Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1401511
B M & T ••• July/August 2021 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 32 In the midst of coping with COVID, the city completed two new visitor attractions. The most recent is the January 2021 opening of the Museum to Market Trail connecting the Mississippi Farmers Market to the Mississippi Agricultural Museum. Making an earlier debut was a public art- work created by Reshonda Perryman, Visit Jackson's creative design manag- er. Perryman painted a mural on the back wall of the Old Capitol Inn, facing the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum and the Museum of Mississippi History. Called "JXN Icons," the mural depicts four legends — civil rights leader Medgar Evers, writer Eudora Welty, International Ballet Competition founder Thalia Mara, and musician and philan- thropist David Banner — who called the city home. Officially unveiled in July 2020, it's become a popular backdrop for wedding and graduation photos. "Creating that kind of excitement and energy for the city is a win-win for every- body," Thigpen says. Visit Jackson is scoring more wins under Thigpen's leadership, like helping the city host the National Square Dance Convention in June 2021, with just under 2,000 attendees, after it was postponed because of the pandemic. Another major regional event that Thigpen isn't ready to announce yet is in the works. Planning the multi-day event has given him another opportunity to showcase his coalition- and bridge-build- ing skills. "At the table as part of the planning committee are the state, the county, the DMO, the arts commission, several high-powered event planners and con- cert promoters — all working together," he says. Thigpen and his team at Visit Jackson are hoping to see a complete comeback for the city's meetings and tourism industry by 2024, when he says industry leaders are predicting the gen- eral turnaround will happen. In the mean- time, he's spearheaded some changes to keep the local industry sustainable. For instance, Visit Jackson has stepped up its promotion of sporting and other outdoor events. The organiza- tion is also studying best practices for holding meetings and conventions that combine virtual and in-person atten- dance. "I don't think that hybrid option will ever go away," he says. A former national and state regional officer of his fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha, Thigpen is active in the civic and commu- nity life of Jackson. He's the minister of music at his church, working with the orchestra on major productions like the annual Christmas cantata and occasional- ly playing instruments. "I went to school on a music scholar- ship," says Thigpen, who also is involved in his church's public relations ministry. "My principal instruments are oboe and English horn. I also play saxophone, flute, and other woodwind instruments." A single man who now takes care of his aging parents, Thigpen has no chil- dren of his own, but one instance of his longtime mentoring of youth led him to take on a father-like role. Twenty-five years ago a teenager whose parents had died moved in with him, and the young man stayed until he was 23. "One day he started calling me Pop," Thigpen says. "His kids call me Poppy." When Thigpen travels, his favorite kind of destination is any place that's brand new to him. " It doesn't have to be a large destination," he says. "I really value those hidden gems —- small destinations that maybe don't get a lot of regional or national promo." He likes to arrive early so he has extra time to look around — and while he's exploring, he's always on the hunt for inspiration he can use as Jackson's destination promoter-in-chief when he returns home, "My team here knows that when I travel for business or pleasure, I'm going to bring back ideas," he says. Jackson Conventon Center Complex