Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/101952
ICI •pg_19-28__BMT_pg3-58 12/21/12 3:16 AM Page 27 TPOC NEWS BRIEFS THE SUMMER IS ALMOST GONE T&T FAM A BIG HIT WOW! We are in the last quarter of this year and summer is almost over. Many of us are making plans for the holiday and figuring out our calendar of events for 2013. Remember to pencil in Trinidad and Tobago, the destination of our 11th Annual Conference & Trade Show and this year the inclusion of our Friends and Family Heritage Cultural Tour, during their awesome Emancipation Celebration (July 28th - August 4). As you are aware, the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago offered a fam and seven of our members attended. We asked each of them to prepare a report on what they experienced. From the sounds of it, everyone had a wonderful time and are very excited about going back next year. "I arrived safely on schedule at Piarco International Airport and transferred to the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Port of Spain. We were received warmly, almost like dignitaries as we checked in. We were offered water, juices or wine as we waited to check in. To my surprise, we all had beautiful, single rooms overlooking the Gulf of Paria. Not to my surprise, I later found out that this hotel was ranked #1of 18 in Trinidad. Two gifts awaited us to further welcome us-a large fruit arrangement and a tote bag of souvenirs and literature of local sites, donated by Trinidad Tobago Convention Bureau." — Gladys Smith The crowd gathers for Emancipation Day Celebrations on the streets in the capital city of Port of Spain. Please see excerpts of the reports below. If these enthusiastic and glowing reports don't whet your appetite for more and get you on board for next year's TPOC conference in Trinidad & Tobago, you need to make sure you still have a pulse! At the Itzy Bitzy Playhouse and Folk Theater in Tobago, performers tell folk stories through song and dance. "The moment that I stepped off the Airplane I was greeted with big smiles and great personalities. Our Greeter Jennifer (Also a Member of the Emancipation Committee) was there to help us to get our Luggage & Transfers (provided by 'SENSATIONAL TOURS' (Owner Sweet Nick) to the Hyatt Regency Hotel for check-in. Hotel Staff were right on time (even at the Hr. of 11:00pm) waiting on our arrival with keys in hand, knowing that Trinidad is one of the few countries to boast a national instrument, the steelpan. Also, a picture is worth a thousand words, so take a look at the fantastic photos taken by Beverly Bentley of Bentley Travel Services and the president of the National Capital Area Chapter. BM&T ••• Youth dance troupes entertain with their choreographed routines. September/October 2012••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 27