Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/113255
•pg_33-42__BMT_pg3-58 2/27/13 9:06 AM Page 35 Attendance: 15,000 Last/Current Convention Location: Nashville Convention Dates: June 27 – July 4, 2012 Venue/Hotel: Gaylord Opryland Room Nights: 25,000 Direct Spending: Not Calculated Headquarters: 500 8th Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37203 Phone: (615) 254-0911 General Secretary: Jeffrey B. Cooper Next Convention: TBD Website: ame-church.com 4. THE POTTER'S HOUSE OF DALLAS, INC. Bishop T.D. Jakes is founder and senior pastor of The Potters House of Dallas, which has over 30,000 members and over 50 outreach ministries. Bishop Jakes and his wife Serita Jakes have touched the lives of millions around the world through various humanitarian projects, relief efforts, community service initiatives and record breaking conferences that draw thousands. Two of the many conferences held throughout the year are listed below. Manpower Men's Conference Attendance: 10,000 Last/Current Convention Location: Dallas Convention Dates: August 9-11, 2012 Venue: Potter's House Event Center Hotels: Hilton Garden Inn, Omni Mandalay, Hyatt Regency, Sheraton Dallas Room Nights: 887 Estimated Economic Impact: $2.9 million Mailing Address: T.D. Jakes Ministries, Inc. P.O. Box 5390, Dallas, TX 75208 Phone: (800) BISHOP2 Pastor Retreat Attendance: 9,000 Last/Current Event Location: Orlando Convention Dates: May 1-2, 2012 Venue/Hotel: Peabody Orlando Room Nights: 4,819 Estimated Spending: $7.7 million 5. CHURCH OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST OF THE APOSTOLIC FAITH The church started in 1919, under the guidance of Bishop Robert C. Lawson, in New York City. The church quickly outdrew the space for worship as the congregation jumped to 200. Ministers and preachers were sent across the globe carrying the apostolic message. The church on 124th Street and 7th Avenue in New York is known as the "Mother Church" of the Churches of our Lord Jesus Christ. This group has numerous gatherings of varying sizes all across the nation. International Holy Convocation Attendance: 10,000 Last/Current Convention: Greensboro, NC Convention Dates: July 18-23, 2012 Venue: Joseph Koury Convention Center Venue/Hotels: Sheraton Greensboro Hotel at Four Seasons Room Nights: 3,904 Estimated Economic Impact: $11.1 million Next Convention: Detroit Dates: July 24-28, 2013 Venue/Hotel: Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Hotel Meeting Planner: Bishop William Wilkins, Jr. International Congress Youth Convention Attendance: 2,500 Last/Current Convention Location: New Orleans Convention Dates: April 8-14, 2012 Venue/Hotel: Hyatt Regency Room Nights: 1,224 Estimated Economic Impact: $2.9 million Headquarters: 2081 Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Blvd, New York, NY 10029 Phone: (212) 926-0426 Chief Apostle: Bishop William Lee Bonner Presiding Apostle: Bishop James I. Clark, Jr. Next Convention: New Orleans Convention Dates: April 11-14, 2013 Website: cooljc.org 6. ALPHA KAPPA ALPHA SORORITY Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority is America's first Greek-letter organization found in 1908, for African-American college women. Headquartered in Chicago, it is one of the world's leading service organizations. There are over 975 chapters and 260,000 members in the United States, the Caribbean, Canada, Germany, Korea, Japan and Africa. Alpha Kappa Alpha holds multiple regional conferences throughout the year. A few of them are listed below along with a short list of 2013 events. Biennial International Conference Projected Attendance: 10,000 Last/Current Convention: San Francisco Convention Dates: July 21-26, 2012 Venue: Moscone Convention Center Room Nights: Unknown Economic Impact: Unknown International Headquarters: 5656 S. Stony Island Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637 Phone: (773) 684-1282 International President: Carol House Stewart Email: conferenceplanning@aka1908.com Director of Meetings/Conferences: Janice Mardis Richards Website: aka1908.com Great Lakes Regional Meeting Attendance: 1,200 B M & T ••• January/February 2013 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 35