The Ancient Egyptian Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine – more commonly known as the Prince Hall Shriners – will return to Cincinnati USA for its 2015 Imperial Council Session and Annual Convention from August 14 – 20, 2015. The convention will bring together nearly 4,000 members from across the country from both the Shrine Organization itself and its Auxiliary – the Imperial Court – which is composed of wives, sisters, mothers and daughters of the membership.

Prince Hall Shrine delegates are contracted to use more than 12,000 total hotel room nights and spend $3.6 million at local hotels, restaurants and attractions during the event. The Imperial Council Session and Annual Convention will be held primarily at the Duke Energy Convention Center (DECC), with host hotels including the Garfield Suites Hotel, Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza, Hyatt Regency Cincinnati, and Millennium Hotel Cincinnati, as well as properties in Northern Kentucky.

The 2015 convention marks the return of the Shriners to Cincinnati after a highly successful conference in 2011. This year’s event will again be highly visible in the community, as it provides live entertainment, health screenings and charitable work throughout the downtown area and across the region. The Shriners will also make donations to the American Diabetes Association and St. Jude Children's Hospital during the week of the convention, as well as present free book bags and bicycles to the students at Frederick Douglass Elementary in Cincinnati.

“Downtown Cincinnati has undergone an extraordinary amount of development since our last meeting here in 2011,” commented Rochelle Julian, Imperial Potentate (highest ranking official) of the Prince Hall Shriners. “We left with a very positive impression of the city in 2011, and with all of the new entertainment, dining, and hotel options that have emerged in the 4 years since our last visit, I can guarantee that our members will again be pleased with their experience in Cincinnati. We are looking forward to what promises to be a great week for our organization and the local community.”

Convention programming will be running at the Duke Energy Convention Center from August 14-20, and live entertainment on Fountain Square will take place beginning August 16 to welcome the organization. Many events will be available for the public to participate in throughout the conference.

Highlights of the public events are below:

Saturday, August 15

• The Prince Hall Shriners Diabetes Walk: Begins at Fountain Square at 8:00 a.m. (open to the public)
• Health Fair and Voter Registration – Duke Energy Convention Center; 10:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m., 6:30 p.m. (open to the public)
• Youth Music/Talent Competition – Holiday Inn Cincinnati Airport; 7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. (open to the public)
• Sinai Temple & Court Dance – Duke Energy Convention Center, Junior Ballroom on the 3rd floor. Open to the public with ticket charge at the door.
• Cameo Concert – Duke Energy Convention Center; 8 p.m. – midnight. Doors open at 7 p.m., show begins at 8 p.m. For tickets, visit www.ccaaevents.com.

Wednesday, August 19

• Book Bag Program: Frederick Douglass Elementary (2627 Park Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45206), begins at 9:00 a.m. Every year, the organization donates book bags filled with school supplies to students at a local school. (Open to media and public)
• Opening Ceremonies and the Parade of Stars, featuring the Shrine’s Drill Patrol, Marching Clubs, the signature Shrine clown cars, and color guard.
  • Parade begins at 6:00 p.m., with route starting at 5th Street and Sentinel, heading west on 5th Street and concluding at 5th and Elm Street.

Free diabetes testing for the public will also be taking place at the Duke Energy Convention Center throughout the conference. See below for a full schedule of the diabetes testing times:

• Sunday, August 16: 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• Monday, August 17: 10 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
• Tuesday, August 18: 10 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
• Wednesday, August 19: 8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.

“As we saw with the MLB All-Star Game, our destination knows that hosting successful region-wide events is about more than just opening our convention facilities,” said Dan Lincoln, president and CEO of the Cincinnati USA Convention & Visitors Bureau. “It’s about our entire community welcoming our visitors and showing them the people, places and passion that make Cincinnati such a special place. That dedication to hospitality is an integral part of how our industry works together to bring organizations like the Prince Hall Shriners back for future events.”

For specific questions regarding media or public participation in conference events, contact Les Miller, Jr. Imperial Director, Imperial Public & Media Relations Department, AEAONMS, at 813.833.8300.