Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/875351
B M & T ••• January/February 2017 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 4 B lack Meetings & Tourism has been work- ing on several important projects that will come to fruition in 2017. The three main undertakings – the BM&T Champions Awards, the BM&T Youth Mentoring Program, and the New Green Book – have been in the works for several years and are generating much interest and excitement from industry observers. On September 20, 2017, we will host the 2017 BM&T Champions Awards program from 11am to 2pm at the Marriott Marquis in Washington DC. We are looking forward to honoring Elected Government Officials for their work in travel & tourism as well as endow an entire generation with the gift of meetings, travel & tourism as a career choice, through mentor- ing. The event website is www.bmtchampions- .com. Elected officials being honored at the awards program include President Barack Obama, Senator Cory Booker, Judge Denise Langford Morris, Mayor Johnny Ford, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, and Ohio State Representative Alicia Reece, among others. We will kick off the mentoring program by hosting a male and female delegate from each state during the BM&T Champions Awards event. In addition to meeting their mentors for the first time, these mentees will be indulged in a luxury travel experience designed to give them a glimpse into the industry. Many CVB's, Convention Centers and Travel and Tourism agencies around the US and abroad have PUBLISHER'S MESSAGE joined us to sponsor the youth from their state. Please contact us to see if your state is represented. There are still several opportunities to ignite tourism in your area by increasing visibility through this longterm effort. This program is like nothing we've ever done before and we want you to be a part of it! Please visit our event website or schedule a con- venient time to talk with us via this link: http://blackmeetingstourism- magazine.schedulista.com. With inspiration from the historic Green Book, first published in 1936 by Victor Hugo Green, BM&T's The NEW GREEN BOOK , African-American Travel Guide is a comprehensive Electronic Resource Directory available online in a downloadable format. Scheduled to launch in November 2017, this extraordinary guide will provide an engaging connection for both business and leisure travel- ers. Just as BM&T magazine is unique in its focus on the BUSINESS of Travel, not just the Experience, African-American economic empower- ment will be a strong component of The New Green Book. It will show- case destinations and venues of interest to African-Americans, while also promoting business opportunities to and for people of color in the U.S. and beyond, to tap into the $56+ billion stream of revenue that is generated annually by this segment of the Travel Industry. The NEW GREEN BOOK, African-American Travel Guide will serve as a convenient reference for travelers with listings of: • State Departments of Tourism • International Tourist Boards • Destination Convention, Visitors and Travel Bureaus • Black Owned & Other HOTELS and BED & BREAKFAST Locations • African-American & Black Chambers of Commerce & Business • Associations (linking to their member services) • Facilities for Meetings, Conferences, Reunions & Conventions • Transportation Services • African-American Heritage and Historic Sites & Venues • African-American TRAVEL AGENTS and/or TOUR OPERATORS • Major Places of Worship • Cultural Festivals & Events The NEW GREEN BOOK, African-American Travel Guide will be promoted on Black Radio Stations, in major African-American pub- lications, including local Newspapers, national magazines and in SOCIAL MEDIA outlets. More information is available on the blackmeetingsand- tourism.com and the newgreenbookafricanamericantravelguide- .com websites. Learn how to qualify for a complimentary listing in The NEW GREEN BOOK African-American Travel Guide and showcase your business, service or product to this lucrative and expanding market segment, as they, with renewed interest, enjoy The FREEDOM of TRAVEL. Black Meetings & Tourism is published bi-monthly by SunGlo Enterprises, 20840 Chase St., Winnetka, CA 91306-1207 •Telephone: (818)709-0646/Fax: (818) 709-4753 Copyright 2017 by SunGlo Enterprises. All rights reserved. Single Copies, $6.00 Subscriptions $45.00. Postage Paid at Pasadena, CA. •Postmaster send address changes to Black Meetings & Tourism, 20840 Chase St., Winnetka, CA 91306-1207. Solomon J. Herbert Publisher/Editor-In-Chief E-Mail: BMandTMag@aol.com