This July, Cleo Battle will take over as president and CEO of Louisville Tourism after eight years as the bureau’s executive vice president and COO. Battle shared highlights of his 34-plus-year career working at DMOs and hotels around the country — and how he’s trying to do his part to make the industry better and more diverse.

A candid and soul-searching conversation on racism and white supremacy at Convening Leaders points out the role business events can play in creating positive change on a global scale.

Here’s how one city with a history in the slave trade in North America has made the Black experience in America central to its identity.

Long Beach’s director of creative initiatives, Tra Jones, said the brand-new role is designed to bring live events into the convention center while elevating the experience for those watching online.

Carol Wallace, recipient of the inaugural PCMA Groundbreakers Award, talks about her 35-year career that included 24 years as president and CEO of the San Diego Convention Center Corporation.

Change won’t happen overnight, but there are concrete actions that event planners can take to educate themselves about racial equality and equity. Convening Leaders speaker Torin Perez shares his three-step action plan to help individuals achieve a more grounded perspective on race and society.

As the pandemic demands we find new ways of doing things, consultant Natalie Nixon offers a strategic and tactical map to becoming more creative.

The National Coalition of Black Meeting Professionals (NCBMP) held its State of Black Tourism event virtually on Sept. 17 in partnership with the National Press Club. In his Chairman’s Address, Jason Dunn spotlighted how the pandemic has disproportionately impacted Black hospitality workers.

Tennant is in charge of marketing a destination where a movement was reborn. Here’s how he is leading his team through its complex challenges.

Black executives from seven destination marketing organizations across the country call for open dialogue about race and racism.

Diversity is not a problem — it’s a strength, says entrepreneur and speaker Risha Grant. “Inclusion,” she said, “is where we suck.”

Two nonprofit initiatives have strengthened their focus to fight gendered racial inequities on conference stages and elsewhere — and lead transformation.