Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1039775
3 CONTENTS 35 35 VOLUME 25, ISSUE 9, 2018 4 Publisher's Message 5 Calendar of Events 6 In The News 8 Hotel Happenings 10 Newsmakers 11 Center of Attention 12 Family Reunions 36 Caribbean Corner 38 Cruise News 40 Travel Data 42 From The Motherland 44 Birmingham 46 Greensboro 47 Houston 48 South Carolina 49 USVI 19 19 B M & T ••• September/October 2018 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com BL ACK MEETING & TOURISM COVER STORY FEATURES DEPARTMENT AREA GUIDES The American Midwest symbolizes the American dream. It's a region of charming small towns, inviting urban centers and sheer natural beauty in a pastoral set- ting that's perfect for outdoor adventure. African- American Guide To Meetings, Incentives And Traveling In The Midwest explores the many options for meeting there. By Rufus McKinney Al Hutchinson became Visit Baltimore's President and CEO in November 2016. In this position he is responsible for leading the growth of the convention and tourism indus- try in Baltimore and overseeing the day-to-day management of its sales and marketing programs. He serves as the hos- pitality industry's liaison to the business, civic and local com- munity, while demonstrating the impact of tourism on both the City and State. Al Hutchinson: Baltimore's Biggest Cheerleader tells the whole story. By Victoria Head 27 27 17 17 14 14 16 16 Gaming resorts, claim many planners, can offer the perfect balance for a successful meeting event. Destinations like Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Reno, Baltimore and Detroit, for example, offer an array of possibilities for planners searching for a unique meeting experience. Great Gaming Destinations offers a few venues for your consideration. By Solomon Herbert Apex Awards Ceremony A Big Hit reports on Black Meetings & Tourism's coveted Apex Awards for Distinguished Service in the travel, tourism, hospitality and meetings indus- try presented on July 28th at the Miami Marriott Biscayne Bay Hotel as part of the 5th Annual International Multicultural & Heritage Tourism Summit & Trade Show. By Cletus Ramsey Denella Ri'chard: One Of The Network Journal's 25 Influential Black Women In Business profiles Holland America Line's senior director of Trade Communications and Engagement, named one of The Network Journal's 25 Influential Black Women in Business. By Victoria Head Inside the orignal recording area of Motown studio Photo Credit: Bill Brown Black Meetings and Tourism had the pleasure of attending the newest Carnival ship naming ceremony, the Carnival Horizon. It was a night of fun, celebrities, and fireworks as told by writer Lana Herbert in Queen Latifah Headlines Carnival Horizon Ship Naming Ceremony By Lana Herbert