Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/572452
B M & T ••• May/June 2015 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 18 ry, PHLDiversity is able to create microsites for con- ventions, offering a central depository of destination information for meetings attendees. Our program- ming assistance as well is unparalleled. In collabora- tion with the National Organization of Minority Architects in 2014, PHLDiversity reached beyond the architectural market, partnering with the Center City Proprietors Association to produce an event that engaged div erse leaders in real estate, develop- ment and beyond. PHLDiversity changed the game, and knew how to expand the conversation in a way that had never been done before. It is, however, not just what you know, but who you know. PHLDiversity builds community rela- tionships between visiting organizations and local groups who share a culture and ideals. We work in tandem to create connections for meeting plan ners, whether this is with the local media, minority owned businesses, or political officials. These relationships prove invaluable to groups looking for speakers, exhibitors, and sponsors. With a well-represented group of 45 local leaders, often the connections our organizations seek are seated right around our board table. As the PHLCVB, and thus PHLDiversity con- tinues to evolve, perhaps the most adva ntageous idea of all is that we do not "define" our markets. We allow them to define themselves, creating a more dynamic vehicle for individuals to express their needs and identities. A Latino woman, for example, is more complex than her nationality or her gender, and PHLDiversity's inclusive approach recognizes that our audiences are more than the sum of their parts. By leading the charge in hospitality inclusion efforts, PHLDiversity aims to spur the advancement of meetings and conventions in the coming years. We envision an industry in which each interest group feels valued not despite, but because of their unique perspective, as we work optimistically towards this goal. Greg DeShields is the executive director of The Multicultural Affairs Congress (PHLDiversity), a division of the Philadelphia Convent ion and Visitors Bureau (PHLCVB) that was formed in 1987 as the first multicultural division of a Convention & Visitors Bureau in the nation. PHLDiversity maximizes opportunities for the region by promoting Philadelphia as an ethnically diverse visitor destination, encouraging multicultur- al business and social responsibility that contributes to and benefits from the varying multicultural com- munities th at enhance our region's hospitality and tourism industry. For more information, visit www.phldiversity.com.