BY PENELOPE BLAIR T
he National Associa- tion for the Advan- cement of Colored
People (NAACP) will host their 103rd annual convention at the George R. Brown Convention Center
in
Houston, TX from July 7-12, 2012. This year's theme is "Your Power, Your Decision, Vote!"More than 5,000 atten-
dees are expected to participate in numerous expos, seminars, workshops and health symposiums to name a few. The event kicks off with the ACT-SO competition and award ceremony followed by the grand opening of the convention activities. Keynote speakers include:RoslynM.Brock,NAACPchairman, Benjamin Todd Jealous, president and CEO, NAACP, Dr. Frederick D. Haynes, III, and Julian Bond,NAACP Chairman Emeritus,among others. In addition,YolandaAdamswill head- line theGospelExtravaganza. Past conventions have been held in Los Angeles, CA (2011), Kansas City, MO (2010) and Cincinnati, OH (2009). Their 2013 convention will be held in Orlando,FL. Go to www.naacp.org to register.
T
ravel industry heavyweights from around
the world will come to together at the WestinWater-front in Boston, Massachu-
setts to attend the Global Business Travel Association Convention (GBTA) from July 22-25, 2012. With more than 6,000 travel professionals attending annually, the association reports it is the largest, most comprehensive annual gathering of business travel and meeting managers, meeting planners, procurement professionals and suppliers anywhere in the world. Keynote speakers include: Thomas Horton, chairman, president and CEO of AMR Corporation and American Airlines, Inc., former presi- dents Bill Clinton and GeorgeW. Bush as well as Saturday Night Live's Seth Meyers. This year's event will feature over 65 educational sessions and more than 400 company sponsored expositions. Past conventions have been held in Denver, CO (2011) and Houston, TX (2010). Visit www.gbta.org to learn more.
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os Angeles, CA will be the destination for The Associ- ation of Black Psycho-
logists 44th Annual International Convention. Psycho-logists from around the world will come togeth- er at the Westin Hotel-Los Angeles Airport from July 16-22, 2012. The theme of the convention is
"African Centered/Black Psychology: From Root Causes to Sustainable Change." The keynote speaker is Dr. Maulana Karenga, creator of the cultural holiday Kwanzaa and profes- sor and0 chair of Africana Studies at California State University, Long Beach. The convention will include more than 80 presentations, seminars, workshops and distinguished guest panelists. In addition, attendees will have the opportu- nity to participate in community relevant social justice initia- tives. Past conventions have been held in Crystal City, VA (2011) and Chicago, IL (2010). The 2013 convention will be held in New Orleans, LA. Learn more at www.abpsi.org.
The International Association of
Black Professional Fire Fighters (IABPFF) will hold their 21st Biennial Convention at the Hyatt Regency Bellevue in Bellevue,WA from August 12-18, 2012. The IABPFF is comprised of 90 chap- ters with 5,100 fire service person- nel and 200 lifetime members.
Hosted by the Seattle chapter this year, the keynote speaker will be Reverend Leslie Braxton, senior pastor of New Beginnings Christian Fellowship.Various seminars and work- shops will be offered that benefit the seasoned professional and as well as the novice, such as Leadership Development, Firefighter Survival Training, Public Education, Community Outreach and Increasing Diversity in the Fire Services to name a few. In addition, the association is committed to bringing resources and information to encourage young peo- ple to consider a career as a fire fighter. Past conventions have been held inDallas,TX(2011),NewOrleans,LA(2010) and Atlanta, GA (2009). Upcoming destinations include Orlando, FL (2013), Barbados (2014) and Houston, TX (2014).Visit their website at www.iabpff.org.
Email your upcoming events to info@blackmeetingsand- tourism.com. Black Meetings & Tourism July/August 2012: www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com
