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B M & T ••• July/August 2025 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 21 HAMPTON, VA Hampton may be one of the nation's oldest cities, but for meeting planners, it offers an impressively modern founda- tion. The Hampton Roads Convention Center features over 344,000 square feet of flexible space, including a 102,000 square foot exhibit hall, a 28,000 square foot ballroom, and 35 meeting rooms of various sizes. Just steps away, the Hampton Coliseum offers an additional 84,000 square feet for concerts, ceremonies, or high capacity general sessions. The two venues are connected via pedestrian walkways, mak- ing it easy to expand large events or segment program flows. Lodging is built into the convention experience. The Embassy Suites by Hilton Hampton Convention Center is connected directly to the facility and offers over 11,000 square feet of its own meeting space, plus 295 two-room suites. Other nearby accommodations include the Courtyard by Marriott, SpringHill Suites, and Hyatt Place, all within walking distance and offering planners a variety of price points and guest amenities. Group rates are competitive, and most properties include complimentary breakfast, free Wi-Fi, and on-site parking details that simplify the planning process and stretch meeting budgets. Collectively, the city offers over 2,700 hotel rooms, with more than 1,000 within a one-mile radius of the convention campus. Norfolk International Airport is approximately 20 min- utes away, and the Newport News/Williamsburg Airport is even closer, making Hampton highly accessible by air. Interstate 64 and Route 258 provide easy access for drive-in attendees from across Virginia and the Mid-Atlantic. The compact layout of the city allows for streamlined movement between venues, hotels, and evening attractions without the need for complex transportation planning. Cultural enrichment is one of Hampton's greatest assets. The Hampton University Museum, founded in 1868, is the oldest African-American museum in the country and holds one of the largest collections of African, Native American, and African-American art. The Emancipation Oak, located on the university's campus, was the site of the first Southern reading of the Emancipation Proclamation. Planners can arrange historical tours, lectures, or cultural programming in partnership with the university or the Hampton History Museum, which offers exhibits on Black heritage, local mar- itime history, and civil rights milestones. Nearby Fort Hampton Roads Convention Center