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B M & T ••• September/October 2019 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 44 If you are interested in bringing your meeting to Birm-ingham, be sure to con- tact Michael D. Gunn, CMP, senior vice president at the Greater Birming- ham Conv-ention & Visitors Bureau. He and his team stand ready to provide you with all the support you will need to make your event there a huge success. Birmingham-Shuttlesworth Internat- ional Airport is Alabama's largest airport serving the Greater Birmingham area and surrounding cities. • • MOBILE • • Mobile has a certain magic that keeps you on your toes. Where a melting pot of people, flavors, cultures, and traditions become one voice to lead all of life's cel- ebrations. Once called the Paris of the South, Mobile has long been the cultural center of the Gulf Coast and you'll find an authentic experience like nowhere else in the southern United States. It's prowess as a meeting destination is also worth noting. Located on the waterfront in down- town Mobile, the beautiful, state-of-the- art Arthur R. Outlaw Mobile Convention Center has become one of the premier convention facilities in the nation. Managed by SMG, the facility features 317,000 total sq. ft., including a 100,000- sq. ft. exhibit hall, two 7,750-sq. ft. ball- rooms, 16 meeting rooms, and 52,000 sq. ft. of prefunction area, and 45,000 sq. ft. of outdoor/river terrace space. The Mobile Bay area boasts more than 6,000 rooms to fit every taste and budget available, from four diamond hotels that cater to your every need, to historic inns and bed & breakfasts, to value-based, lim- ited-service properties, you'll find great deals and genuine Southern hospitality around every corner. Downtown hotels include the Renaissance Mobile Riverview Plaza Hotel (with 373 rooms and 44,000 sq. ft. of meeting space), the elegant Battle House Renaissance Mobile Hotel & Spa (with 238 rooms and 27,000 sq. ft. of meeting space), and the Holiday Inn Downtown Historic District (with 206 rooms and 10,000 sq. ft. of meeting space). In Mobile, Bellingrath Gardens offers a charming outdoor setting for a special event or leisurely stroll, while history buffs might enjoy touring the National African 3American Archives & Museum. Mobile Regional Airport serves the area with non-stop flights to six major hubs. WHO YOU GONNA CALL? VISIT MOBILE – (251) 208-2000 www.mobile.org • • MONTGOMERY • • Montgomery boasts a unique combina- tion of cosmopolitan conference facilities and Southern excitement, and is attracting more and more attention from meeting planners these days. Montgomery's accessibility is second to none, within driv- ing distance of major markets at the cross roads of two major interstate highways. One-third of the population of the country lives within a 600-miles radius. The Renaissance Montgomery Hotel & Spa and the adjacent Convention Center have brought much more to downtown Montgomery than an impres- sive new shadow on the skyline. With 342 rooms, ample and flexible meeting spaces, a European spa, a restaurant, fitness center and more all in one place, this AAA Four Diamond property is quickly becoming the premier destina- tion for both business and leisure travel- ers. The hotel offers a 14,000-sq. ft. Grand Ballroom on the main level and provides additional meeting space with 18 breakout rooms that total 14,000 sq. ft.. The Convention Center has over 73,000 sq. ft. of state-of-the-art meeting space. Montgomery boasts a number of African-American heritage sites, including the Civil Rights Memorial, Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church and the Rosa Parks Library and Museum. The Montgomery Regional Airport , just 10 minutes from downtown, is serv- iced by American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and Via Air, with convenient non-stop flights to Atlanta, Charlotte, Washington D.C., Orlando and Dallas-Fort Worth con- necting passengers to the world. WHO YOU GONNA CALL? Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce CVB – (800) 240-945 www.visitingmontgomery.com AREA GUIDES MICHAEL D. GUNN Renaissance Montgomer y Hotel & Spa.png photo credit: Greater MACC CVB