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the Needs of Your Meeting or board meeting. Back in the day,organizing those occasions was more of a rou- Meeting It's time to decide which destination and venue to book for your next event, conference, convention tine task – make some phone calls, prepare an agenda, assemble the minutes, reports and documents and put them all in a neat lit- tle binder. That was then, this is now. JACKSON, MISS. Mississippi has a rich culture and heritage, which can be witnessed at its many historical homes,CivilWar sites, landmarks and muse- ums. The slogan for Jackson is "Jackson, Mississippi: City with Soul." The capital city has earned every inch of that motto. It got that moniker because of its friendly people. If you're looking for something to do, you don't have to look far.There are usually about 100 events held in the city throughout the local culture. A growing number of meeting plan- ners looking for state-of-the-art facilities find Jackson full of warm hospitali- ty, superb ven- ues, and excep- tional service." By DARLENE DONLOE Meetings have taken on a life of their own.A lot more details are involved in making them a success. Bells and whistles aside, what meeting planners need to be armed with is information, information and more information. This column aids meeting planners in their decision-making process by providing vital information on specific destinations. Highlighted in this column are Jackson, MS; Norfolk, VA; Pasadena,CA andThe Out Islands of the Bahamas. homes, many of which were built by for- mer slaves. The city has more than 5,000 guest SHUN HATTEN rooms. Some of the rooms have conven- ient access to the Jackson Convention Complex, which has a 382-seat theatre and more than 330,000 sq. ft. of meeting and exhibit space. The largest hall has 85,000 sq. ft. There are 10 meeting rooms. Jackson CVB – (800) 354-7695,www.visit- jackson.com Jackson Conventon Center Complex year, including concerts, festivals and more. When it comes to food, there are 300 restaurants in the city fromwhich to choose. "Discover a fresh setting for your meet- ings in Jackson,Mississippi, the City with Soul that's just the right size," said ShunHatten,VP Sales, Jackson CVB."Your event will take cen- ter stage while your delegates enjoy the rich, 16 ATTRACTIONS Mississippi Museum of Natural Science, Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle, Jackson Mynelle Gardens, Old Capitol Museum of Mississippi History, Russell C. Davis Planetarium and Farish Street Historical District which is locat- ed downtown. View churches and old GETTINGTHERE Jackson is easily accessible. The Jackson International Airport is located 15 minutes from downtown. NORFOLK When you visit Norfolk you'll under- stand why it's such a popular destination. Black Meetings & Tourism July/August 2012: www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com