Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/875351
(June) is still going strong. Be sure to contact Greg DeShields, executive director at PHL- Diversity Multicultural Affairs Congress, a division of the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors B u r e a u (PHLCVB). He and his team will provide you with all of the support and services you'll need to make y o u r P h i l a d e l p h i a meeting suc- cessful. Philadelphia International Airport serves more than 120 cities world- wide with 1,000 daily flights, including 100 international flights. ••PITTSBURGH•• Pittsburgh is an ideal location for your next meeting or convention. The city — which was the site of the G-20 Pittsburgh Summit 2009 — was praised worldwide by international journalists and the prestigious guests. President Obama described Pitts- burgh as "...a world-class city...It has transformed itself...and serves as a model for turning the page to a 21st century economy." Pittsburgh's sparkling clean rivers and beautiful bridges provide the per- fect backdrop to the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, the world's first gold LEED-certified con- vention center. The Leadership in Energy and Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System is the nation- ally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings. Come sample the cities award- winning customer service, tour the green Convention Center and dis- cover all that can be done to make your meeting "green." Conference attendees can stroll the walkable Downtown and see how very easy it is to get from the hotels to the meeting spaces to the endless entertainment and dining options. Connected to the Convention Center via an enclosed skywalk, Westin Convention Center, Pitts- burgh is in the heart of Downtown. Guest rooms offer city views and fea- ture Westin's signature Heavenly Bed and Heavenly Bath. The hotel is equipped with 616 rooms and 34,000 sq. ft. of meeting space. Explore more than 250 years of African-American history in the Senator John Heinz History Center's exhibition From Slavery to Freedom, which highlights the history of the anti-slavery movement, the Under- ground Railroad, and the impact of 19th-centurty activism on the quest for civil rights in Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) is only 25 minutes from Downtown Pittsburgh and supports about 155 non-stop flights per day to 37 destinations. A world-class facility, the airport has been recognized for meeting travelers' needs. ••VALLEY FORGE•• Valley Forge is an unincorporated settlement located on the west side of Valley Forge National Historical Park at the confluence of Valley Creek and the Schuylkill River in Pennsylvania. The Greater Philadelphia Expo Center at Oaks provides meeting space for conferences with up to 240,000 sq. ft.et of contiguous meet- ing and exhibition space on one level. The city's meeting facilities are flexible to accommodate everything from one-box events at 200 rooms to area- wides at 900 rooms, expos up to 3,800 rooms and sporting events pulling 8,000 rooms. Valley Forge and King of Prussia is a study in contrasts. Within a 2.5 mile radius, fans of American history tread on the hallowed ground and shoppers maneuver through the hall- ways of the country's largest retail destination. The city has a great location, just 30 minutes from Philadelphia and the Philadelphia International Airport. WHO YOU GONNA CALL? Valley Forge & Montgomery County Tourism – (610) 834-1550 www.valleyforge.org B M & T ••• January/February 2017 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 35 AREA GUIDES • • • STATS • • • HOTEL ROOMS Westin Convention Center, Pittsburgh 616 Omni William Penn Hotel 596 Marriott Pittsburgh City Center 402 EXHIBITION FACILITIES David L. Lawerence Convention Center Total Exhibit Space 313,400 sq. ft. Meeting Rooms 51 WHO YOU GONNA CALL? Greater Pittsburgh CVB (800) 359-0758 www.planpittsburgh.com African-American Chamber of Commerce of Western Pennsylvania (412) 392-0610 Downtown Pittsburgh Photo Credit: John Martinec GREG DESHIELDS