Publisher's Message

As 2007 draws to a close and we prepare to enter a new year, we wish to take this opportunity to express our gratitude for all of our family, friends, colleagues and readers who have continued to support us over the last decade and a half.

We especially want to thank the advertisers who have invested in Black Meetings & Tourism, and therefore in the African-American hospitality, mettings, incentive and leisure travel market segment, for the ongoing partnerships they have forged with us. Their willingness to include BM&T in their marketing budgets not only provides them with direct access to a burgeoning $45 billion plus niche segment, but also exhibits their commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion in our industry.

We also want to express deep appreciation for our in-house team members at Black Meetings & Tourism. Their hard work and dedication to excellence contribute greatly to the quality of our publications, the success we have achieved, and the many awards BM&T has earned over the years. We could not have accomplished any of this without them. I particularly want to give thanks to Dorothy Canty, whose title 'Office Manager' does not begin to express the true value her presence has brought to our publishing company. My son Solomon J. Herbert II has also contributed greatly to the slick look of Black Meetings & Tourism with his outstanding cover layouts, custom designed ads and occasional feature stories. Victoria Head, who devotes her time to administrative and marketing duties is another shining star, as is our talented staff writer Norman Mayers, whose tightly written features and area guides help make BM&T an informative and enjoyable read. Rounding out the in-house team are our newest members, administrative assistants Tina Le and Diana Rizor, whose contributions are already having an impact on the efficiency of our day-to-day operations.

Most of all I would like to thank my lovely wife and business partner Gloria Herbert, whose devotion to me and to Black Meetings & Tourism is immeasurable. She is the glue that holds our publishing company together, and the oil that keeps us running smoothly. Her calm and reasoned approach to dealing with the challenges of operating a business provide the perfect balance for my sometimes decidedly more "in your face" method of confronting issues.

Thanks are also due to team members who operate outside of our headquarters in Los Angeles. Robert Ingram and richard Lawson, whose Southern California-based Pop Media Group is responsible for laying out Black Meetings & Tourism and our many supplements, are two of the finest graphic artists on the planet, with skills and expertise that are legend. We have too many freelance writers to list here, but special recognition is due Sonya Stinson (who produces most of our cover stories and writes "Great Groups"), Michael Bennett (who authors "View From The Chamber" as well as a slew of feature and profiles for BM&T), Patricia Jordan ("Museum Notes" editor and feature writer), and Partice Kelly (who edits "Religious Review" and occasionally contributes features and profiles). And of course, we could not forget to mention our senior staff member, Regina Buggs, who's been with BM&T for eight years. She was Regina Crisp when she came on board, but several years back she married, moved to Louisiana, and set up a satellite office BM&T so she could continue to work full time for us as a top-producing sales manager.

One of our main projects for 2008 is upgrading our website blackmeetingsandtourism.com. We are in the process of hiring a new webmaster and will be reconstructing the site from scratch, upgrading it with the latest technology and web software that will allow our pages to be infinitely more user friendly and interactive.

We also have some other surprises in the works, including the launching of a new publication and the re-launching of our television series Globetrotting. So the new year offers many excitinig possibilities, and we trust you will stay tuned for updates.

Solomon J. Herbert