Black Meetings & Tourism - Black Meetings & Tourism Selected As Official Magazine of NPA

Industry Briefs
Black Meetings & Tourism Selected As Official Magazine of NPA
At a National Policy Alliance (NPA) Fall Leadership meeting held during September in Washington, DC, a resolution was passed selecting *Black Meetings & Tourism* as the organization's official magazine. The resolution further went on to state that BM&T will serve as advisors to the NPA in making recommendations for member organizational conference planning. "The NPA is proud to have Black Meetings & Tourism as a partner in supporting our mutual interest with bringing business to cities that hire and promote African-Americans in their CVB's, as well as do business/contracts with African-American owned companies. Our intent is to also partner with those cities," said Linda Haithcox, NPA executive director. "We look forward to aggressively moving forward in developing a strategic plan which will increase your placement, value and importance as THE publication of choice for their tourism advertising and promotions," she added. According to Solomon J. Herbert, publisher/editor-in-chief of Black Meetings & Tourism, "We are honored by this recognition, and look forward to working closely with Linda, the NPA and its member organizations. Considering that most if not all convention and visitors bureaus rely heavily on bed taxes to fund their operations, NPA, which represents a large number of Black elected officials, will be a strong partner in encouraging CVBs to be more inclusive in their hiring, promotion and supplier diversity policies." The NPA leadership expressed an interest in working with Black Meetings & Tourism after Herbert made a brief presentation. It was then that participants at the meeting learned that out of nearly 500 convention & visitors bureaus across the nation, only eight were headed by African-American presidents/CEOs or executive directors, one of which also has a vice president on board who is Black. Of the remaining CVBs, collectively they employ just 12 senior level African-Americans. Upon hearing this, the Hon. Denise Langford Morris, chair of the National Bar Association's Judicial Council, posed the question "Where are these presidents and executives located so we can send our meetings to their destinations?" The National Policy Alliance is a consortium of 13 national organizations, including The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF), Blacks in Government (BIG), National Bar Association (NBA), National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL), National Black Caucus of State Legislators Foundation (NBCSLF), National Association of Black County Officials (NABCO), National Organization of Black County Officials, Inc. (NOBCO), National Conference of Black Mayors (NCBM), National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials (NBC-LEO), National Black Caucus of School Board Members (NBCSBM), and the World Conference of Mayors (WCM). The NPA Fall Leadership meeting, which was held at the offices of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, was chaired by the Hon. Johnny Ford, mayor of Tuskegee & founder and CEO of the World Conference of Mayors.

Industry Briefs

Black Meetings & Tourism Selected As Official Magazine of NPA

At a National Policy Alliance (NPA) Fall Leadership meeting held during September in Washington, DC, a resolution was passed selecting Black Meetings & Tourism as the organization's official magazine. The resolution further went on to state that BM&T will serve as advisors to the NPA in making recommendations for member organizational conference planning.

"The NPA is proud to have Black Meetings & Tourism as a partner in supporting our mutual interest with bringing business to cities that hire and promote African-Americans in their CVB's, as well as do business/contracts with African-American owned companies. Our intent is to also partner with those cities," said Linda Haithcox, NPA executive director. "We look forward to aggressively moving forward in developing a strategic plan which will increase your placement, value and importance as THE publication of choice for their tourism advertising and promotions," she added.

According to Solomon J. Herbert, publisher/editor-in-chief of Black Meetings & Tourism, "We are honored by this recognition, and look forward to working closely with Linda, the NPA and its member organizations. Considering that most if not all convention and visitors bureaus rely heavily on bed taxes to fund their operations, NPA, which represents a large number of Black elected officials, will be a strong partner in encouraging CVBs to be more inclusive in their hiring, promotion and supplier diversity policies."

The NPA leadership expressed an interest in working with Black Meetings & Tourism after Herbert made a brief presentation. It was then that participants at the meeting learned that out of nearly 500 convention & visitors bureaus across the nation, only eight were headed by African-American presidents/CEOs or executive directors, one of which also has a vice president on board who is Black. Of the remaining CVBs, collectively they employ just 12 senior level African-Americans. Upon hearing this, the Hon. Denise Langford Morris, chair of the National Bar Association's Judicial Council, posed the question "Where are these presidents and executives located so we can send our meetings to their destinations?"

The National Policy Alliance is a consortium of 13 national organizations, including The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF), Blacks in Government (BIG), National Bar Association (NBA), National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL), National Black Caucus of State Legislators Foundation (NBCSLF), National Association of Black County Officials (NABCO), National Organization of Black County Officials, Inc. (NOBCO), National Conference of Black Mayors (NCBM), National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials (NBC-LEO), National Black Caucus of School Board Members (NBCSBM), and the World Conference of Mayors (WCM).

The NPA Fall Leadership meeting, which was held at the offices of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, was chaired by the Hon. Johnny Ford, mayor of Tuskegee & founder and CEO of the World Conference of Mayors.