Who are The Cordelle, Saint Elle, and Estelle, and what should we know about you?
The Cordelle, Saint Elle, and Estelle are three female-owned and locally operated event spaces, each venue no further than 2 miles from Broadway and easily accessible from all areas of Nashville. They all offer historic architecture with modern amenities, thoughtfully designed to create memorable event experiences for company parties, workshops, meetings, galas, fundraisers, weddings, photoshoots, and more.
What has been the most valuable aspect of your Chamber membership?
The most valuable aspect is community. We opened The Cordelle in 2014 and have been Chamber members ever since. As the city of Nashville has grown, we continue to find value in being part of an organization that provides resources and support for small businesses. Also, the knowledgeable, connected team at Chamber is there to help build relationships with other companies and organizations, giving us all the opportunity to evolve and grow together. We like to celebrate that community and offer Chamber members 10% off the venue rental at The Cordelle, Saint Elle, and Estelle.
How do you manage and maintain a positive company culture?
Work-life balance is something we try to encourage and support for our team members. Events can be high-energy and, at times, stressful, so giving our team tools to manage personal life and a busy work schedule is a top priority. Mental health stipends and team workshops that focus on healthy living and learning the ways employees like to be ‚”celebrated” show our investment in the team. Our company culture is also about open communication and teamwork, understanding it ‚”takes an army” to make our venues run smoothly.
What is unique about your business that makes you stand out?
The qualities we hope connect with the consumer are hospitality, architecture, and location. The Cordelle was built out of the desire to save a historic building and the need for more event spaces in the downtown loop. The footprint of that venue is an 1850’s Victorian; it was in disrepair and likely to be torn down. Looking back over the last decade, we feel honored to have saved the building and been the backdrop to so many remarkable events. Our newest and most intimate venue, Estelle, is an 1800’s log cabin surrounded by a Victorian home (*storied to be the oldest structure in East Nashville), and Saint Elle, our largest, is a 1950’s Bow Truss in Wedgewood, Houston. Each of them has their own personality and size, yet all of them create an effortless place to host any type of event. Another focus for our brand is hospitality. Our educated Sales and Events Team is there to support clients from the day they book one of our venues until their event is hosted.
How do you stay informed about industry trends and changes?
Nashville has an amazing vendor community, from caterers to event rentals to audio/visual. We have an “open vendor policy” at our venues, which allows any licensed and insured vendor to work in the space. Now that Nashville is a top destination for weddings and events, we keep a watchful eye on social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest to help us remain current in a rapidly changing industry. Also, our peers create healthy competition and drive us to keep up with trends and the needs of our clients.
What’s the biggest goal for your multiple businesses in 2024?
Increased brand awareness for our family of venues: Estelle, Saint Elle, and The Cordelle. We want to make sure we are connecting with the stalwarts of the businesses in the community, destination meeting groups, and new companies moving to town. Another goal is to share the flexibility and potential of our venues, each of which offers a unique Nashville experience to host trade shows, meetings, product launches, workshops, etc. Our company sets high standards for our client experience, and we want to continue to receive positive feedback from our community. The Cordelle has been voted in the Top 3 for Best of Nashville for years, and this is an award we hold with great honor considering the competition we have in Nashville. Our corporate outreach is something we are really growing, and the Chamber of Commerce has been a huge help. We’re looking forward to more connections and community in 2024.
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