At its recent quarterly meeting the NAACP National Board of Directors chose Cincinnati, Ohio as the host city for the organization's 2008 annual convention. In a unanimous vote Oct. 21 in St. Louis, the board selected the Queen City.

"Ohio will be the epicenter of our nonpartisan efforts to elect a pro-civil rights Congress [that year], and we look forward to visiting the city again," said NAACP Board Directors Chairman Julian Bond.

The 99th gathering of NAACP membership and its supporters is expected to bring between 4,500 and 5,000 to the region leading to an estimated 11,575 hotel room nights and an economic impact of more than $4 million.

"The buzz about Cincinnati is the 2008 Annual National NAACP Convention," said NAACP Cincinnati Branch President Edith Thrower. "Cincinnatians realize just how big this is for our city. I am particularly excited about the cross-section of support for the event. From corporate to grassroots, they are all lining up to meet the demand of the convention planning. The convention is always a great source of information, and we are honored to host it."

Cincinnati beat out Las Vegas for the opportunity to host the event.

"The entire Cincinnati community should be extremely proud," said Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory. "This announcement is the result of a lot of hard work by many people throughout our region. This says a lot about the direction that we are going in our community, and I am excited about what this could mean for the future of our city."

The annual NAACP Convention is one of the largest annual gatherings of African Americans in the nation, often drawing political, academic, business and social leaders along with entertainers and other influential personalities over its week of activities and meetings.

The 2007 NAACP Annual Convention will be held in Detroit July 7-12.

Founded in 1909, the NAACP is the nation's oldest and largest civil rights organization. Its members throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities, conducting voter mobilization and monitoring equal opportunity in the public and private sectors.

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http://www.naacp.org/news/press/2006-11-07-02/