History

In 2010, I had the arduous task of putting together, from scratch, a major festival in six weeks.  From the design of the logo, to the display of the billboards and everything in between, The Nashville Italian Lights Festival 2010 was created.

The primary goal of this three day festival was simple:
•    Provide income for Education.
•    Showcase a historic community.
•    Introduce the general public to the ethnicity and flavor of the Italian American community here in Nashville, TN.

Close to 9,000 enjoyed this free festival from September 9-11, 2011.  With a production and advertising cost of over $14.00 per person, this was not your run of the mill operation.

We produced the following:
-7,000 Meatballs  -  2,500 lbs. of grapes  -  1,600 slices of pizza  -  800 lbs. of lasagna  -  400 lbs. of parmesan cheese  -  2,200 Italian sausage sandwiches  -  1,100 lbs. of spaghetti  -  670 lbs. of tomato sauce  -  390 bottles of Wine

Having created Monell’s restaurants starting in 1995, as well as participating in festivals such as Oktoberfest, Fest de Ville, Southern Festival of  Books,  to name a few, I am no stranger to the hospitality scene here in Nashville.

Festivals, when produced correctly and articulately, not only generates business brandings and exposure to mass volumes of different demographics in a short amount of time, but it also catapults a community on the international map; Bonoroo, Southern Festival of Books and Oktoberfest are fine examples of national recognition and exposure.  This will be the case for the Nashville Italian Lights Festival.

The 3rd annual Italian Lights Festival is set for September 7-9, 2012.  I have committed Monell’s branding, recognition, and financial resources to continue the production of this event for national exposure.

Kindest regards,

Michael John A. King
Monell’s Restaurants
1235 6th Ave North
Nashville, TN 37208