Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1494066
B M & T ••• March /April 2023 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 16 ARIZONA Some visiting groups prefer to meet under bright blue skies and astonishing starry nights, far removed from the bus- tle of city life. These perfect conditions are often the setting for Arizona's hassle-free getaways. Cities like Flagstaff, Mesa, Scottsdale and Tempe offer Meeting Planners more affordable meeting services than the big city with just as much high quality, not to mention they are all just 30 minutes from Phoenix. After the meetings are done for the day, relax in the outdoors, lounge poolside at leg- endary resorts and spend quality time on picturesque golf courses. Healing spa treatments, mindful menus and rejuve- nating wellness activities also make Arizona conferences and leisure trips a pursuit of perfection. Phoenix Reimagine your next event in Greater Phoenix. Harness the creativity, collaboration and innovation beaming from the Sonoran Desert and throughout every square foot of flexible meeting space. With $5 billion in recent downtown investments, an ultramodern convention center, walkable down- town corridor and immersive experiences situated in a lush desert landscape, the nation's fifth-largest city brings your event into the bright light of center stage. Whatever you're looking for when booking your next meeting or convention, Greater Phoenix has you covered. Explore outside-the-box meeting spaces, sustainable and diverse initiatives, trends and best practices your attendees will appreciate, and more. Inspired by the red-rock walls and turquoise waters of the Grand Canyon, the Phoenix Convention Center is one of the most beautiful and sophisticated convention centers in the United States. Its interconnected campus includes three ballrooms, 99 meet- ing/breakout rooms, a 2,300-seat performance hall and an Executive Conference Center. When you step out of the Phoenix Convention Center, you enter the heart of downtown Phoenix. From the doors of the center, you're just minutes away from the comforts of your hotel, the cuisine and cocktails of nearby restaurants, and the nightlife of Phoenix's urban core. Conference attendees can also explore the African-American historical sites and monuments through out the Phoenix area. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1991, the George Washington Carver Museum & Cultural Center once housed Phoenix Union Colored High School, a segregated school that opened in 1926. Today, it is the home of the George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center, a historical preservation site that is dedicated to the collection, documentation, preservation, study, and dissemination of the history and culture of Africans and Americans of African descent in Arizona. Tucson More than just saguaros and Sonoran hot dogs, Tucson, AZ is a cultural and natural hub where visitors can experience the Southwest as it was meant to be. In the heart of the Sonoran Desert, Tucson offers a modern perspec- tive of the old west. The city is home to a wide range of museums, historic sites, hiking trails, golf courses, and JW Marriott Tucson Starr Pass Resort & Spa Greater Phoenix Convention Center photo credit: Tim Kiser