tickets for the same people, or different people?

If there are three artist at a booth you can get all 3 autographs. They will only give you one ticket for each signing though. You can get another ticket for the same booth just at a different time. I am heading there too. I want to meet CARRIE sooooo BADDDDD!

She is singing at the "stadium" coliseum on Saturday night I think. Get in the photo line and get up close pictures at the foot of the stage. You can PM for more info if you would like.
-Ray

Thanks so much for all yalls help! Does anyone know if Martina will be signing! It is my goal to meet Carrie & Martina!!! I just hope they aren't at the same time at diff. booths!

Ya thank you everyone for your help!! I cant wait to go to the CMA fest and your tips definitely help me a lot. If I leave with a carrie autograph I will probably be the happiest girl alive Anyway, thanks again to everyone!!

Something else I thought of from last year - over at the Tower Records display section - (it's like a little mini record store at Fan Fair) they have many artists on sale with special autographed cd covers. You buy the cd and they'll give you an extra cd cover that is autographed by the performer.

Many artists do this who either don't have time for autograph sessions or won't be in town.... go early in the week because when the supply is gone - it's gone.

Not as great as getting an autograph in person - but it's still nice of the artists to do and the cost of the cd is the normal price. (not extra because it's signed)

I know this is going to come off as sacriligeous, but am I the only one that doesn't particulary want to stand in line to get all these autographs? Especially when there is going to be so much great Live Music going on all day. I just much prefer seeing someone performing & doing hat they love than sitting behind a desk doing a cattle call autograph session. Ok so you can start firing bullets at me now, but give me the music & I'll pass on the autographs, yes even Carrie. Watching her sing on Sat. night will more than make up for not having a piece of paper with her name on it.

Maybe you can write to Carrie's address in Oklahoma and see if you get a response back to see if Carrie will have her own booth this year maybe they know that much in advance if she will have her own booth or be in GAC or CMT's? If you can find out in advance where she will be you better get there early because I'm sure Carrie's line will be very long.

have fun!

Originally Posted by thaifood

I know this is going to come off as sacriligeous, but am I the only one that doesn't particulary want to stand in line to get all these autographs? Especially when there is going to be so much great Live Music going on all day. I just much prefer seeing someone performing & doing hat they love than sitting behind a desk doing a cattle call autograph session. Ok so you can start firing bullets at me now, but give me the music & I'll pass on the autographs, yes even Carrie. Watching her sing on Sat. night will more than make up for not having a piece of paper with her name on it.

haha.... I'm with you Thai..... actually you can get a LOT of autographs and meet some of the up and coming performers without waiting in line.... I think I got about 10-15 different personally autographed pics just walking up to the booths. (folks like Carly Goodwin, Kyle Wyley, Kyle Jennings, Joey Daniels)

There is a small acoustic corner room inside at Fan Fair (maybe room for 100) that is rarely ever full and upcoming talent will do 30 min - 1 hour sets.
I even bought Wyley's cd just based on his acoustic performance....

The Greased Lightning Riverfront Park stages have music going all day long -
the only problem is there is no cover in case it rains....but there are a lot of "medium-size" names performing there all day long - (Mark Wills, Danielle Peck, Emerson Drive etc...)

I think the only lines I waited in for autographs were Carrie (and that was crazyville), Miranda, Jo Dee and Jessi Alexander - (and that was only because she was right next to Tower Records and they had her cd on sale... haha... about a ten minute wait)