The National Coalition of Black Meeting Professionals (NCBMP) brought its 42-year legacy of Black excellence in the meetings, tourism, and hospitality sector to Portland, Oregon, for this year’s annual conference and celebration.
Held at the Hilton in downtown Portland from Nov. 19 to Nov. 22 in partnership with Travel Portland, NCBMP’s 42nd annual conference delivered on the mission to Empower, Innovate, and Act with energy and intention. Attendees were immersed in powerful breakout sessions, inspiring keynote speeches, and a candid fireside chat with Slutty Vegan founder Pinky Cole Hayes—all set against a backdrop designed for meaningful networking, collaboration, and building collective purpose. From the first session to the final farewell, participants were poured into every step of the way.
“The NCBMP Annual Conference is a cornerstone event for Black professionals across all sectors of the meetings, tourism, and hospitality industry,” Jason Dunn, CEO of NCBMP, told BLACK ENTERPRISE. “Now in its 42nd year, the conference serves three essential purposes: One is to empower, or renew, or refresh the people who have traveled, many throughout the year, who are maybe dealing with issues of just uncertainty about their professional careers. Our industry is demanding, and many of our members are navigating environments where they are the “only one” in their organization. This conference is intentionally designed as a professional sanctuary—where people can be affirmed, seen, refueled, and inspired.”
Dunn continued. “The second piece is to do business. NCBMP brings together the full ecosystem—planners, suppliers, corporate brands, sports entities, faith organizations, fraternities and sororities, destination organizations, hotel brands, and entrepreneurs. Collectively, our members influence billions of dollars in meetings and events annually. The conference fuels new business relationships and strategic partnerships. The third is to get reaffirmed through education. We focus on elevating competencies, leadership capacity, and professional readiness. Attendees can expand their skill sets, gain credentialing credits, and sharpen their industry knowledge in ways that advance their careers.”
Throughout the conference, attendees said it felt like a genuine “family reunion.” From a community give-back initiative with the Urban League of Portland’s Feed the Folks program, to wine tastings, a live DJ inspiring sing-alongs over meals, and a Kid Capri–curated dance party to wrap a day of impactful learning, the NCBMP conference brought the vibes while continuing to champion excellence in the meeting planning profession.
“There’s a colleague, Najana White, who works with Miles Partnership, and you know, what she wrote about NCBMP last year was that when she’s here, she feels valued, seen, and heard,” said Zoe Moore, of Moore Consulting Agency. “It’s a family reunion. It’s where you can find mentors. Where you can find sponsors. Where you can find individuals who have been on your journey and can give you some guidance, but also learn from each other, and there’s a barrier that’s removed and more familiar when you’re at a coalition event versus going to other industry events. So that translates into the workplace when you often feel or are the only person of color, a Black person, in those spaces, and there always is this barrier of having to explain or code-switch in those spaces. Here, you don’t have to code switch, you know, and we’re going to keep it real with you, and you’re just going to make some lasting relationships, and then when we see each other across the ecosystem winning, we’re going to shout you out, so you have that extended family.”
Since the coalition’s inception in 1983, members have united at the conference under the non-profit’s shared mission of supporting members in all aspects of the meeting planning profession. Two days of specially curated programs and workshops highlight how the organization strives to support the educational advancement of Black association executives, meeting planners, and all meeting professionals, enhancing careers and the sector as a whole.
“They’ve been excellent at helping to connect with resources, whether it is a resource to answer a question, whether you’re looking for a vendor who can help you facilitate something, or you’re asking about a location that you’re considering hosting a meeting and they’ve already done it,” Danielle Kennedy-Jones with 100 Black Men of America Inc. said of NCBMP. “They can give you all of the insights for it. So it’s just been a wealth of knowledge and a wonderful group of people who can just kind of connect you to almost anything.”
Shari Dunn, executive consultant and author at ITBOM Training and Consulting, energized the room with an opening address that connected Portland’s often overlooked Black history to the ongoing realities of racial bias, microaggressions, and the rollback of DEI progress in today’s workplace. Pointing to the 2020 incident in which Wells Fargo CEO Charles Scharf apologized for claiming there was a “very limited pool of Black talent to recruit from,” Dunn drove home a powerful reminder for NCBMP members: “You are qualified.”
Zeek Coleman, vice president at Americas Tourism Economics, mixed sharp insights with humor and memes in a dynamic, data-driven keynote that broke down the pressures facing the events and tourism industry amid inflation, a tightening job market, and the rise of AI. Kendra Bracken-Ferguson—author, venture capitalist, and CEO of Brain Trust—closed out the two days of educational programming with a powerful address outlining the pillars that shaped her own “Brain Trust” network: community, mentorship, education, and capital. She credited these foundations, along with the trusted professionals within her circle, for helping her succeed as a three-time founder and advisor to top talent.
Slutty Vegan founder Pinky Cole Hayes brought the transparency as she reflected on a challenging year, tying her message to the theme of her 2023 self-help book, “I Hope You Fail.” After a turbulent start to the year—including temporarily losing and then regaining ownership of Slutty Vegan amid financial setbacks—Cole Hayes candidly described how “ghetto” 2025 felt for her, making no effort to sugarcoat the experience.
“I’m coming from a very vulnerable and transparent space because the year I had…..” Cole Hayes said. “2025 was very ghetto for me. I lost that $100 million company. One day I owned it and the next day, I didn’t own it.”
She opened up about how her company fell into debt despite generating millions across its East Coast locations, and how painful it was to “lose it all right in front of my face and the world’s face.” Yet, still standing with both her business and dignity intact, Cole Hayes credited the peace she finds at home with her husband and children for carrying her through the storm.
She also shared three key lessons the experience taught her:
“I learned who I need to do business with and who I don’t need to do business with. All money ain’t good money, and you are only as good as your team,” she said.
Cole Hayes also took a moment to spotlight the students in attendance. This year, NCBMP intentionally invited scholars from HBCUs and colleges nationwide to broaden the foundation they’re already laying for their future careers. Howard University students moved through the conference with purpose, networking with industry leaders who offered mentorship, guidance, and pathways to future opportunities. Their presence underscored NCBMP’s commitment to cultivating the next generation and securing its legacy for years to come.
“For many students, attending NCBMP is their first experience in a formal professional space. Exposure matters. Representation matters,” Dunn said. “Seeing Black excellence up close can shift a young person’s entire trajectory. Our message to them is simple: There is space for you here. There is opportunity for you here. And there is a community ready to support your growth.”
The 42nd annual conference closed with a glamorous black-tie gala recognizing members, partners, and organizations for their excellence and contributions to the industry and the NCBMP legacy. With a heartfelt tribute to its founders, NCBMP celebrated in a way that reaffirmed its enduring impact on the meetings, tourism, and hospitality sector for decades to come.
“Our founders created NCBMP in 1983 to give Black professionals a seat at the table. Today, this conference continues that legacy and expands the table,” Dunn said. “NCBMP is committed to building the pipeline—not just for today, but for generations to come.”
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