Black Meetings and Tourism

March / April 2020

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KENTUCKY HOME OF MUHAMMAD ALI AND HORSE COUNTRY B Y L a r r y F r e e m a n The Commonwealth of Kentucky is the 26th most populousof the 50 United States. Kentucky shares borders with 7 states; Illinois, Indiana, Ohio to the north, West Virginia and Virginia to the east, Tennessee to the south, and Missouri to the west. Kentucky is famous for Kentucky Bourbon, the Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Fried Chicken , college basket- ball and the 9 parkways throughout the state. The state is also known for it's superior meeting venues, world-class accommodations and warm hospitality. • • LOUISVILLE • • Louisville Tourism's COO Cleo Battle, CTA and the team work diligently to be of service to business and leisure travelers to the city of Louisville, the Birthplace of the Greatest of All Times Muhammad Ali. In addition, the Kentucky Derby is another household name that symbolizes great- ness in the arena of athletic competition. Due to Corona Virus the derby has been reschedule to September 5, 2020, so get your best hats ready to travel. As too does Kentucky Basketball, a name syn- onymous with one and done as the nation's elite make a pit stop on their way to play in the NBA. If you enjoy sports, Louisville also has great golf, AAA Professional Baseball, football, horse rac- ing, horse shows, ice hockey, soccer and lacrosse. With two convention centers, a state- of-the-art downtown arena and an Urban Bourbon Experience, Louisville offers an attractive package for your upcoming gathering. The Kentucky International Convention Center, located in the heart of downtown within walking distance of iconic attractions and distilleries, is open for business after a two-year, $207M expansion and renovation resulting in more than 200,225 contiguous sq. ft. of exhibit space, a 40,000-sq. ft. column- free ballroom with color-changing LED lighting, a 175 seat theater and 52 mod- ern meeting rooms. Louisville's stock of fine accommoda- tions ranges from the intimate to the expansive and are priced to suit any budget. Preceding the reopening of KICC in 2018 was the debut of a 612-room Omni hotel, the Nulu neighborhood's first hotel AC Nulu and over 1,500 other new hotel rooms downtown. The Kentucky Exposition Center, adjacent to the Louisville International Airport, is the sixth largest in the country with 1.3 million sq. ft. of meeting space and 400 acres of out- door event space. They are the trusted home to tradeshows, educational con- ventions and corporate meetings with two large arenas, 46 meeting rooms, and over 680,000 sq. ft. of Class A exhibit space. • • LEXINGTON • • Horses and Bourbon are on full display in Lexington. In the "Horse Capitol of the World" you can see 50 breeds of horses, plus museums, art galleries, shows and demonstrations at the 1,200 acre Kentucky Horse African-Americans played an important role in the develop- ment of the racing industry. At the Lexington Public Library downtown you'll see a mural highlighting a number of influ- ential early African-American jockeys including Oliver Lewis the 1875 Kentucky Derby winner, and his horse trainer Ansel Williams. The NEW Lexington Convention Center upgrades are currently being developed and include 100,000 sq. ft. of exhibit halls, a 24,330-sq. ft. ballroom, 29,000 sq. ft. of meeting rooms and 44,000 sq. ft. of clubs and flexible spaces. When the work day is done, visit four period Historic Homes of the area's most famous citizens: Mary Todd Lincoln, Henry Clay, John Hunt Morgan and Joseph Bryan, a grand-nephew of Daniel Boone. Wander through Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill the largest restored Shaker village in the world. In charming Down- town Lexington enjoy restaurants, walking tours, historic architecture and 131 public parks. WHO YOU GONNA CALL? Visit Lex (800) 845-3959 www.visitlex.com B M & T ••• March/April 2020 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 44 • • • STATS • • • HOTEL ROOMS The Sellbach Hilton Louisville 308 Hotel Distil, Autograph Collection 205 Louisville Marriott Downtown 620 EXHIBITION FACILITIES Kentucky International Convention Center Total Exhibit Space: 200.225 sq. ft. Largest Ballroom 40,000 sq. ft. Meeting Rooms: 52 WHO YOU GONNA CALL? Louisville Tourism (888) 568-4784 www.gotolouisville.com Muhammad Ali Center Photo Credit: Louisville Tourism AREA GUIDES K E N T U C K Y

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