As the countdown to Applied Net gets shorter, I am increasingly eager to spend time with our members in Nashville. Not only does ACN have many members represented in the stellar educational lineup, we have the future to look forward to, with sessions centered on what’s next: AI, cybersecurity and your agency’s future. Hearing members’ takeaways from these sessions and more will launch ACN into 2025.

Of course, the educational sessions are top of mind as we prepare for Applied Net, but you can’t talk about Nashville without talking about the attractions we’re all planning our free time around. I personally am planning to attend the Johnny Cash Museum — the world’s largest collection of Johnny Cash artifacts and memorabilia — and can’t leave Nashville without a trip to the Grand Ole Opry, which attendees will experience as part of the Wednesday evening event.

Here are a few other recommendations for your time in Nashville. Let me know what you are planning that I may be missing.

• Two Rivers Mansion — Off the beaten path, but close to the Applied Net venue if you only have part of the day to explore.
• The Country Music Hall of Fame — If you are a music fan, this is a must-see excursion.
• Ryman Auditorium — Nashville is rich with music history, and this is another important venue as the place where bluegrass was born.
• Hop-on Hop-off Trolley Tours — This option looks great for those of us with just a day or two to explore the city.
• Gaylord Opryland Garden Conservatory — This is a spot conveniently located within the Applied Net convention center that brings nature indoors.

In addition to historical attractions, Nashville is full of food and night life opportunities, from classic southern breakfast at Biscuit Love Gulch to Bolton’s famous hot fried chicken to the live music at bars on Broadway and in the Five Points neighborhood.

At the convention center, I’ll be spending time at our ACN booth, and look forward to connecting with many of our members there. Back by popular demand is the famous ACN prize wheel which offers exciting giveaways — so don’t skip our stop in the exhibit hall.

Applied Net offers opportunity to learn about the latest Applied offerings, and it has historically been a time ACN shares news about our future as well. This year is no different. In my speech, I’ll be sharing a new release coming soon as well as revealing our gift for renewing members.

Finally, I hope I will see all Applied Net volunteers at our special Monday morning event. We’ll be putting our heads together to identify future opportunities and will enjoy breakfast, lunch, networking and our own educational sessions, including a keynote presentation from Justin Wren, former UFC and MMA fighter. He runs the nonprofit Fight for the Forgotten which works alongside indigenous communities in Africa to meet their unique needs. I have had the chance to hear Justin speak and know attendees of his session will find the takeaways inspiring and applicable to your lives.

I look forward to seeing you September 9 – 12 at Applied Net in Nashville! If you haven’t yet, there is still time to register.