Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1313980
B M & T ••• November/December 2020 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 40 MARYLAND Travelers to Maryland can choose from a lengthy list of Black heritage sites to explore. The capital city of Annapolis is home to the Banneker-Douglass Museum, the Kunta Kinte- Alex Haley Memorial and the Thurgood Marshall Memorial at the Maryland State House. The Frederick Douglass Museum and Cultural Center is located in Highland Beach, in Anne Arundel County. Columbia is the home of the African Art Museum of Maryland and the Howard County Center of African-American Culture, along with an exhibit at Columbia Air Center commemorating the site of the state's first Black- owned and operated airfield. On Maryland's Eastern Shore, the Harriet Tubman Museum and Educational Center and other related sites in Cambridge pay tribute to the most promi- nent figure in the Underground Railroad. Maryland's nearly 4,000 miles of shoreline, including the Chesapeake Bay and 31 miles of Atlantic Coast, provide great settings for fishing, sailing and beachcombing. BALTIMORE Baltimore is best known for its beautiful waterfront, world-class museums, authentic history and convenient East Coast location. Pulling from a region of more than 50 million people, it's easy for leisure visitors and conven- tion attendees alike to travel to Baltimore whether arriv- ing by car, Amtrak or via air into Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, located just 15 minutes from downtown. Baltimore offers dozens of facilities – from casual, ele- gant and hip to exquisitely traditional, perfect for meet- ings of all sizes. The Baltimore Convention Center (BCC) can accommodate up to 75 percent of today's meetings and conventions with 300,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space, 50 flexible meeting rooms and a 36,672-sq. ft. ballroom. The BCC has invested in upgrades, including a recently com- pleted outdoor terrace that can serve as an event space or place to relax, new audio systems, enhanced Wi-Fi, and upgraded culinary offerings. The BCC and the city's hotels have also put a number of green initiatives in place, and many Baltimore hotels and attractions – as well as the BCC – are Maryland Green Travel partners. Visitors will find plenty of Baltimore's cultural legacies to explore in their free time, like the National Great Blacks In Wax Museum, the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture, and the Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Park. Baltimore's Inner Harbor is where you'll find the National Aquarium, home to 20,000 sea animals in award- winning habitats, including a tropical rainforest and the Australian Outback. As one of Baltimore's entertainment centers, the Inner Harbor has plenty of options for live music. Head to Power Plant Live! for an all-in-one hot spot for restaurants, bars and music venues, including Rams Head Live. Nearby MECU Pavilion also offers outdoor con- certs from national names right on the water during warm summer months. You will also find a wide array of great eateries at the Inner Harbor when it's time to chow down. To learn more about the benefits of hosting a meeting or special event in Baltimore visit www.baltimore.org or call (800) 343-3468. PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY Located at the heart of exciting Washington, DC metro- politan area, Prince George's County is just minutes to downtown DC and within easy access to all the extraordi- nary amenities of the region and beyond. Prince George's County is also home to some of the region's best-known attractions, like Six Flags America, MGM National Harbor Resort Casino, FedEx Field, the University of Maryland the National Wildlife Visitor Center, the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, and the incomparable waterfront destination, National Harbor– located on the Potomac River! If you are interested in having a group gathering, ban- quet, business meeting, or sporting event in a unique envi- ronment, Prince George's County offers outstanding group facilities that are beautiful, practical, and functional. Sites are available for small and large gatherings. They include park sites, historic sites, pavilion sites, banquet halls, arena & stadium sites. Hotel options run the gamut from modest inns like the 186-room Comfort Inn Conference Center and 237-room Gaylord National Resort Baltimore Skyline at Dusk.