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quility ofTobago. Tobago has miles of unspoiled beach- Association Cruise Conference and Trade Show. In 2009,many of youmight remember the 5th Summit of theAmericas, one of the first international events attended by our then new President,BarackObama. The 20th Commonwealth Heads of GovernmentMeetingwas held later that year and the 10th Annual Trade and Investment Convention was held in 2010. The lush green landscape, nightlife, food and culture make Trinidad one of the best buys for the total experience of any place in the world. If your event takes you to Trinidad in late July, the week long Emancipation Celebration is amust, leading up to EmancipationDay onAugust 1. Or try Carnival Trini-style the Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. And speaking of culture,Trinidad and Tobago gave the world the gift of the steelband. It is the only percussion instrument created in the 20th century. If you leave here without enjoying at least one steelband performance—and they are not hard to find, you should be ashamed of yourself. Whilemost people focus their time on Trinidad, and that’s understandable, Tobago should not be forgotten. From Trinidad it’s a 15-minute flight or if you prefer the open water it’s a two-and-a- half hour ferry ride. If you are looking for amore intimate setting this is the place. Visitors or con- vention goers can add it to their experi- ence in Trinidad or simply hold their smaller gatherings here. Trustmewhen I say you’ll appreciate the peace and tran- 50 Black Meetings & Tourism July/August 2011: www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com es on the Atlantic or Caribbean side of the island, with numerous bed and breakfast properties, cottages or tradi- tional hotels to choose from. There’s golf, tennis, swimming and a blend of all the modern conveniences you would expect at a property all the way down to isolation if that’s what you choose. Both islands have a reputation for sumptuous, mouth-watering culinary fare, with the flavors of India, Africa, China, Syria and Europe combining to create a taste that is unique and repre- sentative of the country’s ethnic diversi- ty. Take a scenic drive to Maracas Bay and indulge in the local delicacy of bake and shark - fried shark fillets topped with spicy chutneys and sweet sauces. By virtue of its ethnic mosaic, the des- tination is home to the largest pre- Lenten Carnival in the Caribbean, along with a range of colorful festivals through- out the year, including the Hindu festival of Divali, the largest celebration of its kind outside India, and Hosay, a four-day parade of drummers and tadjahs (color- ful miniature temples). Emancipation Day celebrations occur over a two-week period and reflect the African influence on Trinidad and Tobago. The Tobago Heritage Festival chronicles the adven- tures, achievements, and memories of the numerous contributors to Tobago’s cul- tural development during the pre- and post- Emancipation Period. Here are some quick facts about Trinidad and Tobago. It’s an English speaking country. Their currency is the Trinidad and Tobago Dollar (TT$) and The future Cricket Champs of Barbados at press time the exchange rate was just over $6(TT) to the U.S. dollar, which means bargains galore. The U.S. dollar is widely accepted at all locations. Just over 200 miles north of Trinidad and Tobago is Barbados. There are non- stop flights to Grantley Adams International Airport from Dallas, Miami, Atlanta, New York and several European, Caribbean and South American destinations. The Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Conference and Cultural Centre (for- merly the Sherbourne Conference Centre) is a 164,000-sq. ft. facility in the capital city of Bridgetown. This state-of- the-art facility can hold up to 1,200 peo- ple in its largest configuration. And within a short distance lies over 1,400 hotel rooms. Accommodations range from 4-start luxurious resorts to guesthouses and homes. And like most Caribbean nations, their currency is pegged to the U.S. dollar at a favorable exchange rate of $2 to $1 at of press time. It’s a lush green island of sheer natu- ral beauty. As they say in Barbados ”Long Live Life.” We often hear the term in residential real estate, location – location – location. The three islands that make up the U.S. Virgin Island (USVI); St Thomas, St Croix and St John couldn’t be more unique, complimentary and close — two- and-a-half hours from Miami. St Thomas is a beehive of activity, shopping, swimming and nightlife trapped in a tropical paradise. St Croix is a blend of rural peace and tranquility. St John is simply unspoiled natural beauty at its finest and a place where if you Photo Credit: Trinidad & Tobago Board of Tourism Photo Credit: Barbados Board of Tourism