Mayors' group to bring 700 for May convention

More than 700 members of the National Conference of Black Mayors (NCBM) will convene in Cincinnati from May 12-16, the City and Cincinnati USA Convention and Visitors Bureau announced yesterday.

The 36th Annual Convention, themed "Able Leaders, Stable Cities: Resolving Our Communities' Challenges," will bring influential civic leaders from throughout the country to discuss solutions and best practices to challenges faced by local elected officials.

More than 1,200 local hotel room nights are expected to be booked. The convention will be headquartered at the Hyatt Regency Cincinnati, with events held at venues such as the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center.

"We are looking forward to our time in Cincinnati," NCBM President and St. Gabriel, La. Mayor George L. Grace said in a media release. "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."

"As a member, it's very gratifying to bring the 2010 Annual Convention home to Cincinnati," said Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory, himself a member of NCBM. "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."

The convention also coincides with Major League Baseball's Civil Rights Game, to be played between the Cincinnati Reds and the St. Louis Cardinals on May 15 at Great American Ball Park.

"Our goal in booking any convention is to create positive synergies between the group and our local community," said Cincinnati USA President and CEO Dan Lincoln. "The fact that this convention will occur on the same weekend as The Civil Rights Game speaks to the strength and opportunities that can come from successful collaboration."

The 36th Annual National Conference of Black Mayors Convention in is the latest in a string of multicultural conventions attracted to the City, which included the NAACP Annual Convention and the National Baptist Convention in 2008. Future events include the Gospel Music Workshop of America in 2010, the League of United Latin American Citizens Convention in 2011, 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," Lincoln said. "Cincinnati is quickly earning the reputation as an outstanding host city for national thought-provoking and influential groups."

"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 next month," Grace said.

Founded in 1974, NCBM members lead more than 50 million constituents in nearly every state, focusing on local empowerment, articulating public policy positions, and serving as a clearinghouse of information pertinent to municipal development and financing.