Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/972111
B M & T ••• March/April 2018 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 14 MEETING IN 'THE SUNSHINE STATE' JUST GOT BRIGHTER WITH NEW RENOVATIONS AND UPGRADES A ccording to a recent research study surveying both corporate and association meeting planners across the country, Florida is ranked the highest state for affordable travel, accessibility and value. Add to this the state's beautiful weather and diverse hotel and venue opportunities, and Florida is the perfect meetings, conventions, and incen- tive travel destination. Hosting your next meeting will definitely BRIGHTEN your attendance and agenda. Florida has zoos, children's museums and some of the most beautiful beaches in the state. Its cities – Pensacola, Fort Walton Beach, Panama City Beach, among them – are perfect for making memories. Northeast Florida has natural won- ders, history and some big-city attractions – in Jacksonville, St. Augustine, Daytona Beach and others – to entertain your delegates and their family members traveling with them. Central Florida was practically built with attendee free time in mind, starting with Orlando and theme park fun. And none of its cities – Tampa, St. Petersburg, Cocoa Beach and others – is far from the shoreline. South Florida, with balmy temperatures and warm turquoise water, is where delegates and their families can make every second count. Miami, Fort Lauderdale, the Palm Beaches, and the Keys are wonderful locales for vacations they will never outgrow. FORT LAUDERDALE Fort Lauderdale is one of Florida's most beautiful destinations, offering meeting planners plenty of options for a meeting or gathering of just about any size. From large 1,000+ delegate confer- ences to weddings and family reunions this beach city has got you covered. With the 600,000 sq. ft. Gold LEED Certified Broward County Convention Center, you'll enjoy high-tech meeting and exhibit space as well as five-star food service, an Internet café and elegant ban- quet rooms. The highly anticipated $750 million Convention Center expansion project is continuing to move forward, with the architects beginning work on drawings necessary for the site plan application. The project will add more than 500,000 sq. ft. of meeting, ballroom and exhibition space, and a plaza along the water with space for three restaurants, an amphitheater and generous outdoor programming space. The project also includes an upscale 800-room head- quarters hotel operated by Omni Hotels and Resorts, which will be interconnect- ed with the Convention Center. Greater Fort Lauderdale / Broward County is emerging as the most diverse area in the country and it's the gathering place of choice for large professional organizations, including some of the country's most influential African- American groups. The Urban League, the Newspaper Publishers Association, and 100 Black Men of America have all made return visits to plan their national social justice agendas. Members of Delta Sigma Theta and Omega Psi Phi made history Ft. Lauderdale Skyline BY SOLOMON J. HERBERT II Photo Credit: Andyxox