Black Meetings and Tourism

33 B M & T ••• July/August 2014••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com establish the Nat- ional Association of Black Hotel Owners, Operators and Developers (NAB- HOOD). Others appearing in the issue include Cherai Lewis, Roy Jay, Hade Robinson, the late Dr. William Lawton (president of International Travel Agents Society), George Beach, Wanda Anderson, Noah and Karen Hopkins, Curtis Dean, Tracey McKether, Selena L. Swint, John Epps, John Crump, and Howard Mills. Nineteen ninety-seven saw the first install- ment of "The Most Influential African- Americans in the Meetings Tourism Industry" in our November issue. It was also the year that Wanda Collier Wilson was appointed Executive Director of the Jackson CVB. NOVEMBER 1999 T he cover story for November was BM&T's third annual "The Most Influential African-Americans in the Meetings/Tourism Industry." Many are still active in the industry, like Larry Alexander, Kathleen Bertrand, Ernest Boger, Gerry Fernandez, Wanda Collier Wilson, Valerie Ferguson, Lewis Dawley, Dittie Guise, Roy Jay, Oscar McGaskey, Brenda Scott, Melvin Tennant and Carol Wallace. Some have sadly passed, like Charles Wright, Carol Armstrong and Howard Mills, while others have retired or gone on to other pursuits, like Jessie Allen, Herman Caine, Wilhemina Boyd, Tanya Hall, Leslie Doggett, Jon Manns, William Norman, Phala Mire, Lou Phillips, Francis Smiley and Bruce Twyman. Pat Tobin, PR Guru and founder of the Black Public Relations Society, was profiled in our "Vendor Spotlight" department (this column debuted in our July 1999 issue), while another story reported on the lawsuit brought by the NAACP against Adam's Mark Hotel in Daytona Beach. Others appearing in November issue include Karl Hartfield, Michele Chester, Lephate Cunningham, Harriet Myers, Dr. Julianne Malveaux, Kweisi Mfume, and Sheryl Lee Ralph. Nineteen ninety-nine was the year Black Meetings & Tourism launched its annual Apex Awards Program for "Sensitivity & Diversity in Advertising And Marketing." It was also the year BM&T launched its Global Travel Pavilion in DC at the Congressional HOWARD MILLS LILLIE VAN LANDINGHAM CHARLES WRIGHT BILL WILLIAMS meetdetroit.com/ comeback-stories. – ALLEN RAWLS CEO, MOTOWN MUSEUM Join us for our FREE Family Reunion Planning Seminar Saturday, September 20, 2014 Cobo Center Grand Ballroom 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Register at meetdetroit.com or call 313-202-1985 gister at meetdetroit.com or call 313-202-1985 Re 8:30 a.m. Cobo Center Gr September 20, , y, Saturda amily Reunion Family Reunion Planning Seminar Join us for our FREE gister at meetdetroit.com or call 313-202-1985 - 12:30 p.m. 8:30 a.m. and Ballroom Cobo Center Gr 2014 September 20, amily Reunion Planning Seminar Join us for our FREE amily Reunion Planning Seminar

• Cover
• When Black Meetings & Tourism was founded in1993, African-Americans were few and far betweenin the Meetings/Tourism/Hospitality industr y, especiallyat the upper echelons. Black Meetings &Tourism Celebrates 20 Years of Publishingbriefly recaps what we've
• BM&T Tribute Sectionoffers some testimonialsfrom a few of our partners and associates in the industrywith whom we have worked during the last twodecades.
• It's no secret we don't have many elected officials whoadvocate for a level playing field when it comes toAfrican-Americans in the hospitality industry. WhatCan Elected Officials Do to Level The PlayingField? is a short primer on the positive impact elect
• Ernest (Ernie) Wooden, Jr., a long-time senior hospitalityindustry executive and Los Angeles-area residentsince 1999, talks about his work and goals as presidentand CEO of the Los Angeles Tourism & ConventionBoard (LA Tourism) in BM&T's Q&A, Part II.By So
• What Happened To All Of The Industry'sDiversity Programs And Why Are They Out OfVogue? explores the waning interest within our industryto champion the cause of inclusion.By Michael Bennett
• Sports Tourism is an estimated $600 billion ayear industry and growing so fast, its proving difficultto quantify with any degree of certainty.Cashing in on Sports Tourism gives it a shot.By Michael Bennett
• Many of your colleagues and friends haveappeared on the pages of Black Meetings &Tourism over the years. Some of them are stillactive in the industry, some have moved on toother pursuits, and sadly, some are no longerwith us. How Many of Them Can YouRecog
• Workplace diversity in hospitality and tourismis a key factor in representing the community as awhole and facilitating cultural exchange on a globallevel. In So Why Should We Care AboutDiversity? industry icon Melvin Tennant offershis views on the subject
• Publisher's Message
• Calendar of Events
• Newsmakers
• In The News
• Hotel Happenings
• Speaking of People
• Property Profile – Breezes Bahamas
• Museum Notes
• From Motherland
• Travel Data
• Cruise News
• Caribbean Corner
• Detroit
• Barbados
• New York
• Portland