Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1515188
4 B M & T ••• January/February 2024 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com Black Meetings & Tourism is published bi-monthly by Black Meetings & Tourism LCC, 20840 Chase St., Winnetka, CA 91306-1207 • Telephone: (818) 694-7830 • Copyright 2024 by Black Meetings & Tourism LCC. All rights reserved. Single Copies, $6.00 Subscriptions $45.00. Postage Paid at Pasadena, CA. •Postmaster send address changes to Black Meetings & Tourism, 20840 Chase St., Winnetka, CA 91306-1207. B lack Meetings & Tourism has spent over 30 years serving the needs of African-American meeting planners and travel/hospitality industry professionals. In so doing we've become their trusted source of information, news and trends that have a major impact on decisions they make about where to meet, the ven- ues to use and the suppliers to engage. So there is little surprise to me that one of the services we provide – organizing host- ed buyer events – are very successful and result in numerous meeting and conven- tion bookings for our clients. This year, now that Covid is mostly behinds us., we will be presenting more hosted buyer events than ever. We have been invited again to facilitate a hosted buyer event for Black Meeting Planners at IMEX America in Las Vegas during October, based on how well the BM&T hosted buyer event went in 2023. We will also hold our annual Meet Up for Black Planners during IMEX America, with our longtime partner Caesars Entertainment as the primary sponsor. And while it is only January, we already have two additional hosted buyer events scheduled for this year – to Tampa Bay and San Jose. And we are hoping to get commitments for at least anther eight to ten more for 2024. If your destination, convention center, resort or hotel is interested in getting in on the action, now is the time to contact us while there are slots still available for you. What you will get is a well- orchestrated visit by up to 30 vetted Black meeting planners to experience first hand what your city, property or venue has to offer. And they will not be coming simply because they want a free get- away, but they'll be showing up to do business. They will arrive with RFPs in hand and eager to book their conference or other event with you if you have what they need. BM&T's track record speaks for itself. For exam- ple, on one hosted buyer event we organized for twelve planners, two booked during the event itself, and a third booked their conference the fol- lowing year. This is typical of the kind of results our hosted buyer events generate. No doubt part of our success can be attributed to the fact that our planners and other readers know that we will be honest with them and rely on us to point them in the right direction to connect with suppliers who value their business and can truly meet their conference needs. Of course, much of our success can be traced directly back to our top-of-the line meeting planner Karina Ruff and her outstanding team at Forums Meetings & Events. They have been BM&T's official planners for many years and are among the best in the busi- ness! When the Forums crew works with us to plan a hosted buyer event, you can be certain that it will more than meet your expectations. As added value for our clients who contract us to organize a hosted buyer event, we will include editorial in our bi-monthly magazine and monthly e-newsletter about the trip and what the planners experienced during their visit. So be sure to contact Black Meetings & Tourism and/or Forums Meetings & Events to explore bringing a hosted buyer event your way. Visit our websites for updates and watch BM&T's newslet- ters for more specifics. We look forward to hosting you planners and working with you suppliers in the months ahead. Happy New Year! Solomon J. Herbert Publisher/Editor-In-Chief E-Mail: BMandTMag@aol.com PUBLISHER'S M E S S A G E