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B M & T ••• September/October 2018 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 35 AL Hutchinson became Visit Baltimore's President and CEO in November 2016. In this position he is responsible for leading the growth of the con- vention and tourism industry in Baltimore and overseeing the day-to-day management of its sales and marketing pro- grams. He serves as the hospitality industry's liaison to the business, civic and local community, while demonstrating the impact of tourism on both the City and State. Hutchinson is a new board member of Destinations International; he also sits on the board of the U.S. Travel Association and serves on their Executive Committee. Hutchinson enjoys connecting conventioneers to Baltimore's newly renovated Convention Center. It's right in the heart of the city's downtown core and is fondly referred to as the "Convention Campus." In the vicinity are more than 8,000 hotel rooms within walking distance. There are 300,000 sq. ft. of contiguous exhibition space, approximately 85,000 sq. ft. of meeting space and a multifunctional 36,672-sq. ft. ballroom. "The Center is right in the inner harbor, so we have the natural water resource that flows right through the city" says Hutchinson. "Visitors and conventioneers can walk from their various hotels and enjoy the thriving culinary scene in our downtown community." The various neighborhoods that branch out from down- town, are all easily accessible from the Baltimore Convention Campus and are excellent destinations to stroll, shop and dine in. All should make time to experience the great restau- rants in our neighborhoods, explains Hutchinson. Baltimore is a city of neighborhoods and you have a different vibe and scene in each of these communities. "We know that a traveler is always looking for a very authentic experience and we feel that is one of our strengths in selling and promoting Baltimore; we can really sell this cool, hip Baltimore story, based on our neighborhoods" reports Hutchinson. There's Federal Hill, a neighborhood known for its excel- lent view of the Inner Harbor and Baltimore skyline, as well as its postcard-perfect walkable streets. Or, venture into the neighborhood of Remington, which has seen a boom in developments over the recent years. It is predominately home to artists and musicians while maintaining a laid-back, blue-collar attitude. In Fells Point the neighborhood's visage has remained largely unchanged since it's founding and attracts many visitors. You can find some of the best Chesapeake Bay cuisine here, whether you crave oysters on the half shell at a local pub, or fresh seafood at an upscale restaurant. There's also a community called St. Michaels; a pictur- esque harbor destination right on the borough's eastern shore. It's great for those interested in the smaller, coastal town's destinations. St. Michael's has been named one of the top, best, small coastal towns in America by USA Today. It's quaint and offers outdoor activities, great food, an art scene, golfing and cycling. St. Michaels is a great place to hide away, relax and enjoy small town America. Baltimore has a really thriving craft brew scene that a lot of visitors come to experience; there are approximately 25 breweries in the city. One of our newest breweries, Union Craft Brewing has recently expanded its brewery and tap- room to a new location, says Hutchinson. Its new space will utilize 43,000 sq. ft. for brewing, fermentation and packaging plus feature a 7,500-sq. ft.-taproom and private event space. Also Guinness has brought its namesake to a dedicated brewery in Baltimore. City Brew Tours offers daily brewery tours to Baltimore's top breweries, brewpubs and beer bars. Baltimore's culinary scene is well promoted with great emphasis placed on their extraordinary chefs. They still serve up great blue crab and probably the best crab cakes in the world, but Baltimore is more than that. One of the most pop- ular restaurants is the Elk Room; a speakeasy-inspired cock- tail bar in Harbor East. The Elk room, with its live entertain- ment, primarily focused on Jazz, was recently named one of the best bars in the country by Esquire magazine. For excel- lent blues, the Cats Eye Pub in Bells Point is one of Baltimore city's iconic venues. They have live entertainment seven days a week and some of the best blues performers from around the country. "I am a big music lover," states Hutchinson. "I'm what you would call a jazz enthusiast; though I do have an apprecia- tion for all genres of music. I enjoy spending time experienc- ing the music of some of the great contributors of our country, particularly jazz. I enjoy studying jazz and do a lot of reading continue on page 41 A L H U T C H I N S O N BALTIMORE'S BIGGEST CHEERLEADER BY VICTORIA HEAD