Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1250928
3 CONTENTS 20 20 VOLUME 27, ISSUE 1, JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020 4 Publisher's Message 5 Calendar of Events 6 In The News 8 Hotel Happenings 10 Newsmakers 31 From The Motherland 32 Caribbean Corner 34 Cruise News 36 Travel Data 37 Barbados 38 Maryland 40 New York 41 San Antonio 25 25 B M & T ••• January/February 2020 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com BL ACK MEETING & TOURISM COVER STORY FEATURES DEPARTMENT AREA GUIDES A Conversation Julie Coker-Graham reveals that she is not just the president of the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau, but also the city's biggest cheerleader. By Darlene Donloe 11 11 29 29 28 28 22 22 When picking a hotel for a special event many things are brought into consideration. One of the advantages of picking from a historical hotel to house a group's guest is simply the educational value. Historic Hotels For That Memorable Meeting tells the whole story. By Buck Samuels Copyright : Jon Bilous Barrier-Breaking. History-Making. Celebrity Cruises To Set Sail With First-Ever All-Female Bridge And Officer Team reports on this first-of-its-kind sailing which takes place onboard Celebrity Edge in Recognition and celebration of International Women's Day on March 8, 2020. Pennsylvania Convention Center 15 15 Meeting at the Beach reports on many beach destina- tions across the world that are being recognized as the locations of choice for businesses, organizations and profes- sional groups that want to complement the usefulness of their meetings and conferences with pleasure. By Doswell Ingram 30 30 Today, meeting destinations need to deliver experi- ences that spark curiosity and inspire attendees to think creatively. Exceed Expectations: Meet In Philadelphia shows how it's done. 2020: The Year Of Milwaukee Conventions lists the conventions and events that have chosen Milwaukee as its host city this year. With the start of a brand-new year, seasoned meeting planners are starting to implement innovative industry trends into their event plans for 2020. 5 Meeting & Event Trends To Consider In The New Decade Ahead explains how. The Seychelle Islands…Another World explores this destination's legendary beauty, rolling from verdant peaks, through primeval forests, down to pow- der-soft beaches framed by timeless granite boulders, where the only footprints you find will be your own.