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B M & T ••• September/October 2026 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 27 ly to Black-owned catering, production, and event professionals across the city. Paul Laurence Dunbar, the first African American poet to gain national recognition, was born here in 1872 – his preserved home on Paul Laurence Dunbar Street anchors every Black heritage itinerary in the city. Eight miles east in Wilberforce, the National Afro- American Museum and Cultural Center holds the largest col- lection of African American artifacts in the Midwest and opens to private group buyouts and evening receptions. Wilberforce University, founded in 1856 as the first private HBCU in the United States, gives planners a ready partnership for educational pro- gramming and student engagement. The West Social Tap and Table Hub on West Third Street operates as Dayton's first Black-owned food hall. Side Piece Soul Cafe delivers comfort meals steps from the convention center. Chef Dane Shipp's CULTURE serves global comfort food fusion in the Oregon District, steps from The LightHaus. The Hidden Gem Music Club and Teapot Cafe Lounge close the night with live blues, soul, and open mic sets. Dayton puts the heritage, the space, and the value all in one room. C Springfield B Springfield runs at a different pace - authenticity at every turn. Hollenbeck Bayley Creative Arts and Conference Center delivers a 12,000-square- foot footprint with meeting and ballroom space. Dayton International sits 25 miles out, John Glenn Columbus 50 miles east. The Courtyard by Marriott Springfield Downtown holds 120 guest rooms and 6,500 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space across 3 venues – Springfield's only full-service downtown hotel. The Hampton Inn Springfield runs 99 guest rooms and a 600-square- foot corporate meeting room, 3.5 miles south of downtown. The Gammon House, one of Ohio's three surviving Black-owned Underground Railroad stops, anchors the cultural story. Queens House of Soul and Mother Stewart's Brewing lead the dining trail. Peak booking runs May through October - intimate scale, deep roots, real value. C Toledo B Toledo's Glass City quietly outperforms its rep- utation. Glass City Center puts 75,000 square feet, a 16,000-square-foot ballroom, and 26 meeting rooms on the Maumee waterfront. Toledo Express Airport connects to four nonstop destinations. The Hilton Garden Inn and Homewood Suites Toledo Downtown runs 310 rooms, 93 full-kitchen suites, and 8,000 square feet of event space across 7 rooms beside Glass City Center. The Renaissance Toledo Downtown holds 241 guest rooms, riverfront exec- utive suites, and 15,000 square feet of event space across 13 rooms, featuring The Heights rooftop lounge, two blocks from Glass City Center. The African American Legacy Project of Northwest Ohio opens heritage tours to visiting groups. Luxe Privé, Josephine's Soul Food, and The Peacock Cafe lead the dining trail. Peak season runs mid- May through October. Glass City delivers the space, the story, and the savings. WISCONSIN Wisconsin sits in the heart of the upper Midwest, framed by Lake Michigan's western shore and two meeting markets worth serious planner attention - Milwaukee and Green Bay, each bringing some- thing the other cannot replicate. Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport offers 36 nonstop destinations, the easiest way into Wisconsin - and the city's strengths run well beyond the terminal. Green Bay sits a smooth 90-minute drive north- east, with Chicago O'Hare connecting planners from virtually anywhere. For planners new to Wisconsin and veterans alike, the Milwaukee Urban League and Wisconsin Black Chamber of Commerce serve as the trusted connector to Black-owned vendors with a strong regional track record. Lambeau Field anchors Green Bay's hospi- Downtown Toledo skyline Downtown Springfield, Ohio photo credit: Wikipedia