Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1546515
B M & T ••• September/October 2026 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 20 anchored in Fort Wayne. The Indiana Black Expo draws 250,000 visitors to Indianapolis annually and counting. The Indianapolis Urban League connects planners to Black-owned vendors who know how to make an event land. Indianapolis and Fort Wayne together give planners two distinct markets and one powerful state. C Fort Wayne B Fort Wayne delivers a full meeting experience in a city that still feels like home. The Grand Wayne Convention Center delivers 80,000 square feet of single-floor event space, anchored by a 10,000- square-foot ballroom and 18 breakout rooms. The Hilton Fort Wayne at the Grand Wayne Convention Center features 246 guest rooms and suites along- side 83,000 square feet of total event space via enclosed skywalk. The Courtyard by Marriott Fort Wayne Downtown offers 139 guest rooms, suites, and 6,000 square feet of meeting space via enclosed skywalk. Fort Wayne International Airport runs nonstop service to Atlanta, Chicago, Charlotte, and Dallas-Fort Worth. The Urban League of Fort Wayne connects planners to verified minority- owned vendors, caterers, and transportation crews. Fort Wayne gives planners a connected, community- rooted experience from first session to last. C Indianapolis B Indianapolis commands the major convention stage - with a Black cultural backbone that gives every program a deeper layer. The Indiana Convention Center covers 566,000 square feet of exhibit space alongside premium contemporary breakout spaces, with a direct skyway connection to more than 4,700 downtown hotel rooms across 12 properties. The JW Marriott Indianapolis features 1,013 guest rooms, including 25 luxury suites, and over 104,000 square feet of meeting space, connect- ed to the Indiana Convention Center via the down- town skyway system. The Hyatt Regency Indianapolis offers 499 guest rooms, including 3 pre- mium suites, and 35,000 square feet of event space, connected to the Indiana Convention Center via the downtown skyway system. Indianapolis Inter- national Airport runs nonstop service to 65-plus U.S. cities. Indiana Avenue shaped the Midwest's Black cultural identity, giving the world jazz legends Wes Montgomery and Freddie Hubbard, and today planners can still build group experiences along this storied stretch. The Madam C.J. Walker Legacy Center seats 850 for receptions and evening pro- grams, sitting four blocks from the convention cen- ter. Locally owned catering, photography, and event production vendors connect through the Indianapolis Urban League and the Indy Chamber Black business directory. The NCAA Hall of Champions and the Indiana State Museum open their doors for private group evening events. Indianapolis gives planners the capacity of a major market with a cultural story worth telling. IOWA Iowa means business - and Des Moines has the space, the connections, and the culture to prove it. Des Moines International Airport serves 30 non- stop destinations across 6 major airlines, putting Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, and Washington D.C. all within direct reach. The Iowa Events Fort Wayne city skyline Indianapolis, Downtown Des Moines Skyline