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B M & T ••• September/October 2016 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 4 S everal important events that resonate with the African-American market seg- ment are scheduled for September and October. The annual Congressional Black Caucus Legislative Weekend, unfolding in Washington, DC September 14-18, sets the stage for an array of industry related events that should not be missed. In addition to the 46th Annual Legislative Conference itself with its plethora of activities and networking opportuni- ties, industry movers and shakers have s ched- uled a number of seminars, workshops and other gatherings worth noting. In addition networking session like the Taste of Louisville Bourbon Reception being hosted by Peggy Riley, Cleo Battle and the rest of the Louisville Convention & Visitors Bureau team on Wednesday, September 14, the National Coalition of Black Meeting Planners will present their second annual State of Black Tourism Session, also at the Carnegie Library, the very next day. Following the NCBMP event, the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, through the efforts of Linville Johnson, is holding a Meeting Planner Luncheon at the Mastros Steak House. Both Associated Publisher/Editor Gloria Herbert and I will be among the presenters. On Friday, the National Policy Alliance will hold its yearly Business Meeting at the Churchill Hotel. Black Meetings and Tourism, as the offi- cial NPA travel publication, participates each year, and will take advantage of this opportunity to present Tuskegee Mayor Johnny Ford with PUBLISHER'S MESSAGE his 2016 Apex Award for Distinguished Service. Ford, an NPA founder and head of the World Conference of Mayors, has been a strong advo- cate and supporter of the travel, tourism and hos- pitality industry for decades. And finally, on Saturday, as ALC 46 draws to a close, the National Association of Black Hotel Owners, Operators and Developers (NABHOOD) will offer their annual Workshop to a packed house at the Marriott Marquise Hotel. The workshop, organized by NABHOOD founder and CEO Andy Ingraham, is designed to provide information about hotel ownership strategies, as well as supplier and vendor opportunities in the lodging industry. I'm honored to represent BM&T on the panel. On Thursday, October 13, the Cincinnati USA Convention & Visitors bureau will present The Power of Multicultural Travel and Tourism forum at the Cincinnati Westin Hotel. Jason Dunn, who serves as vice president of Multicultural and Community Development for the Bureau, is the driving force behind this event. A morning panel session will include national recognized tourism professionals who will highlight strategies to capi- talize on the markets they represent. Included will be Thomas Roth, president Community Marketing and Insights, Barbara Houser, Manager, Ohio Community Relations, Proctor & Gamble, Fran Santangelo DiBattista, director of PR, Marketing and Media Relations, Santangelo Group, and Jeff Berding, president/general manager, FC Cincinnati. I will also sit on this panel, which will be moderated by Courtis Fuller, anchor/reporter for WLWT News 5, an NBC affiliate. The Forum will then break out into several tracks, including LGBTQ Engagement Framework, Economic Impact on Diverse Segments, Diverse Talent for the Hospitality Sector, and Media Messaging for Multicultural Travel and Tourism. Presenters and panelists for these tracks will include Matt Skallerud, president of Pink Banana Media, Alexis Terry, senior director of Diversity & Inclusion, American Society of Association Executives, Ana Aponte-Curtis, Chairwoman, NCBMP, and Jason Riveiro, chief marketing office, National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals, to name a few. If you can make any or all of these, I believe it will be well worth your effort. Black Meetings & Tourism is published bi-monthly by SunGlo Enterprises, 20840 Chase St., Winnetka, CA 91306-1207 •Telephone: (818)709-0646/Fax: (818) 709-4753 Copyright 2016 by SunGlo Enterprises. All rights reserved. Single Copies, $6.00 Subscriptions $45.00. Postage Paid at Pasadena, CA. •Postmaster send address changes to Black Meetings & Tourism, 20840 Chase St., Winnetka, CA 91306-1207. Solomon J. Herbert Publisher/Editor-In- Chief E-Mail: BMandTMag@aol.com