CINCINNATI – April 12, 2010 – The City of Cincinnati and the Cincinnati USA Convention & Visitors Bureau today announced that Cincinnati will host the National Conference of Black Mayors 36th Annual Convention, Spet. 8-12. The convention will bring hundreds of civic leaders from across the country to Cincinnati.

“We are looking forward to our time in Cincinnati,” said George L. Grace, National Conference of Black Mayors President and Mayor of St. Gabriel, La. “Cincinnati has a rich history in the civil rights movement and has made extraordinary strides under Mayor Mark Mallory to establish itself as a vanguard city for diversity and multicultural awareness and leadership. This is the perfect time and place for our organization to bring together its members, and we look forward to the important work that will be done at our Annual Convention.”

Collectively, the Conference’s members lead more than 50 million constituents in nearly every state. More than 700 members are expected to attend its 2010 Annual Convention in Cincinnati Sept. 8-12, booking more than 1,200 room nights in local hotels. Cincinnati Mayor and National Conference of Black Mayors member Mark Mallory will serve as official host. The convention, themed “Able Leaders, Stable Cities: Resolving Our Communities’ Challenges,” will be headquartered at the Hyatt Regency Cincinnati and events will be held at venues such as the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center.

"This convention will focus on providing tangible solutions, best practice models and innovative strategies to resolve some of the universal challenges that local elected officials face on the ground," said National Conference of Black Mayors Executive Director Vanessa R. Williams.  "We have gathered a diverse spectrum of leaders who have successfully tackled these problems to participate in this year's convention."

Founded in 1974, the National Conference of Black Mayors works toward the empowerment of leadership on the local level, articulating public policy positions and serving as a clearinghouse of information pertinent to municipal development and financing. It also provides technical and management assistance through cutting-edge research.

“As a member, it’s very gratifying to bring the 2010 Annual Convention home to Cincinnati,” said Mayor Mark Mallory. “The convention brings visitors and revenue to our city. But more importantly, it brings an esteemed group of more than 700 men and women who are actively working to make our cities better. This group will be discussing issues and challenges that will affect the lives of millions of Americans and that important dialogue will be happening right here in Cincinnati.”

The event is the latest – and one of the most prestigious – in a long string of multicultural convention wins for Cincinnati USA, from the NAACP and National Baptist Conventions in 2008 to the coming Gospel Music Workshop of America in 2010 and the 2012 World Choir Games.

“We’re excited about these wins and will continue to actively seek out partnership opportunities throughout our business community,” said Dan Lincoln, president and CEO of the Cincinnati USA Convention & Visitors Bureau. “Cincinnati is quickly earning the reputation as an outstanding host city for national thought-provoking and influential groups. We are honored that The National Conference of Black Mayors has chosen Cincinnati USA, and we look forward to building new relationships during their convention next month.”

The National Conference of Black Mayors arrives on the heels of the Cincinnati USA CVB’s announcement last month of record-setting results for 2009. The CVB finished the year with contracts representing 198,000 future room nights and $59 million in new visitor spending – both all-time highs for the organization. Working collaboratively with local business, civic and hospitality industry organizations, the CVB has tallied four consecutive years of strong upward growth in the economic impact conventions and meetings bring to the region.

Partners for the National Conference of Black Mayors convention are United Water, John Deere, Comcast, AT&T, The Coca Cola Company, Waste Management, JP West and Shaw.

Local sponsors include The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, Center for Closing the Health Gap, PNC Bank, the Cincinnati Reds and the Cincinnati USA Convention & Bureau.

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About the Cincinnati USA Convention & Visitors Bureau
The Cincinnati USA Convention & Visitors Bureau is an aggressive sales, marketing and service organization whose primary responsibility is to positively impact Hamilton County's and the City of Cincinnati's economy through convention, trade show and visitor expenditures. The travel and tourism industry traditionally has been a $3.4 billion industry in Cincinnati USA, employing 81,000 people in a variety of fields and, historically, bringing five million visitors to the region annually. To learn more about Cincinnati USA, visit www.CincyUSA.com or call 800.543.2613.