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B M & T ••• September/October 2019 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 42 AREA GUIDES HISTORY AND CULTURE A MAJOR DRAW FOR PLANNERS MEETING IN ALABAMA B Y R U F U S M c K I N N E Y From bass fishing on the Tennessee River to snorkeling off the Gulf Coast, Alabama's outdoor attractions offer plen- ty of options for pre- and post-convention activities, corporate retreats, incentive travel and family reunion adventures. For those whose interests expand beyond the outdoors into outer space, the city of Huntsville is home to one of Alabama's top visitor attractions: the U.S. Space and Rocket Center. Another notable local attraction is the Imhotep Art Gallery, which showcases the works of Black artists. The Tuskegee Human and Civil Rights Multicultural Center is a popular attraction in the city best known for its legendary historically Black university. Another major point of interest is the National Tuskegee Airmen Museum. • • BIRMINGHAM • • With world-class attractions, lodging and dining fueling its reputation and 15,000 guest rooms in the greater Birmingham area, the city is a popular, affordable meeting host. Meeting plan- ners enjoy the impressive inventory of convention services offered and have come to expect exceptional service from the CVB Services Staff. Birmingham's unique cultural history gives planners an interesting lineup of venues and sites to hold events ranging from private parties and weddings to larg- er conferences and trade shows. The Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Com- plex (BJCC) is Alabama's largest conven- tion address, with meeting facilities all on one campus. The BJCC complex campus has 350,000 sq. ft. of convention and exhibition space. The complex includes an 18,000-seat arena and 4,000 seats in two theaters. Two hotels, The Sheraton Birmingham Hotel and Westin Birmingham, are also part of the complex. One of the most convenient and unique features of the Birmingham- Jefferson Convention Complex is that it adjoins the 757-room Sheraton Birmingham Hotel. The hotel can accom- modate groups from 10 to 1,000. Located in the heart of the of Birmingham's central business district, the Birmingham International Center's conference facility boasts newly renovat- ed amenities with a space that seats approximately 120, or 100 for dinner. This facility is perfect for business meetings, corporate parties, club functions, per- formances, wedding receptions, career fairs, art exhibits and seminars. Birmingham is well known for its prominent role in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. A visit to the many educational institutions and muse- ums throughout city gives visitors an in- depth look at that important era. The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute (BCRI) is a "living institution" which views the lessons of the past as a positive way to chart new directions for the future. BCRI's permanent exhibitions are a self- directed journey through the Birmingham Civil Rights Movement and human rights struggles. Distinguished as "A Place of Revolution and Reconciliation," historic Kelly Ingram Park serves as a threshold to the Civil Rights District. During the Civil Rights Movement, this public park became the focal point of a grassroots resistance to the inhumanities of racism and discrimination by law and by custom. A L A B A M A • • • STATS • • • HOTEL ROOMS Holiday Inn Birmingham Airport 220 DoubleTree by Hilton Birmingham 204 Sheraton Birmingham Hotel 757 Westin Birmingham 294 Birmingham Marriott 295 Hyatt Regency Birmingham, The Winfrey Hotel 329 EXHIBITION FACILITIES The Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex total exhibit space 220,000 sq. ft. meeting rooms 51 largest ballroom 2,900 sq. WHO YOU GONNA CALL? Greater Birmingham CVB (800) 458-8085 www.birmingham.org Birmingham Metro Black Chamber of Commerce www.birminghammetrobcc.com Birmingham's Sixteenth Street Baptist Church photo credit: Greater Birmingham CVB