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B M & T ••• July/August 2021 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 23 CINCINNATI, OH Considering hosting a meeting or convention in Cincinnati? With six hotels within walking distance of the convention center (more than 3,200 hotel rooms - from headquarter hotels BIRMINGHAM, AL Whether you're hosting 400 or 4,000, Birmingham's wide variety of meeting spaces and lodging options guarantees that they have the right place for you. From the state's largest meeting facility, the Birmingham- Jefferson Convention Complex, to non-traditional venues such as Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum, the city is well equipped to accommodate meetings and conven- tions of all sizes. TheBirmingham-Jefferson Convent- ion Complex is Alabama's foremost convention, meeting and entertainment center. Events and meetings of all types can be accommodated in its five public buildings: Arena, Concert Hall, Theatre, Exhibition Halls and Ballroom. The complex also includes a large central piazza used for outdoor events. The Exhibition Hall covers 220,000 sq. ft. of space for presenting expansive trade shows and exhibitions. For small- er events, the North Exhibition Hall has a movable wall that can be placed at 30,000-sq. ft. increments for further flexibility. The Convention Complex also offers full catering services for any size group. Three skywalks connect to the 757-room Sheraton, 294-room Westin, Uptown and the BJCC Exhibition halls, meeting rooms and arena. This gives convenient access for patrons attending conventions or meetings. Including the Sheraton and the Westin, Birmingham offers 15,000 hotel rooms to satisfy every taste and budget. After the day's work is done, there's never a shortage of fun things to see and do in Birmingham. Their dining scene is filled with one-of-a-kind restau- rants that serve up everything from the world's best barbecue to gourmet cui- sine. Also, your group will enjoy explor- ing some of the South's best shopping centers, museums and attractions. African-American history and culture abounds in Birmingham. Beginning at Kelly Ingram Park, the Birmingham Civil Rights Heritage Trail winds through downtown, marking significant locations along Civil Rights March Routes. Designed as a self-guided tour, the route includes signs marking actual Civil Rights events that occurred on the very street that are part of this trail. Richly detailed exhibits in the Civil Rights Institute reveal slices of black and white life in Alabama from the late 1800s to the present. A series of galleries tells the stories of daily life for African-Americans in the state and the nation and how dramat- ically different it was from the lives white people of that era took for granted. The powerful Movement Gallery presents the Civil Rights Movement for 1955 to 1963, while the Processional Gallery uses life- size figures representing all ages and races to portray the "walk to free- dom." Other must see cultural attractions include the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame, within the historic Carver Theatre, the Birmingham Museum of Art, and the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church National Historic Landmark Outdoor entertainment is the domi- nant part of Birmingham's charac- ter. Local parks give the city more green space per capita than any other city in the country, so outdoor recre- ation is easily accessible. Hiking and biking are virtually year-round sports, along with fishing in what is acknowledged as the "Bass Capital of the World". Birmingham is located in the heart of the Southeast, with three major inter- state systems merging in the middle of the city. Not to mention, the Birmingham airport has more than 100 nonstop and direct flights, while being located just seven minutes from down- town. For more information visit www.birminghamal.org or call the Greater Birmingham CVB at (800) 458-8085. Birmingham Civil Rights Institute Dome