Why Memphis in May's new leader is confident the organization will turn things around
Mack Weaver knows a thing or two about Memphis in May.
After 25 years with the organization — in various roles on the finance side, most recently as executive vice president and CFO — the 55-year-old Weaver was named Memphis in May’s new president and CEO in late January, succeeding long-serving head James Holt.
Weaver’s appointment comes at a crucial juncture in Memphis in May’s history. The organization — which has long presented the Beale Street Music Festival and World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest — is facing internal financial challenges, as well as outside competition from new festivals.
But challenges are nothing new for Weaver.
“When I came to Memphis in May in 1999 the organization was $692,000 in debt, and there was a very good chance that in five months I wasn’t going to have a job,” Weaver said. “I took a huge chance on Memphis in May, and we were able to turn the organization around then. I’m confident we can do it again.”
Perhaps unique in his ability to bring a combination of both familiarly and fresh blood to the organization’s top spot, the Memphis in May board voted to have Weaver take over for Holt, who retired at the end of January.
“The board queried me on several occasions on whether I was interested in taking over,” Weaver said. “I told them, ‘I wouldn’t have stayed here 25 years if I didn’t enjoy what I’ve done and what I’m doing.’ It was an easy decision for me.”
A lifelong Memphian and Northside High School alum, Weaver graduated with a degree in mathematics from South Carolina State University, where he played football and was an All-MEAC Conference and All-American defensive back.
Weaver had been working for The Peabody hotel for several years when he decided to move over to Memphis in May at the end of the ‘90s and quickly fell in love with organization’s mission.
“Once I got into the job, I was opened up to the world of volunteerism and supporting and promoting this city,” he said. “I didn’t realize how much people love Memphis. And Memphis in May was putting Memphis in a great spotlight. I watched how we affected people who came to visit our city. And so I bought into supporting and promoting Memphis.”
Kevin Kane, head of Memphis Tourism, noted Weaver comes to the top job at Memphis in May with the ideal credentials.
"First of all, he’s a finance guy, he’s got a strong financial background, which is certainly a plus," Kane said. "He knows the organization inside and out, and has been in the festival business for many many years. He knows what it takes to run various events — whether it's music, barbecue or the marathon. More importantly, they got a good man. Mack is very involved in the community."
In addition to his years with Memphis in May, Weaver has served on the board of directors of the Hattiloo Theatre, Memphis Tourism and the Memphis Rock-N-Soul Museum, where he was board chairman from 2022-23. Weaver is an active member of Greater Community Temple Deacon Board since 1998, also serving as board chairman.
"He’s someone who knows the market," Kane said. "He clearly cares about about Memphis. I think he’s gonna be great for the position."
Beale Street Music Festival's fate?
This year will mark the first time — not counting the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021 — where Memphis in May will not be offering up its annual Beale Street Music Festival. Last fall, the organization announced it was pausing the event to reassess its viability after several years of steep financial losses and dwindling attendance and sales figures, as well as its ongoing battle with the Memphis River Parks Partnership over the use of the fest's historic home at Tom Lee Park.
“We’ve had it pretty rough since the pandemic,” admitted Weaver. “We had a couple bad years where we lost quite a bit of money. It caused the board to want to take a look at what we were doing and where we were headed. Also, looking around at the industry, it made sense to just pause and really take a deeper look at our product and see how we could strengthen it again.”
Weaver added: “After the pandemic, artists were looking to make up for their losses over two or three years and that caused a larger expense on the talent side, and that was part of our issues as well.”
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Almost immediately after announcing Beale Street Music Fest would take a break, a competing music festival from promoter Forward Momentum was announced for Tom Lee Park. Weaver said Memphis in May’s “decision to pause our event was made independent of the new festival coming in. We had no knowledge of what they were doing or what was in the works prior to that.”
Weaver said Beale Street Music Fest may return at some point or in some form.
“We’re still evaluating what we’re going to do,” he said. “Going forward we hope we can offer what we’ve offered in the past.”
Memphis in May's barbecue brand remains 'very strong'
When it comes its World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest, Weaver sounds a more confident note — even though Forward Momentum will also bring its own barbecue contest to Tom Lee Park the same weekend as Memphis in May's, May 15-18.
“We’re the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest. We’re the big show in town,” Weaver said. “We feel we are the premier barbecue contest. You can ask our participants, our judges, teams — this is where they want to be, at Memphis in May, and they want to walk across our stage and show they have competed against the best of the best.”
This year’s Memphis in May barbecue contest will take place at Liberty Park, returning to the site where it was held in 2022. “Whether we are on the river or at Liberty Park,” said Weaver, “we feel barbecue is our brand. And that brand is very strong.”
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Weaver believes Memphis in May’s focus on its finances, and on throwing the best barbecue contest as well as its Great American River Run in 2024, will help restabilize the operation and put it on better footing for the future.
Whatever that future holds Weaver is excited to lead the charge for Memphis in May.
“I was glad when the opportunity came, and even more ecstatic now as we move ahead,” he said. “We’re looking forward to a great celebration this year.”
Memphis in May 2024
World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest
May 15-18 at Liberty Park
The Great American River Run
May 25 in Downtown Memphis
For more information on Memphis in May and its events, go to MemphisinMay.org.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis in May's new leader confident in festival's future. Here's why
