Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/140546
•pg_3-13__BMT_pg3-58 6/25/13 2:54 PM Page 3 CONTENTS BLACK MEETINGS & TOURISM VOLUME 20, ISSUE 5, MAY/JUNE 2013 46 15 COVER STORY It's a kaleidoscope of colors and natural beauty so majestic it can easily take your breath away. From its mountainous trails to sugary-white sandy beaches and pristine waterways the southern United States offers such diversity of beauty it's difficult to capture with mere words. African-American Guide to Meetings, Incentives & Traveling in South gives the low down on what planners should look for in the region. By Michael Bennett FEATURES Major corporations spend tens of thousands of dollars studying trends, looking for little nuggets of information to maintain or gain a competitive advantage. Business leaders sift through mounds of data and become prognosticators of future events based on past performance, shifts in technology, social mores and business cycles. We contacted nine association movers and shakers, and Major Organizations predict industry trends offers their responses to the questions we posed. By Michael Bennett 26 Looking For An Authentic African Experience? Check Out Ethiopia is the latest addition to our Traveling The Globe series that explores fascinating far flung international destinations for the adventurous traveler. By Edith Billups 30 An effective sales presentation is a crucial part of any company's strategy to increase its sales. We all want our clients to buy the product or the concept we are pitching to them. For this reason, it is important for us to fully understand how to deliver excellent sales presentations in order to achieve the desired results. Tips For A Better Sales Presentation shares regular BM&T contributor Velton Showell's expertise on the subject. By Velton Showell III 33 Hotels That Cater to Delegates Traveling With Families and Children should be of particular interest to Black Meeting Planners and the conference attendees, who historically have taken along family members and combined business trips with getaway vacations. Here are seven possibilities worth exploring. By Gloria M. Herbert 38 This year we are taking another close look at convention & visitors bureaus across the nation in our continuing effort to document the rate of progress that AfricanAmericans are making in the hospitality/travel industry. Unfortunately we cannot report any substantial progress in the upward mobility of African-Americans since we last examined the ranks of CVBs in 2008. Who Will Be The Next Black CVB President/CEO? is our effort to head off the use of that tired old phrase "We'd love to consider an African-American for this position, but we can't find a qualified Black person to hire." By Solomon J. Herbert 4 5 6 8 10 11 12 14 21 22 23 24 32 43 44 66 68 70 DEPARTMENTS Publisher's Message Calendar of Events Newsmakers In The News Speaking of People TPOC News Briefs Hotel Happenings Museum Notes Local Hero – Mayor Johnny Ford Open Forum Association News Pacesetters – Linda Clemons Vendor Spotlight – Nigeria Riggins Travel Data Caribbean Corner From Motherland Planner Profile – Darryl Matthews Cruise News AREA GUIDES 71 72 74 76 British Virgin Islands Denver Long Beach Newark Georgia Aquarium Photo Credit: Georgia Aquarium B M & T ••• May/June 2013 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 3