Black Meetings & Tourism - Industry Briefs

Industry Briefs
	NYC TOURISM + CONVENTIONS NAMES JULIE COKER PRESIDENT AND CEO The New York City Tourism + Conventions Board of Directors today announced its selection of Julie Coker as President and CEO. She will begin the role on December 9, 2024. Ms. Coker currently serves as ... read more
	EXPERIENCE GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA, WHERE BUSINESS THRIVES IN THE BOARDROOM AND IS CELEBRATED AT A BAR, ON THE COURT, OR THE SCENIC BACK NINE Unleash your potential in Greensboro’s convention center and upscale hotels. With more than 600,000 square feet of meeting space citywide, Greensboro is the perfect place to host your next event. The ... read more
	MEETINGS & EVENTS TRADE PRESS HONORED AT INAUGURAL EVENT HOSTED BY CAESARS ENTERTAINMENT AND MEETINGS PROFESSIONAL INTERNATIONAL (MPI) AND UNLV HOSPITALITY COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP ANNOUNCED On October 9, Caesars Entertainment and Meeting Professionals International produced the inaugural event , “Media & Momentum: A Morning of Recognition and Impact” to celebrate and recognize the co ... read more
	CRESCENT HOTELS & RESORTS ANNOUNCES MANAGEMENT OF THE HOTEL CLEVELAND, AUTOGRAPH COLLECTION Crescent Hotels & Resorts has announced the management of Hotel Cleveland, Autograph Collection, a historic property situated in downtown Cleveland. The former Renaissance Cleveland Hotel underwen ... read more
	VISIT ANNAPOLIS & ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY WELCOMES RASHEEDA MARTIN AS SENIOR DIRECTOR OF EXTERNAL RELATIONS Visit Annapolis & Anne Arundel County (VAAAC) is excited to announce the appointment of Rasheeda Martin as its new Senior Director of External Relations. Martin, previously the Director of Sales a ... read more
	SANOVNIK DESTANG ELECTED NEW PRESIDENT OF THE CARIBBEAN HOTEL AND TOURISM ASSOCIATION (CHTA) Sanovnik Destang, a respected hotelier from St. Lucia and Executive Director of Bay Gardens Resorts, has been elected as the new President of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA). His ap ... read more
	EVENTS INDUSTRY COUNCIL RECOGNIZES MCCORMICK PLACE AND MIAMI BEACH CONVENTION CENTER FOR ACHIEVING SUSTAINABILITY EVENT STANDARDS CERTIFICATION The Events Industry Council announced recently that two Oak View Group-managed (OVG) venues—Chicago’s McCormick Place and the Miami Beach Convention Center—have achieved Silver Level Certification to ... read more
	CMEX LEADERSHIP AWARDS TO HONOR CARIBBEAN OLYMPIC CHAMPION, TOURISM AND MEDIA LEADERS The Caribbean Media Exchange (CMEx) has announced the first round of honorees for the 2024 CMEx Leadership Awards and Fundraiser. Among the distinguished recipients are Thea LaFond, Olympic gold medal ... read more
	HOLLAND AMERICA LINE’S 2026 CANADA AND NEW ENGLAND SEASON FEATURES MORE CRUISES, INCREASED PORT VISITS AND ADDED OVERNIGHTS Holland America Line is expanding its Canada and New England season in 2026 with more cruises, increased ports of call and added overnights. A new 28-day Legendary Voyage — “Canada, New England and Ic ... read more
	ESTHER OH KOSTECKY APPOINTED GENERAL MANAGER OF FOUR SEASONS HOTEL NEW ORLEANS Four Seasons Hotel New Orleans announces the appointment of Esther Oh Kostecky as its new General Manager. With a rich heritage of leadership in the hospitality industry, Esther brings more than twent ... read more
	BM&T’S ANNUAL AFRICAN-AMERICAN MEET UP AT IMEX AMERICA TO BE HELD AT BLACK FAMILY-OWNED CLASSIC JEWEL RESTAURANT In keeping with our mission to support African-American vendors and suppliers in the hospitality/travel/tourism industry, Black Meetings & Tourism is holding its annual African-American Meet Up in ... read more
	WHERE TO MEET IN WASHINGTON, DC Washington, DC is filled with iconic monuments and memorials, but few places match the unique blend of history, culture and global significance offered by the city’s dramatically located venues. Many ... read more
	MAHOGANY JONES’ CAREER IS A CONSTELLATION OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS Mahogany Jones first started her journey in the events industry 20 years ago after founding Event Specialists Inc., one of Canada’s premier event management firms. Since then, she and her team have wo ... read more
	CTO WELCOMES NICOLAS SCOTT TO RESOURCE MOBILIZATION AND DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) recently added Nicolas Scott as Technical Assistant to its Resource Mobilization and Development Department. Scott, a multilingual student from Barbados specia ... read more
	NCBMP INCREASES ITS PRESENCE AT IMEX AMERICA Congratulation to the National Coalition of BlackMeeting Professionals, under the leadership of CEO Jason Dunn, for securing a booth in Las Vegas during IMEX America, the largest travel/tourism trade ... read more
	FORT WORTH VENUE PROFESSIONALS EARN CVP DESIGNATIONS, RECEIVE HOSPITALITY AWARD Andrea Wright, Asst. Director of Finance & Administration for the City of Fort Worth Public Events Department, and Cynthia Serrano, Asst. Director – General Manager of the Fort Worth Convention Ce ... read more
	MANDALA RESEARCH OFFERS GROUNDBREAKING REPORT ON AFRICAN-AMERICAN TRAVEL MARKET SEGGMENT "The African American story is the story of America. And travelers' seeking this story are seeking cultural tourism, period because Black culture has been so foundational to our culture overall." Trav ... read more
	NMSDC AND MBDA WORK TOGETHER TO DEFINE NEW NORMS AT THE 2024 NMSDC ANNUAL CONFERENCE & EXCHANGE As part of their continued efforts to accelerate the growth of minority business enterprises (MBEs) and advance economic equity, the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) and the National Minori ... read more
	ORANGE COUNTY CONVENTION CENTER PROVIDES NEARLY $4 BILLION IN ECONOMIC IMPACT TO CENTRAL FLORIDA REGION The Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) generates approximately $3.9 billion in economic impact for the Central Florida economy each year – a significant increase that highlights the Center’s busin ... read more
	NEVIS JUNIOR MINISTER OF TOURISM TRIUMPHS AT CTO’S YOUTH CONGRESS Keyana Warner, the Junior Minister of Tourism from Nevis, has been crowned the winner of the 20th Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) Tropical Shipping Regional Tourism Youth Congress. Warner, a stud ... read more