Conventions near their $1m goal

The team raising money for the National NAACP convention and National Baptist Convention in July and September, respectively, is only $50,000 short of its $1 million goal.

They say that's pretty good considering they've only been raising money for about 10 months. And it's good for the city, which hasn't always been thought of by African Americans as friendly.

Here's the story on the fundraising update.

And here's the press release if you want to see who's on the committee and what businesses are sponsoring the event.


By the way, the organzers say their estimated combined 50,000 attendance and $7 million economic impact numbers are probably low. The CVB estimates these things by a national, though localized, formula which uses the figure $298 per person staying the night. But they don't include people who just come for the day and don't stay the night. They also don't include money spent by the organizations on food, drink, florists, laundry and other services for attendees.


And don't worry, had organizers not raised enought money, the conferences would not have been cancelled, assures Julie Calvert, in charge of marketing for the CVB.

"It would have come from somewhere" she said. Perhaps even from the city or the CVB's budget, she suggested. But lack of corporate support would have made the city look bad and the conventions might not have had the needed amenities to make them stand out, she said.