Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1545782
B M & T ••• July/August 2026 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 24 Evenings can be waterfront casual or polished and social. Your group might gather at Mango Mangeaux in Phoebus for dinner, unwind over cocktails at Monroe Rooftop, or continue networking along the downtown waterfront as the harbor lights come up. And when atten- dees need a reset, Fort Monroe's waterfront walking paths and open-air historic grounds offer space to breathe between sessions. Hampton balances scale with cordiality, creating gatherings that feel productive, grounded, and unmistakably connected. For more information contact Visit Hampton – (800) 800-2202 or www.visithampton.com. k Newport News k Newport News works best when you want your meeting to feel anchored, thoughtful, and nuanced. The city doesn't overwhelm attendees with spectacle. Instead, it gives you a calm, connected Coastal Virginia setting where conversations have room to deepen between sessions, museum receptions, waterfront walks, and late-night networking over cocktails. The Newport News Marriott at City Center offers enough meeting space to support conferences, leadership programs, reunions, and association gatherings while keeping atten- dees connected to restaurants, gathering spaces, and the Oyster Point vibe. Instead of shuttling groups endlessly across a crowd- ed destination, you can create a smoother pace with sessions in the ballroom, networking beside the fountain-centered district, then a short transition into offsite experiences that feel connected to your meeting's purpose A reception at the Virginia Living Museum, surrounded by exhibits and lake views beneath the rooftop observatory, turns a standard evening function into a truly special event. The Mariners' Museum and Park adds maritime history and reflective green space, while Newport News Park gives attendees room to walk, bike, paddle, or simply reset among woodlands and reservoirs between sessions. For multicultural and heritage gatherings, the city's African American cultural experiences add profound depth. Stops con- nected to the Yancey House and Green Book history, the Build a Dream sculpture, and Black-owned gathering spaces create opportunities for conversation and authentic connection. Evenings can be polished at Steak & Tonic, intimate at Circa 1918 Kitchen + Bar, or relaxed over dinner with colleagues at Second Street American Bistro. Newport News understands substance: practical meetings, meaningful experiences, and a destination confident in its worth. For more information contact Newport News Tourism – (888) 493-7386 or www.newport-news.org. V I R G I N I A S P E C I A L S E C T I O N Newport News Marriott Norfolk Marriott Waterfront Interior k N o r f o l kk Norfolk gives your group the pleasure of a city that knows how to work the room. Meetings here can begin in a polished waterfront ballroom, spill into art-filled evenings, move along the Elizabeth River, and still feel close enough for attendees to navigate with confidence. The feeling is urban, maritime, and a little dramatic in the best way—big enough to impress, compact enough to control.