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Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc. (RHP) Business

Verbatim Item 1 Business section from Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc.'s latest 10-K. Filing date: 2026-02-24. Accession: 0001104659-26-019035.

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Item 1.            Business

Overview

Ryman is the successor to Gaylord Entertainment Company (“Gaylord”), a Delaware corporation originally incorporated in 1956. As part of the plan to restructure our business operations to facilitate our qualification as a REIT for federal income tax purposes, Gaylord merged with and into its wholly-owned subsidiary, Ryman, on October 1, 2012, with Ryman as the surviving corporation, and Ryman succeeded to and began conducting, either directly or indirectly, all of the business conducted by Gaylord immediately prior to the merger. Ryman is a Delaware corporation that began operating as a self-advised and self-administered REIT for federal income tax purposes on January 1, 2013. We specialize in group-oriented, destination hotel assets in urban and resort markets. As a REIT, we generally will not be subject to federal corporate income taxes on that portion of our capital gain or ordinary income from our REIT operations that is distributed to our stockholders. This treatment substantially eliminates the federal “double taxation” on earnings from our REIT operations, or taxation once at the corporate level and again at the stockholder level, that generally results from investment in a regular C corporation. Our non-REIT operations, which consist of the activities of our TRSs that lease or sublease our hotels from our Operating Partnership (as defined below) and its subsidiaries, as well as businesses within our Entertainment segment, continue to be subject, as applicable, to federal and state corporate income taxes.

Our core holdings include a network of upscale, meetings-focused resorts totaling 11,869 rooms that are managed by Marriott under the Gaylord Hotels and JW Marriott brands. The five Gaylord Hotels resorts, which we refer to as our Gaylord Hotels properties, consist of the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee (“Gaylord Opryland”), the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center near Orlando, Florida (“Gaylord Palms”), the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center near Dallas, Texas (“Gaylord Texan”), the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center near Washington D.C. (“Gaylord National”), and the Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center near Denver, Colorado (“Gaylord Rockies”). The two JW Marriott resorts, which we refer to as the JW Marriott properties, consist of the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa (“JW Marriott Hill Country”) (effective June 30, 2023) and the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa (“JW Marriott Desert Ridge”) (effective June 10, 2025). Our other hotel assets managed by Marriott include the Inn at Opryland, an overflow hotel adjacent to Gaylord Opryland, and the AC Hotel at National Harbor, Washington D.C. (“AC Hotel”), an overflow hotel adjacent to Gaylord National.

We also own an approximate 70% controlling equity interest in a business comprised of a number of entertainment and media assets, known as the Opry Entertainment Group (“OEG”), which we report as our Entertainment segment. These assets include the Grand Ole Opry, the legendary weekly showcase of country music’s finest performers for 100 years; the Ryman Auditorium, the storied live music venue and former home of the Grand Ole Opry located in downtown Nashville; WSM-AM, the Opry’s radio home; Ole Red, a brand of six Blake Shelton-themed bar, music venue and event spaces; Category 10, a brand of Luke Combs-themed bar, music venue and event spaces that opened in Nashville, Tennessee in November 2024, with additional locations expected to open in Las Vegas, Nevada in late 2026 and at Universal Orlando Resort’s CityWalk in late 2027; Block 21, a mixed-use entertainment, lodging, office, and retail complex located in Austin, Texas (“Block 21”); as of January 3, 2025, a majority and controlling equity interest in Southern Entertainment, a Charlotte, North Carolina-based national music festival and events production company; in January 2026, OEG began managing the Ascend Amphitheater in downtown Nashville, Tennessee; and we expect OEG to begin managing the CCNB Amphitheatre outside of Greenville, South Carolina in February 2026.

Our operations are organized into three principal business segments: (i) Hospitality, which includes our Gaylord Hotels properties, our JW Marriott properties, the Inn at Opryland and the AC Hotel; (ii) Entertainment, which includes the entertainment and media assets comprising OEG; and (iii) Corporate and Other, which includes corporate expenses. These three business segments — Hospitality, Entertainment, and Corporate and Other — represented approximately 83%, 17% and 0%, respectively, of our total revenues for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025.

Financial information by business segment and for each of our Gaylord Hotels properties as of December 31, 2025 and for each of the three years then ended appears in Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition

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and Results of Operations,” and in “Note 13 – Financial Reporting by Business Segments” to our consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Our Long-Term Strategic Plan

Our goal is to be the nation’s premier hospitality REIT for group-oriented, destination hotel assets in urban and resort markets.

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Existing Hotel Property Design. Our Gaylord Hotels and JW Marriott properties focus on the large group meetings and regional leisure transient markets in the United States and incorporate meeting and exhibition space, signature guest rooms, food and beverage offerings, fitness and spa facilities and other attractions within a large hotel property so attendees’ needs are met in one location. This strategy creates a better experience for both meeting planners and guests and has led to our Gaylord Hotels properties and JW Marriott properties claiming a place among the leading convention hotels in the country.
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Expansion of Hotel Asset Portfolio. Part of our long-term growth strategy includes acquisitions or developments of other hotels, particularly in the group meetings sector of the hospitality industry, either alone or through joint ventures or alliances with one or more third parties. We will consider attractive investment opportunities which meet our acquisition parameters, specifically, group-oriented large hotels and overflow hotels with existing or potential leisure appeal. We are generally interested in highly accessible upper-upscale or luxury assets with over 400 hotel rooms in urban and resort group destination markets. We also consider assets that possess significant meeting space or present a repositioning opportunity and/or would significantly benefit from capital investment in additional rooms or meeting space. We are consistently considering acquisitions that would expand the geographic diversity of our existing asset portfolio. To this end, we purchased JW Marriott Hill Country in June 2023 and JW Marriott Desert Ridge in June 2025.
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Continued Investment in Our Existing Properties. We continuously evaluate and invest in our current portfolio and consider enhancements or expansions as part of our long-term strategic plan. In early 2024, we identified over $1 billion in capital investment opportunities across our entire hotel portfolio, comprised of projects that we anticipate completing in phases through 2027. In 2024, we completed a $98 million multi-year interior and exterior enhancement project at Gaylord Rockies to better position the property for our group customers. Our ongoing plans for a nearly $225 million multi-phase capital improvement plan at Gaylord Opryland include the expansion of approximately 108,000 square feet of premium, carpeted meeting space; the construction of a sports bar, event lawn and pavilion; and the renovation of multiple ballrooms and pre-function space.
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Leverage Brand Name Awareness. We believe the Grand Ole Opry is one of the most recognized entertainment brands in the United States. We promote the Grand Ole Opry name through various media, including our WSM-AM radio station, the Internet and television, and through performances by the Grand Ole Opry’s members, many of whom are renowned country music artists. As such, we have alliances in place with multiple distribution partners in an effort to foster brand extension. We believe that licensing our brand for products may provide an opportunity to increase revenues and cash flow with relatively little capital investment. We are continuously exploring additional products, such as television specials and retail products, through which we can capitalize on our brand affinity and awareness. To this end, we have invested in six Ole Red locations, purchased Block 21, opened our first Category 10 in November 2024, purchased a majority interest in Southern Entertainment in January 2025, began managing the Ascend Amphitheater in January 2026 and expect to begin managing the CCNB Amphitheatre in February 2026. In September 2025, the Grand Ole Opry traveled to the Royal Albert Hall in London for the first international performance in its history. Further, in 2022, we completed a strategic transaction to sell a minority interest in OEG to an affiliate of Atairos Group, Inc. (“Atairos”) and its strategic partner NBCUniversal Media, LLC, who we believe will continue to help us expand the distribution of our OEG brands.
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Short-Term Capital Allocation. Our short-term capital allocation strategy is focused on returning capital to stockholders through the payment of dividends, in addition to investing in our assets and operations. Our dividend policy provides that we will make minimum dividends of 100% of REIT taxable income annually,

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subject to our board of directors’ future determinations as to the amount of any distributions and the timing thereof.

Description of our Hotel Portfolio

Our Gaylord Hotels properties and JW Marriott properties incorporate meeting, convention and exhibition space with a large hotel property so the attendees never have to leave the location during their meetings. This concept of a self-contained destination dedicated primarily to the meetings industry has placed our Gaylord Hotels properties and our JW Marriott properties among the leading convention hotels in the country. Our Gaylord Hotels properties are routinely recognized by many industry and commercial publications, including Gaylord Hotels being named the 2023 and 2024 STELLA Award Gold Winner for best hotel chain by Northstar Meetings Group.

Marriott is responsible for the day-to-day management of our Gaylord Hotels properties, our JW Marriott properties, the Inn at Opryland, and the AC Hotel. We believe that our Gaylord Hotels properties and our JW Marriott properties have benefitted and will continue to benefit from Marriott’s expansive sales force and popular frequent traveler program, as well as its ability to manage group business.

Based on our information and publicly available information, the top 10 non-gaming hotels within the United States with the highest square footage of self-contained exhibit and meeting space as of January 2026 are as follows:

​ ​ ​​ ​ ​​ ​ ​Total Exhibit and
Meeting Space
Facility (1)LocationHotel Rooms(sq. ft.)
Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention CenterNashville, TN2,888640,000
Gaylord National Resort & Convention CenterNational Harbor, MD1,996501,000
Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention CenterGrapevine, TX1,814488,000
Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention CenterKissimmee, FL1,718467,000
Rosen Shingle CreekOrlando, FL1,501445,000
Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention CenterAurora, CO1,501409,000
Orlando World Center MarriottOrlando, FL2,010360,000
Hilton AnatoleDallas, TX1,610360,000
Gaylord Pacific Resort & Convention CenterChula Vista, CA1,600360,000
Walt Disney World DolphinOrlando, FL1,514349,000
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(1)Bolded facilities are owned by the Company.

Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center — Nashville, Tennessee. Gaylord Opryland is one of the leading convention destinations in the United States based upon number of rooms, exhibit space and conventions held. Designed with lavish gardens and expansive atrium areas, the resort is situated on approximately 172 acres in the Opryland complex. Gaylord Opryland has a number of themed restaurants, retail outlets, and a full-service spa with 27,000 square feet of dedicated space. It also serves as a destination resort for vacationers due to its proximity to the Grand Ole Opry, the Ryman Auditorium, the General Jackson Showboat, Gaylord Springs Golf Links (“Gaylord Springs”) – our 18-hole championship golf course with a 40,000 square-foot clubhouse offering meeting space for up to 500 guests – and other attractions in the Nashville area. Gaylord Opryland has 2,888 signature guest rooms, six ballrooms with approximately 127,000 square feet, 106 banquet/meeting rooms, and total meeting, exhibit and pre-function space of approximately 640,000 square feet. Our ongoing plans for a nearly $225 million multi-phase capital improvement plan include the expansion of approximately 108,000 square feet of premium, carpeted meeting space; the construction of a sports bar, event lawn and pavilion; and the renovation of multiple ballrooms and pre-function space. Gaylord Opryland was named a 2024 Award of Excellence Recipient from Corporate & Incentive Travel magazine and has been recognized as a member of Meeting & Conventions’ Hall of Fame.

Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center — Kissimmee, Florida. Gaylord Palms has 1,718 signature guest rooms, five ballrooms with approximately 115,000 square feet, 111 banquet/meeting rooms, and total meeting, exhibit and pre-function space of approximately 467,000 square feet. The resort is situated on a 65-acre site in Osceola County, Florida,

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which we have leased pursuant to a 75-year ground lease with a 24-year renewal option. The resort is approximately a five-minute drive from the main gate of the Walt Disney World® Resort complex. Gaylord Palms has a number of themed restaurants, retail outlets, a water experience, including a rapid river, and a full-service spa with 20,000 square feet of dedicated space. Hotel guests also have golf privileges at Celebration Golf Club, located approximately two miles from the property. Gaylord Palms is rated as a AAA Four-Diamond Hotel and has been recognized as a member of Meeting & Conventions Hall of Fame.

Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center — Grapevine, Texas. Gaylord Texan is situated on approximately 85 acres and is located approximately six minutes from the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. Of the 85 acres, we own 75 acres and lease approximately 10 acres pursuant to a ground lease. The hotel features a lavish and expansive atrium, 1,814 signature guest rooms, four ballrooms with approximately 115,000 square feet, 100 banquet/meeting rooms, and total meeting, exhibit and pre-function space of approximately 488,000 square feet. The property also includes a number of themed restaurants, retail outlets, a resort pool, a full-service spa with 25,000 square feet of dedicated space, and an entertainment complex consisting of an approximately 39,000 square foot venue with a performance stage, dance floor, and a two-story outdoor deck. Guests also have access to the adjacent Cowboys Golf Club. Gaylord Texan is rated as a AAA Four-Diamond Hotel.

Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center — National Harbor, Maryland. Gaylord National is situated on approximately 42 acres of land located on the Potomac River in Prince George’s County, Maryland, eight miles south of Washington, D.C. The hotel has 1,996 signature guest rooms, four ballrooms with approximately 103,000 square feet, 82 conference and breakout rooms, and total meeting, exhibit and pre-function space of approximately 501,000 square feet. The hotel complex includes an 18-story glass atrium, a 20,000 square foot spa and fitness center, a freestanding 29,000-square foot ballroom building offering 16,000 square feet of meeting space on the banks of the Potomac River, and entertainment options such as restaurants, shops, and a two-story rooftop nightclub. Gaylord National is rated as a AAA Four-Diamond Hotel.

Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center — Aurora, Colorado. Gaylord Rockies is situated on approximately 85 acres and is located approximately 10 minutes from Denver International Airport. The hotel features a lavish and expansive atrium, 1,501 signature guest rooms, including 114 suites, four ballrooms with up to approximately 60,000 square feet, up to 78 breakout rooms, indoor meeting, exhibit and pre-function space of approximately 409,000 square feet, and additional outdoor meeting space of approximately 75,000 square feet. The property also includes a number of themed restaurants, retail outlets, a full-service spa, six outdoor event spaces and an indoor/outdoor pool complex. Gaylord Rockies is rated as a AAA Four-Diamond Hotel. In 2024, we completed a $98 million multi-year interior and exterior enhancement project at Gaylord Rockies to better position the property for our group customers, being recognized by Northstar Meetings Group as a 2025 STELLA Award Silver Winner for best hotel/resort renovation and a Gold Winner for best décor/design.

JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa — San Antonio, Texas. We purchased JW Marriott Hill Country June 30, 2023. The property is situated on approximately 600 acres in the Texan Hill Country region outside of San Antonio. The hotel features 1,002 guest rooms and indoor and outdoor meeting and event space of approximately 268,000 square feet. The property also includes eight food and beverage outlets, a full-service spa with 26,000 square feet of dedicated space, a nine-acre water experience, and TPC San Antonio, which features two 18-hole golf courses. JW Marriott Hill Country is rated as a AAA Four-Diamond Hotel and was named a 2025 STELLA Award Gold Winner for each of best hotel/resort, best hotel/resort event space, best food and beverage, and best golf resort by Northstar Meetings Group.

JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa — Phoenix, Arizona. We purchased JW Marriott Desert Ridge June 10, 2025. The property is situated on approximately 402 acres of Arizona’s Sonoran Desert. The hotel features 950 guest rooms and indoor and outdoor meeting and event space of approximately 243,000 square feet. The property also includes seven food and beverage outlets, a full-service spa with 28,000 square feet of dedicated space, a 140,000 square-foot water experience, and two 18-hole golf courses. JW Marriott Desert Ridge is rated as a AAA Four-Diamond Hotel and was named a 2025 STELLA Award Bronze Winner for best golf resort by Northstar Meetings Group.

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Inn at Opryland. The Inn at Opryland is located across the street from Gaylord Opryland. The hotel has 303 rooms and approximately 14,000 square feet of meeting space.

AC Hotel. The AC Hotel is located near Gaylord National. The hotel has 192 rooms and approximately 3,700 square feet of meeting space.

Description of our Entertainment Portfolio

The Grand Ole Opry. The Grand Ole Opry, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2025, is one of the most widely known platforms for country music in the world. The Opry features a live country music show with performances every Friday and Saturday night, as well as additional weekly performances on a seasonal basis. The Grand Ole Opry House, home of the Grand Ole Opry, seats approximately 4,400 and is located in the Opryland complex. The Grand Ole Opry moved to the Opry House in 1974 from its most famous home in the Ryman Auditorium in downtown Nashville. Each week, the Grand Ole Opry is broadcast live to millions of country lifestyle consumers on radio via WSM-AM and Sirius/XM Radio and streamed on the Internet. The show has been broadcast since 1925 on WSM-AM, making it the longest running live radio program in the United States. In September 2025, the Grand Ole Opry traveled to the Royal Albert Hall in London for the first international performance in its history. In addition to performances by its members, the Grand Ole Opry presents performances by many other country music artists and other acts.

Ryman Auditorium. The Ryman Auditorium, which was built in 1892 and seats approximately 2,300, is designated as a National Historic Landmark. The former home of the Grand Ole Opry, the Ryman Auditorium was renovated and re-opened in 1994 for concerts and musical productions. The Grand Ole Opry returns to the Ryman Auditorium periodically, most recently in January 2026. Ryman Auditorium has won numerous awards, including “Theatre of the Year” by Pollstar Concert Industry Awards, “Venue of the Year” by the Country Music Association, and “Venue of the Year – Small Capacity” by the Academy of Country Music, winning each on several occasions, and was the first venue inducted into the Pollstar Live Hall of Fame.

Block 21. Block 21, which we purchased in 2022, is a mixed-use entertainment, lodging, office, and retail complex located in Austin, Texas. Block 21 is the home of the Austin City Limits Live at the Moody Theater (“ACL Live”), a 2,750-seat entertainment venue that serves as the filming location for the Austin City Limits television series. The Block 21 complex also includes the 251-room W Austin, which Marriott manages, the 3TEN at ACL Live club and approximately 53,000 square feet of other Class A commercial space.

Ole Red. Since 2018, we have opened six Ole Red venues, with locations in downtown Nashville, Tennessee; Gatlinburg, Tennessee; Orlando, Florida; Tishomingo, Oklahoma; at the Nashville International Airport; and Las Vegas, Nevada (which opened in January 2024). Each of these restaurant, bar and live music venues showcase curated country music talent alongside concert-quality production and sound capabilities.

Category 10. In November 2024, we opened Category 10 Nashville after renovating and repositioning the Wildhorse Saloon, our country music performance venue in downtown Nashville. This 67,000 square foot, three-story venue includes a concert hall available for ticketed events, a honky-tonk, a sports bar, an upscale lounge, the largest rooftop venue in downtown Nashville, and numerous food and beverage options. We are currently renovating a location in Las Vegas, Nevada for an additional Category 10 on the Las Vegas strip that we anticipate to open in late 2026, and we recently announced the development of a third location located at Universal Orlando Resort’s CityWalk anticipated to open in late 2027.

Southern Entertainment. In January 2025, we purchased a majority and controlling equity interest in Southern Entertainment, a Charlotte, North Carolina-based national music festival and events production company.

Ascend Amphitheater. In January 2026, we began managing the Ascend Amphitheater, a 6,800-seat amphitheater in downtown Nashville, under an initial ten-year management agreement. As part of the agreement, we committed to invest a minimum of $12 million in capital expenditures to enhance all aspects of the amphitheater as well as an adjacent public greenway.

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CCNB Amphitheatre. In February 2026, the City of Simpsonville, South Carolina selected our bid to operate the CCNB Amphitheatre, a 14,000-seat venue outside Greenville, South Carolina. We expect to enter into an initial eleven-year management agreement with the City of Simpsonville to manage the venue. As part of the agreement, we anticipate that we will commit to invest a minimum of $6 million in capital expenditures to enhance all aspects of the venue.

WSM-AM. WSM-AM commenced broadcasting in 1925. The involvement of Ryman’s predecessors with country music dates back to the creation of the radio program that became The Grand Ole Opry, which has been broadcast live on WSM-AM since 1925. WSM-AM is broadcast from the Grand Ole Opry House plaza in Nashville and has a country music format. WSM-AM is one of the nation’s “clear channel” stations, meaning that no other station in a 750-mile radius uses the same frequency for night time broadcasts. As a result, the station’s signal, transmitted by a 50,000-watt transmitter, can be heard at night in much of the United States and parts of Canada.

The General Jackson Showboat. OEG owns the General Jackson Showboat, a 300-foot, four-deck paddle wheel showboat on the Cumberland River, which flows past the Gaylord Opryland complex in Nashville. Its Victorian Theatre can seat 600 people for banquets and 1,000 people for theater-style presentations. The showboat stages Broadway-style shows and other theatrical productions. The General Jackson is one of many sources of entertainment that is available to conventions held at Gaylord Opryland. During the day, it operates cruises, primarily serving tourists visiting the Gaylord Opryland complex and the Nashville area. Marriott manages the day-to-day operations of the General Jackson.

Corporate and Other Segment

Our Corporate and Other segment includes operating and general and administrative expenses related to the overall management of the Company which are not allocated to the other reportable segments, including certain costs for our retirement plans, equity-based compensation plans, information technology, human resources, accounting, and other administrative expenses.

Corporate History and Structure

We were originally incorporated in 1956 and were reorganized in connection with a 1997 corporate restructuring. Prior to our REIT conversion, we operated as a C corporation. In 2012, we completed restructuring transactions intended to facilitate our qualification as a REIT for federal income tax purposes, which included the merger, effective on October 1, 2012, of our predecessor, Gaylord, with and into its wholly-owned subsidiary, Ryman, with Ryman surviving the merger, at which time Ryman succeeded to and began conducting, directly or indirectly, all of the business conducted by Gaylord immediately prior to the merger. Prior to Marriott’s assumption of the day-to-day management of our hotels and certain of our Nashville attractions, we managed such assets. We elected REIT status effective January 1, 2013.

All of our assets are held by, and all of our operations are conducted through, RHP Hotel Properties, LP, a Delaware limited partnership (the “Operating Partnership”), of which we own, directly or indirectly, 99.4% of the partnership interests (collectively, the “OP Units”), including all of the general partnership interests. The Operating Partnership’s limited partnership agreement provides that the OP Units held by other persons may be exchanged on a one-for-one basis for shares of our common stock. Under certain circumstances, we may issue such OP Units as consideration to acquire hotel properties. By offering OP Units, the seller of such hotel property could defer federal income tax on any of the seller’s gains on sale, and this tax advantage may enable us to acquire hotel properties in the future which otherwise may not be available for sale.

As a REIT, at least 75% of our gross income for each taxable year must generally be derived from “rents from real property” or other income permitted by the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). To meet this requirement, our hotel properties are owned or leased by certain subsidiaries of the Operating Partnership, which are disregarded entities for federal income tax purposes, and these subsidiaries lease or sublease our hotels to our TRS lessees pursuant to leases that contain economic terms which are similar to leases between unrelated parties. The rent that we receive from our TRS lessees qualifies as “rents from real property” as long as the property is operated on behalf of our TRS lessees by a person who qualifies as an “independent contractor” (as defined in the Code) and who is, or is related to a person who is, actively engaged in the trade or business of operating “qualified lodging facilities” (as defined

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in the Code) for any person unrelated to us and our TRS lessees (an “eligible independent contractor”). Our TRS lessees have engaged Marriott to manage the day-to-day operations of our hotels as an eligible independent contractor.

In addition, we own our Entertainment businesses in TRSs, and certain of those TRSs have engaged Marriott to manage their assets, as described above.

Tax Status

As a REIT, we generally are not subject to corporate federal income tax on that portion of our REIT taxable income that we distribute to our stockholders. In addition to the requirement that 75% of our gross income for each taxable year be derived from “rents from real property” discussed above, we are subject to other organizational and operational requirements including the requirement that we distribute at least 90% of our REIT taxable income each year and the requirement that no more than 50% in value of our outstanding shares may be owned, directly or indirectly, by five or fewer individuals (as defined in the Code to include various kinds of entities). We will be subject to federal and state income tax on our taxable income at regular corporate rates to the extent we distribute less than 100% of our REIT taxable income in any taxable year or if we fail to qualify as a REIT for federal income tax purposes in any taxable year. In that latter event, we will also not be permitted to qualify for treatment as a REIT for federal income tax purposes until the fifth year following any year in which qualification is lost. Our non-REIT operations, which consist of the activities of our TRSs that lease or sublease our hotels from the Operating Partnership, as well as businesses within our Entertainment segment, will continue to be subject, as applicable, to federal and state corporate income taxes.

Human Capital

We create unique destination and entertainment experiences for our customers. To serve our customers, we have built a strong, people-centric corporate culture that provides opportunities for growth and improves our local communities. Providing competitive compensation and benefits to our employees is fundamental to the success of our organization. We believe that caring for the people who work in our businesses and communities leads to a more positive experience for our guests and gives us a competitive advantage in the industries in which we operate.

Our goal is to employ a highly engaged, high-performing and satisfied workforce.

Our Workforce

As of December 31, 2025, we employed 1,819 people, including 1,012 full-time and 807 part-time and on-call employees in our Entertainment and Corporate segments. We do not have any employees in our direct employment represented by collective bargaining agreements.

Our Hotels and Managed Attractions

Our hotel operator, Marriott, is responsible for hiring and managing the workforce at our Gaylord Hotels properties and JW Marriott properties, as well as the Inn at Opryland, the AC Hotel, Gaylord Springs, the General Jackson and the W Austin. We receive periodic updates from Marriott concerning Marriott’s policies, and we believe they reflect our people-first approach.

Philosophy and Culture

Our people-first philosophy is designed to create a workplace culture where all employees feel respected, valued and inspired. We prioritize communication to ensure our employees feel connected to our company’s goals and engaged in the communities we serve. Our commitment to an inclusive work environment is a top priority. Additionally, our benefits philosophy includes resources to help employees live happier, healthier lives, while rewarding performance and encouraging retention. In the last three years, despite rising healthcare costs, we have kept employee healthcare premium increases at or below 5%. Our people-first culture and our benefits offerings contribute to our ability to remain an employer of choice in each of our markets.

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Programs in place to reinforce our people-centric culture include, among others:

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Inclusion: We are committed to building an inclusive workforce through recruitment initiatives to attract, employ and develop candidates from all backgrounds. We continue to focus on engaging our existing workforce through policies and programs promoting workplace inclusion, and we have also implemented online and in-person learning programs that promote the importance of this work within our organization. We have created additional opportunities for employees to be involved in this important work in our communities through our Volunteer Paid Time Off Policy where full-time employees can receive up to 8 hours of paid time off to volunteer outside the organization.
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Pay Equity: We conduct regular compensation studies with a third-party to make our positions competitive for the markets in which we operate.
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Succession Planning and Performance Management: Our employees receive annual performance reviews. Certain full-time, exempt and non-exempt employees set annual goals and are evaluated on these goals and core competencies. We also conduct periodic talent review processes with all departments to identify high-potential individuals and create individualized development plans. Our Performance Management tool allows employees to comment on their progress toward their goals and also allows leaders to track this progress and provide coaching and mentoring in response to their individual needs.
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Training and Development: We conduct robust onboarding, training and development for all levels of employees focused on our guiding principles (Passion, Respect, Winning Attitude, Integrity, Service, Teamwork, Pride, Creativity and Fun). Through Ryman Hospitality University, we have a physical training space and an online learning portal open to all employees. Courses offered include mandatory annual workplace harassment and safety training for all levels, leadership development programs for various levels of leaders, and numerous professional skills and personal development courses for all employees. Our Spotlight leadership development program provides opportunities for managers to continue developing their skills as they grow their careers with us. We also offer opportunities for employees to network with and learn from our leaders about their unique perspectives and expertise.
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Employee Engagement: The Company provides regular opportunities for employee engagement, including update meetings where employees can hear directly from senior leadership about business performance and vision for the future. The meetings also celebrate employees demonstrating our workplace values. Weekly and monthly newsletter communications reinforce our people-centric culture, while regular communications from senior leaders ensure all employees have first-hand access to company updates between meetings. Two-way communication is encouraged through employee satisfaction surveys, senior leader-led Think Tanks and focus groups designed to solicit candid feedback from employees. In addition to our current peer-to-peer recognition program that is celebrated quarterly, we offer employee appreciation which includes the Chairman’s Award and Leadership Excellence Award. Both awards recognize exemplary performance throughout different levels of the organization. Finalists for both awards are selected by our Executive Chairman and are recognized at an annual reception.
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Total Wellbeing/Total Rewards: We offer a competitive and comprehensive pay and benefits package that meets the various needs of our employees. We continually review our programs to ensure they are cost-effective and continue to offer our employees high-quality benefit options that support their physical, emotional and financial health and promote a healthy work-life balance. Offerings include health and welfare plans for full-time employees. We offer all employees a competitive 401(k) plan with employer match, employee assistance programs offering counseling services and financial literacy, on-site wellness events and many other discounts and perks. Additionally, all employees are also eligible for annual performance-based financial bonuses. To support work/life balance, we offer a paid parental leave policy that allows eligible full-time employees who welcome a child four weeks of leave at full pay, including adoption assistance and family planning assistance for eligible employees. To support our employee development strategy, we offer tuition reimbursement for full-time employees.

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Sustainability

We have made sustainability a priority throughout our organization and the communities in which we operate. As our portfolio evolves over time, sustainability will continue to increase in significance as we adapt and develop existing assets. We seek to execute any future changes to our portfolio, including with respect to new development, major renovation and ongoing operations, in a socially and environmentally responsible manner. Our asset management team works directly with Marriott for the Marriott-managed properties to develop a short-term and long-term sustainability strategy. In addition, we have made firm commitments to strengthening the local communities in which we operate. The RHP Foundation was established in 2005 to formalize our charitable commitments and to help elevate our impact in these communities.

In October 2025, we published our Sustainability Report, which highlights the environmental and social performance of the Company and includes ongoing initiatives and historical performance in alignment with the Global Reporting Initiative Index and the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board Real Estate Infrastructure Segment Standard. This report is available on our corporate website. The information included in, referenced to, or otherwise accessible through our website, is not incorporated by reference in, or considered to be part of, this Report on Form 10-K or any document unless expressly incorporated by reference therein.

Competition

Hospitality

Our current hotel properties compete with numerous other hotels throughout the United States and abroad, particularly the approximately 100 convention hotels that, on average, have over 1,000 rooms and a significant amount of meeting and exhibit space. We believe that competition among convention hotels is based on, among other things: (i) the hotel’s reputation, (ii) the quality of the hotel’s facility, (iii) the quality and scope of a hotel’s meeting and convention facilities and services, (iv) the desirability of a hotel’s location, (v) travel distance to a hotel for meeting attendees, (vi) a hotel facility’s accessibility to a recognized airport, (vii) the amount of entertainment and recreational options available in and in the vicinity of the hotel, (viii) service levels at the hotel, and (ix) price. Our hotels also compete against large municipal convention centers, including those in Orlando, Las Vegas, Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas, Nashville, Washington, D.C., Denver, Phoenix and San Antonio. We believe that our hotels’ expansive spaces and quality meeting and convention facilities and services provide a competitive advantage over other hotels and convention centers.

The hotel business is management and marketing intensive. Our current hotel properties compete with other hotels throughout the United States for high-quality management and marketing personnel. We believe that Marriott’s international brand, marketing scale and ability to manage group business have improved our hotels’ competitive position. However, there can be no assurance that Marriott will be able to continue to attract and retain employees with the requisite managerial and marketing skills.

Additionally, as a REIT, we compete for investment opportunities in the hospitality industry, particularly the group-oriented meetings sector of the hospitality industry, with entities that may have substantially greater financial and other resources than we have. These entities generally may be able to accept more risk than we can prudently manage. Our focus on acquiring hotels in the large group meetings sector of the hospitality industry and the competition in this sector may generally limit the number of hotel properties that we are able to acquire. This competition may also increase the bargaining power of property owners seeking to sell to us, making it more difficult for us to acquire new properties on attractive terms.

Entertainment

OEG and its entertainment and media assets compete with all other forms of entertainment and recreational activities. The success of the Entertainment group is dependent upon certain factors beyond our control, including economic conditions, the amount of available leisure time, transportation cost, public taste, customer demand for live music and entertainment, and weather conditions.

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Management Agreements

Gaylord Hotels. We are a party to a management agreement with Marriott for each of our Gaylord Hotels properties, as well as a pooling agreement with Marriott with respect to our Gaylord Hotels properties other than Gaylord Rockies, on an aggregate basis. Each of the management agreements other than Gaylord Rockies has a term expiring in 2047, with three automatic 10-year renewal periods (provided the applicable hotel has met certain performance thresholds). Each of these management agreements requires us to pay Marriott a base management fee of approximately 2% of gross revenues from the applicable property for each fiscal year or portion thereof. Additionally, the pooling agreement requires us to pay to Marriott an incentive fee of 10% of the first $15.0 million of pooled available cash flow (which is generally operating profit for the pooled hotels less an owner’s priority) plus 20% of any additional pooled available cash flow over such threshold. The owner’s priority is collectively $240 million, plus certain additional amounts, including at least 10% of certain non-routine capital expenditures and conversion work, and at least 10% of replacements of furniture, fixtures, and equipment and routine capital expenditures in excess of a reserve. If one or more of our Gaylord Hotels properties other than Gaylord Rockies were not a “pooled hotel” (i.e., if we cease to own the hotel or we lease the hotel to a third party), the thresholds used to calculate the incentive fee in the pooling agreement will be adjusted, and the incentive fee for the non-pooled hotel will be based on such hotel’s performance. The management agreements and pooling agreement also contain certain restrictions on our incurring indebtedness that encumber our Gaylord Hotels properties other than Gaylord Rockies on an individual or aggregate basis. The management agreements may be terminated earlier than the stated term if certain events occur, including the failure of Marriott to satisfy certain performance standards. The management agreements prohibit us from selling the Gaylord Hotels properties other than Gaylord Rockies to certain persons, including any person who does not, in Marriott’s reasonable judgment, have sufficient financial resources and liquidity to fulfill our obligations under the management agreements, or any person who owns a controlling interest in a hotel brand (e.g., Hilton or Hyatt) totaling at least ten full-service hotels that are not affiliated with a brand but that are marketed and operated as a collective group, if such brand or group of hotels compete with Marriott. In addition, we may not sell a Gaylord Hotels property other than Gaylord Rockies if we are then in breach of the applicable management agreement.

Gaylord Rockies. Marriott manages the day-to-day operations of Gaylord Rockies pursuant to a management agreement that requires us to pay Marriott a base management fee of approximately 3% of gross revenues of Gaylord Rockies for each fiscal year or portion thereof. This management agreement expires in 2053, with two automatic 20-year renewal periods (provided the hotel has met certain performance thresholds). Additionally, this management agreement requires us to pay Marriott an incentive fee of 20% of available cash flow (as defined in the management agreement). The owner’s priority is $81.4 million, plus certain additional amounts, including 10.75% of certain non-routine capital expenditures.

JW Marriott Hill Country. Marriott manages the day-to-day operations of JW Marriott Hill Country pursuant to a management agreement that requires us to pay Marriott a base management fee of approximately 3.5% of gross revenues for each fiscal year or portion thereof. This management agreement expires in 2060, with three automatic 10-year renewal periods (provided the hotel has met certain performance thresholds). Additionally, this management agreement requires us to pay Marriott an incentive fee of 20% of available cash flow (as defined in the management agreement). The owner’s priority is $52.9 million, plus certain additional amounts, including 10.5% of certain non-routine capital expenditures.

JW Marriott Desert Ridge. Marriott manages the day-to-day operations of JW Marriott Desert Ridge pursuant to a management agreement that requires us to pay Marriott a base management fee of approximately 3% of gross revenues for each fiscal year or portion thereof. This management agreement expires in 2027, with five automatic 10-year renewal periods (provided the hotel has met certain performance thresholds). Additionally, this management agreement requires us to pay Marriott an incentive fee of 20% of available cash flow (as defined in the management agreement). The owner’s priority is $34.1 million, plus certain additional amounts, including 11.5% of certain non-routine capital expenditures.

Inn at Opryland. Marriott manages the day-to-day operations of the Inn at Opryland pursuant to a management agreement that requires us to pay Marriott a base management fee of approximately 2% of gross revenues for each fiscal year or portion thereof. This management agreement expires in 2034, with five five-year renewal options, so long

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as neither party terminates the agreement. Additionally, this management agreement requires us to pay to Marriott an incentive fee of 20% of the excess of available cash flow (as defined in the management agreement) over a certain threshold.

AC Hotel. Marriott manages the day-to-day operations of the AC Hotel pursuant to a management agreement that requires us to pay Marriott a base management fee of 7% of gross revenues. This management agreement expires in 2040, with two ten-year renewal options so long as neither party terminates the agreement. Additionally, this management agreement requires us to pay to Marriott an incentive fee of 20% of the excess of available cash flow (as defined in the management agreement) over a certain threshold.

Certain Nashville Attractions. Marriott manages the General Jackson and Gaylord Springs pursuant to management agreements. Each of these management agreements requires us to pay Marriott a base management fee of approximately 2% of total revenues. Additionally, the management agreements require us to pay to Marriott an incentive fee of 20% of the excess of available cash flow (as defined in the management agreements) over a certain threshold. The original term of the management agreement for the General Jackson concluded during 2023 but the management agreement includes indefinite one-year renewal options so long as neither party terminates the agreement. The management agreement for Gaylord Springs expires in 2028.

W Austin. Marriott manages the day-to-day operations of the W Austin pursuant to a management agreement that requires us to pay Marriott a base management fee of 4.0% of gross revenues. This management agreement expires in 2030, with two five-year renewal options so long as neither party terminates the agreement. Additionally, this management agreement requires us to pay to Marriott an incentive fee of 15% of incentive income (as defined in the management agreement) over a certain threshold.

Total Marriott base management fees incurred for our applicable assets during 2025, 2024 and 2023 were $52.4 million, $48.0 million and $42.8 million, respectively. Total incentive fees incurred during 2025, 2024 and 2023 were $27.4 million, $30.0 million, and $28.5 million, respectively. Management fees are presented in the accompanying financial information net of the amortization of the deferred management rights proceeds discussed further in “Note 5 – Deferred Management Rights Proceeds” to our consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Seasonality

Portions of our business are seasonal in nature. The group convention business at our Gaylord Hotels properties is subject to reduced levels of demand during the year-end holiday periods.

Regulation and Legislation

Hospitality

Our current hotel properties are subject to certain federal, state, and local governmental laws and regulations including, without limitation, capacity restrictions, labor regulations, health and safety laws and environmental regulations applicable to hotel and restaurant operations. Additionally, various federal and state laws, payment card industry security standards, and other information privacy and security standards are applicable to our hotel business. The hotels are also subject to the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act and similar state laws, as well as regulations pursuant thereto. We believe that our hotel properties and our attractions are in substantial compliance with such regulations. In addition, the sale of alcoholic beverages by a hotel requires a license and is subject to regulation by the applicable state and local authorities. The agencies involved have the power to limit, condition, suspend or revoke any such license, and any disciplinary action or revocation could have an adverse effect upon the results of operations of our Hospitality segment. Pursuant to management agreements with Marriott, we do not control many of these activities at our hotel properties, and we rely on Marriott to comply with all such federal, state and local governmental laws and regulations with respect to such properties. However, under the terms of our management agreements with Marriott, we may be required to bear the cost of any capital expenditures necessary to comply with a legal requirement.

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Entertainment

WSM-AM is subject to regulation under the Communications Act of 1934, as amended. Under the Communications Act, the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”), among other things, assigns frequency bands for broadcasting; determines the frequencies, location, and signal strength of stations; issues, renews, revokes, and modifies station licenses; regulates equipment used by stations; and adopts and implements regulations and policies that directly or indirectly affect the ownership, operation, and other practices of broadcasting stations. Licenses issued for radio stations have terms of eight years. Radio broadcast licenses are renewable upon application to the FCC and in the past have been renewed except in rare cases. Competing applications will not be accepted at the time of license renewal, and will not be entertained at all unless the FCC first concludes that renewal of the license would not serve the public interest. A station will be entitled to renewal in the absence of serious violations of the Communications Act or FCC regulations or other violations which constitute a pattern of abuse. WSM-AM’s current radio station license will expire in August 2028; however, we are not aware of any reason why WSM-AM’s radio station license should not be renewed.

Our entertainment attractions are also subject to the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act and similar state laws, as well as the laws and regulatory activities and standards associated with information privacy and security and the sale of alcoholic beverages, in each case as described above. Pursuant to management agreements with Marriott, we do not control many of these activities with respect to the W Austin and the General Jackson, and we rely on Marriott to comply with all such federal, state and local governmental laws and regulations with respect to such businesses. However, under the terms of our management agreements with Marriott, we may be required to bear the cost of any capital expenditures necessary to comply with a legal requirement.

Additional Information

Our website address is www.rymanhp.com. We make available free of charge through our website our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, definitive proxy statements, and all amendments to those reports as soon as reasonably practicable after such material is electronically filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). The information provided on our website is not part of this report, and is therefore not incorporated by reference unless such information is otherwise specifically referenced elsewhere in this report. The public may also read and copy any materials that we file with the SEC on its website at www.sec.gov.

Information About Our Executive Officers

The following table sets forth certain information regarding the executive officers of the Company at January 1, 2026. All officers serve at the discretion of the Board of Directors (subject to, in the case of officers who have entered into employment agreements with the Company, the terms of such employment agreements).

NAME​ ​ ​AGE​ ​ ​POSITION
Colin V. Reed78Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors
Mark Fioravanti64Director, President and Chief Executive Officer
Patrick Chaffin52Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer – Hotels
Scott J. Lynn52Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary
Jennifer Hutcheson47Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Accounting Officer

The following is additional information with respect to the above-named executive officers.

Colin V. Reed has served as Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors since January 1, 2023 and as a director of the Company since April 2001. Mr. Reed previously served as the Company’s Chief Executive Officer from April 2001 through December 2022, and was first elected Chairman of the Board of Directors in May 2005. Until November 2008, and again from November 2012 to March 2015, Mr. Reed also served as President of the Company. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Reed had served as a member of the three-executive Office of the President of Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc. (now Caesar’s Entertainment) since May 1999, and he had served as Harrah’s Chief Financial Officer since April 1997. Mr. Reed also was a director of Harrah’s from 1998 to May 2001. Mr. Reed served in a variety

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of other management positions with Harrah’s and its predecessor, Holiday Corp., since 1977. Mr. Reed is a director of First Horizon National Corporation.

Mark Fioravanti is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company. Mr. Fioravanti has served as President since March 2015, was appointed Chief Executive Officer as of January 1, 2023, and has served as a director of the Company since February 2022. Mr. Fioravanti previously served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Company from August 2011 to March 2015 and as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer from June 2009 to August 2011. Until June 2009, Mr. Fioravanti served as Senior Vice President of Finance and Treasurer of the Company, a position he had held since June 2007. Prior to such time, Mr. Fioravanti had served as Executive Vice President of the Company and President of ResortQuest International since March 2004. From August 2002 to March 2004, Mr. Fioravanti was the Company’s Senior Vice President of Marketing. Prior to joining the Company in August 2002, Mr. Fioravanti spent nine years in a variety of roles with casino operator Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc., where he was most recently Vice President of Finance and Administration of Harrah’s New Orleans. Mr. Fioravanti graduated from The Ohio State University, where he earned his B.S. degree. He also holds an MBA from the University of Tennessee. Mr. Fioravanti is a director of Brookdale Senior Living, Inc.

Patrick Chaffin is Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer – Hotels of the Company, a position he has held since May 2019. In this role, Mr. Chaffin leads our asset management function, state and local government relations, product enhancement and site selection for our hotel portfolio’s growth. From April 2018 to May 2019, he was Executive Vice President of Asset Management for the Company. From January 2013 to March 2018, he was the Senior Vice President of Asset Management. From January 2007 to December 2012, he led the strategic planning, operations analysis and investor relations functions for the Company. Prior to its sale in June 2007, Mr. Chaffin served as the head of finance for ResortQuest International, formerly a division of the Company. Prior to joining the Company in January 2005, Mr. Chaffin worked for General Motors Corporation for 9 years serving in a variety of corporate and manufacturing positions. Mr. Chaffin earned a B.S. degree from Lipscomb University and an MBA from the Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt University.

Scott J. Lynn is Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of the Company, a position he has held since May 2018. From January 2013 to April 2018, he was the Company’s Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary. From August 2003 to January 2013, he served as the Company’s Associate General Counsel. From May 2002 to August 2003, Mr. Lynn was Senior Counsel at Progeny Marketing Innovations, a subsidiary of Cendant Corporation. From August 1998 to May 2002, Mr. Lynn was an associate at the law firm of Stokes & Bartholomew, P.A. Mr. Lynn is a graduate of the Vanderbilt University School of Law and Tennessee Technological University.

Jennifer Hutcheson is Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Accounting Officer. Ms. Hutcheson has served as the Company’s Chief Financial Officer since March 2022. Prior to such time, she served as Executive Vice President, Corporate Controller and Chief Accounting Officer of the Company, a position she held since March 2020. From May 2018 to February 2020, she was Senior Vice President, Corporate Controller and Chief Accounting Officer. From January 2013 to April 2018, she was the Senior Vice President and Corporate Controller of the Company. From March 2006 to December 2012, she served as the Company’s Vice President of Accounting and Tax. From May 2004 to March 2006, she served as the Company’s Director of Corporate Accounting. From August 2002 to April 2004, she was the Corporate Accounting Manager at Private Business Inc. Prior to that time, she was an auditor with Ernst & Young LLP and Arthur Andersen. Ms. Hutcheson, who is a certified public accountant, has a B.S. degree in accounting from Tennessee Technological University and an MBA from the Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt University.