A national spotlight was shining on Nashville in October of 2008 as Belmont University hosted the second of three presidential debates between John McCain and Barack Obama. To take advantage of the event, the Nashville Health Care Council invited some of the nation’s top health care leaders to town for a broad-ranging panel discussion on the realistic possibilities of health care reform. With a goal of leveraging the media who would be in town for the presidential debate, the Nashville Health Care Council called on McNeely Pigott & Fox to plan and execute the event. The panel discussion attracted local, national and even international media. As one of the leading health care centers in America, Nashville was the ideal setting for this discussion among four of the nation’s top health care policy experts. Having this event on the same day as the presidential debate was an opportunity to bring attention to the impact Nashville has on the national health care scene.

The panel discussion was moderated by former U.S. Sen. Bill Frist. The panelists included four national health care policy experts: John Podesta, former chief of staff to President Bill Clinton and current president of the Center for American Progress; Dick Morris, a former Clinton adviser and Fox News contributor; Chris Jennings, president of Jennings Policy Strategies and former senior health care adviser to President Clinton; and Chip Kahn, president of the Federation of American Hospitals.

MP&F was there from start to finish, from making catering decisions to handling post-event logistics. On the day of the event, there were a total of 10 MP&F staffers assigned to manage media check-in, set up interviews, coordinate with panelists, assist with setting up the stage and backdrop, work closely with photographers, and coordinate media availability after the event.

The invitation-only event was a huge success, and more than 325 people attended. Representatives of 25 local, national and international media attended, and event coverage was picked up in more than 20 media outlets around the world, garnering more than 1 million media impressions. Media reports included consistent mention of the Nashville Health Care Council’s role and reference to Nashville as a leader in health care management innovation.