Black Meetings and Tourism

A CHANGING DESTINATION BY NORMAN MAYERS Baltimore is a city in flux with more than $11 billion in new and future developments changing the face of this attractive destination. The city offers more than 7,800 hotel rooms and count- ing, and there are plenty of delightful world-class attractions, museums, and dining experiences in the heart of the downtown. The city's newest and largest hotel is the Hilton Baltimore, neatly sit- uated in the Inner Harbor. This is the only hotel connected to the Baltimore Convention Center via a fully enclosed, climate-controlled skybridge. Hilton Baltimore offers 757 spacious well- appointed rooms, including 20 suites. Guests enjoy premier restaurant dining, a fitness center, heated indoor pool, a 24-hour business center, and on-site parking. For your meeting needs the hotel also offers over 60,000 sq. ft. of flexible function space, including 46 meeting rooms, the 25,000-sq. ft. Key Ballroom, the 15,000-sq. ft. Holiday Ballroom, and two meeting planner suites. Several new hotel properties are set to come on line in 2009 including the first LEED-certified hotel in the city with the opening of the 154-room Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott-Inner Harbor. A 135-room Hotel Indigo will debut in the summer. The hotel will include oversized beds, a spa bathroom experience, an in-house gourmet restau- rant, and a Starbucks. A 202-room Hotel Monaco Baltimore is currently under construction and set to open in July 2009. The property will feature 6,000 sq. ft. of fully equipped meeting space. The Baltimore Convention Center is one of the most versatile and well- equipped meeting facilities in the United States. With a total of 1,225,000 sq. ft. of space, the center is able to host a variety of meetings. There are 300,000 sq. ft. of contiguous exhibit space that is relatively obstruction free. There are 50 meeting rooms totaling 85,000 sq. ft., capable of accommodat- ing between 85-1,600 people, and a multi-function 36,672-sq. ft. ballroom capable of holding 4,000 people the- atre-style and 2,500 for banquets. The exhibit halls are adjacent to 32 covered loading docks and may be accessed by drive-in ramps for easy event move-in and move-out. State-of-the-art tele- communications keep guests connect- ed. The center is outfitted with ramps and electronic doors making it accessi- ble to all. The catering department can set up food service convenient to events, either through the permanent facilities or mobile units. There are sev- eral VIP and show offices situated in key locations throughout the building. A spacious lobby filled with natural light provides the perfect welcome to each visitor. The city of Baltimore is bursting with heritage attractions and sites that are well worth a visit. Learn about African- American maritime history at the Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Park and Museum. The museums, galleries and interactive learning centers tell the story of Frederick Douglass and Isaac Myers, as well as the founding of the Chesapeake Marine Railway and Dry Dock Company, America's first African- American owned shipyard. Explore the compelling, complicated, and inspiring stories of the African-American jour- ney at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture. The museum's exhibits use photography, historical documents, art and artifacts to let this story unfold. Little known facts and famous figures in African-American history are on dis- play at The National Great Blacks in Wax Museum. Well known for its mov- ing exhibit on the Middle Passage, the museum highlights the stories that make up the African-American experi- ence. Baltimore is served by three major airports: Baltimore/Washington Inter- national Thurgood Marshall Airport in Maryland, and Washington Dulles International Airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Northern Virginia. WHO YOU GONNA CALL? Baltimore Area CVA - (410) 659-7300 Black Meetings & Tourism June/July 2009: www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 63 AREA GUIDES BALTIMORE Couple Dining at one of the eateries located with the Baltimore Inner Harbor Photo Credit: Baltimore CVB

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