Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1507211
Minneapolis Convention Center 3 CONTENTS 33 33 35 35 46 46 16 16 22 22 37 37 VOLUME 30, ISSUE 9, SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2023 4 Publisher's Message 5 Calendar of Events 6 In The News 8 Hotel Happenings 11 Local Hero 12 Newsmakers 14 Black America 250 44 Cruise News 48 Caribbean Corner 50 Alabama 52 Arizona 53 Houston 54 Massachusetts 56 North Carolina 59 Seattle 60 South Carolina 66 USVI B M & T ••• September/October 2023 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com COVER STORY FEATURES DEPARTMENT AREA GUIDES photo credit: Minneapolis CC Grand Venues for Great Events is perfect for planners looking for that unique venue to hold their next meeting or conference. When you can find just the right mix of location, ambiance and func- tion space, along with those all-important dates and rates, you know you are on the path to a suc- cessful event! By Rufus McKinney With its lush Great Lakes, majestic vistas, fra- grant forests, and rolling hills, the Midwest is made for just that type of meeting. In addition, many Midwest destinations offer a real sense of place, offering the acreage necessary to plan outdoor cul- tural and creative experiences for groups. African- American Guide to Meetings, Incentives & Traveling in the Midwest tells the whole story. By Solomon J. Herbert II Meetings Love Golf Resorts profiles properties well known for golf that also provide top-notch meeting facilities. With a profile as full-fledged resorts rather than simply hotels, this combination offers much that meeting planners should find attractive. By Solomon J. Herbert II When Greg DeShields Entered The Travel Industry In The 1980s, He Had What He Calls An "Awakening." He had a sense of "we can do bet- ter." "I knew we could move the needle," he said. "The situation left me disheartened." Greg DeShields is Ready to Move The Needle explains how and why. By Darlene Donloe Should we, or should we NOT, go to Florida; that is the question many individuals and group travelers, particularly those who are African-American, are asking themselves these days. As the publication of choice for the "Gatekeepers" to the $129+ billion African American Travel Market segment, BM&T has received a continuing stream of inquiries regard- ing travel to the state of Florida. Florida: To Go or Not To Go? examines this issue. By Gloria & Solomon Herbert Thousands of tech enthusiasts and innovators recently converged in the city of Toronto to explore new trends in the high-tech field. Toronto Plays Host to Two Major Tech Conferences reports on the thousands who came together to explore these new trends. By Edith Billups