Black Meetings and Tourism

PHASE II AT L.A. LIVE OPENS AND USHERS IN A NEW ERA OF ENTERTAINMENT IN DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES Opening of Multi-Billion Dollar Compound Adds an Element of Excitement to Conventions, Meetings and Special Events Phase II of L.A. LIVE , the much anticipated $2.5 billion entertainment compound, is now open. With an idyllic address next to STAPLES Center and a short jaunt from the expansive Los Angeles Convention Center, the opening of L.A. LIVE has ignited a renewed interest in Downtown Los Angeles. "L.A. LIVE is a wonderful addition to Downtown Los Angeles," said Mark S. Liberman , president and chief exec- utive officer of LA Inc., The Convention & Visitors Bureau . "The entire district, which includes STAPLES Center and the L.A. Convention Center, creates an attractive and con- venient destination for meetings, conventions and special events." The entertainment campus, which was first conceived more than a decade ago, is expected to have a significant economic impact on the city. Joining the Nokia Theatre and Nokia Plaza, which made their debuts last fall, are a number of enticing clubs, restaurants and entertainment venues including Club Nokia, Lucky Strike Lanes and Lounge, the Conga Room, The Farm of Beverly Hills, Yard House, ESPN Zone, Flemings Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar, and Lawry's Carvery. The center's piece de resistance is The GRAMMY Museum, which hosted a spectacular three-day grand open- ing earlier this month. Positioned at the intersection of Figueroa Street and Olympic Boulevard, the Museum serves as the cornerstone of L.A. LIVE. The four-floor, interactive Museum celebrates the enduring legacies of all forms of music while exploring the creative process along with the history of the GRAMMY Awards. The Museum, along with many of L.A. LIVE's restaurants and nightclubs, has the capability to host full-service meetings and events. During the next several months additional tenants are expected to open their doors including the West Coast Production Center of ESPN, Trader Vic's and Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill. In early 2010, the JW Marriott Hotel at L.A. LIVE, along with The Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Los Angeles, will join the roster of fine hotels found within Downtown L.A. The Ritz-Carlton Residences at L.A. Live will also be finalized, further creating an upscale, urban community. Open seven days a week, L.A. LIVE is located in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles adjacent to STAPLES Center and is bound by Olympic Boulevard, Figueroa Street, 11th Street and the 110/Harbor Freeway. U.S. TRAVEL ASSOCIATION LAUDS MAJOR PROVISIONS OF RECOVERY ACT Calls for Two Additional Measures to Stimulate Travel, Protect 20 Million U.S. Jobs The U.S. Travel Association (formerly Travel Industry Association), recently informed House and Senate leaders of its support for major provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and called for two additional measures to stimulate America's travel economy and protect 20 million U.S. jobs. U.S. Travel believes that welcoming more interna- tional visitors and increasing domestic trav- el by improving America's air travel sys- tem is fundamental to stimulating the American economy. "Travel is a key to economic recovery," said Roger Dow , USTA pres- ident and CEO. "Travelers – internation- al inbound and domestic – create millions of jobs and their spending per- meates through the American economy." Travel promotion would create jobs and Black Meetings & Tourism February/March 2009: www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 14 ROGER DOW IN THE NEWS

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