Black Travel Summit

10/10/2026

ONE WEEK UNTIL THE BLACK TRAVEL AWARDS GALA AND BABYYYY, WE CAN’T WAIT TO SEE THE DRIP!!!

Y’all know we LOVE a good theme, and this year we’re taking it to another level!

Our theme, Dandyism or Shades of Bronze, pays homage to the rich history, style, creativity, and legacy of the residents of Milwaukee’s historic Bronzeville neighborhood! 🤎

We’re talking ELEGANCE, OPULENCE, CULTURE, AND BLACK EXCELLENCE! From tailored suits and statement pieces to bold shades of bronze, we want you to show up and SHOW OUT! Because if there’s one thing about this community , we know how to DRESS!

Now we have one very important question… WHO WANTS TO SEE Phil The Culture IN A TUX OR SUIT?!

If you do, TAG HIM BELOW! We’re tired of that shirt 🫠

MILWAUKEE, GET READY! THE BLACK TRAVEL AWARDS GALA IS ABOUT TO BE A WHOLE FASHION MOMENT!

10/10/2026

🚨 BLACK AF EXPERIENCES: DEADLINE EXTENDED UNTIL TONIGHT! 🚨

First, THANK YOU to everyone who emailed, texted, and sent us DMs letting us know you were experiencing technical issues while trying to add your Black AF Experiences!

Our tech team has been working tirelessly to resolve the issues, and we want to make sure everyone has a fair opportunity to participate.

WE HAVE EXTENDED REGISTRATION UNTIL TONIGHT, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10!

⚠️ THIS IS THE FINAL EXTENSION. WE WILL NOT REOPEN REGISTRATION!

We must be considerate of our incredible Milwaukee business owners and community partners who need time to prepare their spaces, materials, and teams to welcome you!

HOW TO ADD YOUR BLACK AF EXPERIENCES IF YOURE ALREADY REGISTERED.

1️⃣ Click “modify registration”

2️⃣ Sign in using the same email address you originally registered with and the Confirmation # from your Registration Confirmation email.

3️⃣ Select your experience(s).

4️⃣ Complete your payment!

That’s it!

We appreciate your patience and can’t wait for you to experience Milwaukee through a BLACK LENS while supporting the entrepreneurs who make this city so amazing

10/09/2026

MEET US AT THE HARLEY-DAVIDSON MUSEUM!!! 🏍️🔥

Next Friday, October 16, we’re kicking off the Black Travel Summit festivities with an EPIC Opening Party presented by at the ICONIC Harley-Davidson Museum Harley-Davidson Museum .

Family, this one is going to be SPECIAL!

Not only are we paying homage to Milwaukee’s legendary Black biker crews, we’re celebrating the QUEEN OF MOTORCYCLES herself, Ms. Bessie Stringfield!

A trailblazer who broke barriers as a Black woman motorcyclist, Bessie rode across America during a time when the roads weren’t always welcoming to people who looked like us. Her courage, fearlessness, and legacy deserve to be celebrated, and the museum currently has an exhibit honoring her incredible story and how she built her own Renaissance!

When we tell you Visit Milwaukee has gone above and beyond to blow your minds, WE MEAN IT! Think BLACK EXCELLENCE, CULTURE, HISTORY, and an unforgettable night celebrating everything that makes Milwaukee extraordinary!

🚌 TRANSPORTATION: Following the Expo, buses will begin departing from the Hilton at 6:30 PM to take attendees to the Opening Party!

ALSO… if you’ve been waiting for the PERFECT occasion to pull out that leather motorcycle jacket, THIS IS YOUR MOMENT!

Milwaukee, we’re ready to celebrate with you!

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16 | HARLEY-DAVIDSON MUSEUM

LET THE RENAISSANCE BEGIN! 🖤🏾🏍️

BessieStringfield

10/09/2026

MEET US AT THE HARLEY-DAVIDSON MUSEUM!!! 🏍️🔥

Next Friday, October 16, we’re kicking off the Black Travel Summit festivities with an EPIC Opening Party presented by at the ICONIC Harley-Davidson Museum Harley-Davidson Museum .

Prepare for your minds to be blown, this one is going to be SPECIAL!

Not only are we paying homage to Milwaukee’s legendary Black biker crews, we’re celebrating the QUEEN OF MOTORCYCLES herself, Ms. Bessie Stringfield!

A trailblazer who broke barriers as a Black woman motorcyclist, Bessie rode across America during a time when the roads weren’t always welcoming to people who looked like us. Her courage, fearlessness, and legacy deserve to be celebrated, and the museum currently has an exhibit honoring her incredible story and how she started her own renaissance!

When we tell you Visit Milwaukee has been a phenomenal partner for us, WE MEAN IT! Think BLACK EXCELLENCE, CULTURE, HISTORY, and an unforgettable night celebrating everything that makes Milwaukee extraordinary!

🚌 TRANSPORTATION: Following the Expo, buses will begin departing from the Hilton at 6:30 PM to take attendees to the Opening Party!

ALSO… if you’ve been waiting for the PERFECT occasion to pull out that leather motorcycle jacket, THIS IS YOUR MOMENT!

Milwaukee, we’re ready to celebrate with you!

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16 | HARLEY-DAVIDSON MUSEUM

LET THE RENAISSANCE BEGIN!

HarleyDavidsonMuseum BessieStringfield

10/09/2026

🚨 TODAY IS THE LAST DAY TO REGISTER FOR ALL BLACK AF EXPERIENCES!!! ‼️

Next Thursday, October 15, we’re taking you beyond the conference walls to experience MILWAUKEE THROUGH A BLACK LENS!

With 11 incredible experiences to choose from, there’s something for EVERYBODY! From foodies and fashion lovers to history buffs, creatives, and cocktail enthusiasts, WE GOT YOU!

Our Black AF Experiences are all about supporting the movers, shakers, and Black entrepreneurs who make Milwaukee what it is! We’re intentional about where we spend our dollars and the economic impact we leave behind.

👉🏾 SWIPE THROUGH and find the experiences that speak to YOU!

And when you’re out enjoying them, make sure you TAG US AND THE BLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES so we can repost your content and show the WORLD the brilliance of Milwaukee’s Black entrepreneurs! ❤️

REGISTRATION CLOSES TODAY, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9!

Let’s show up, show love, spend intentionally, and leave Milwaukee better than we found it!

BlackOwnedMilwaukee

Joah Tucker

A great cocktail is more than a recipe, it’s technique, balance, presentation, and creativity.
Join us at Dream Lounge Social for The Art of the Cocktail, an intimate 90-minute mixology
experience exploring the craft behind a beautifully made drink.Guided by a professional
mixologist, guests will learn the techniques that transform individual ingredients into a
thoughtfully crafted cocktail from understanding flavor profiles and proportions to proper
preparation, mixing methods, and presentation. Throughout the experience, you’ll create and
enjoy two cocktails, accompanied by light hors d’oeuvres .

Adija Smith

Join us at Confectionately Yours for a hands-on cake decorating class where you’ll learn the
foundational techniques behind creating a beautifully finished cake. With your own cake,
you’ll learn how to level and stack layers, apply coating for a smooth finish, tint cream for
consistent color, and properly work with piping bags and decorating tips. No decorating
experience necessary. Whether you’re a budding baker or you’ve always wanted to know
how they make those c

10/08/2026

10/07/2026

LEGACY LEGACY LEGACY!!!

OUR STORIES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN PART OF HOSPITALITY, AND HE’S ENSURING THEY WILL ALWAYS BE TOLD!

When it comes to preserving our legacy from PAST to PRESENT, Calvin Stovall is doing the work!

With nearly 30 years in hospitality and nonprofit leadership, Calvin’s journey began as a front desk clerk at the Holiday Inn City Centre and eventually led him to become Vice President of Brand Marketing for Hilton Worldwide, where he oversaw marketing and public relations for more than 150 Homewood Suites hotels.

He has led. He has marketed. He has built brands. He has shaped experiences.

But what makes us especially excited to welcome Calvin is his commitment to making sure OUR stories are documented, celebrated, and carried forward.

Through his incredible book “Hidden Hospitality”, Calvin has preserved the stories and contributions of Black hospitality professionals , connecting the people who paved the way with those continuing to build the industry today.

A true LEGACY PRESERVER.

Today, as Chief Experience Officer of ICONIC Presentations, Calvin travels the country helping organizations rethink customer experience, leadership, and what it truly means to create experiences people remember.

And at Black Travel Summit, he’s bringing all of that history, knowledge, and experience to:

HIDDEN HOSPITALITY: Reclaiming Our Stories, Reimagining the Experience, Building the Legacy

From the people whose contributions have been overlooked, to the experiences we are creating NOW, to the legacy we are responsible for leaving NEXT, this conversation is going to be POWERFUL.

Black Travel Summit, help us welcome CALVIN STOVALL to the stage!

RECLAIM THE STORY. REIMAGINE THE EXPERIENCE. BUILD THE LEGACY.

10/07/2026

BLACK TRAVELERS ARE THE NEXT WAVE OF LEADERS CREATING LEGACY.

And that’s because there’s nobody better at CULTURAL FLUENCY.

We hail from everywhere . Our cultures, histories, languages, traditions, and lived experiences span the globe which means we have a unique ability to enter destinations, connect across cultures, build relationships, tell stories, and create impact .

Cultural fluency is the ability to navigate, understand, respect, and appreciate different cultural contexts, beliefs, traditions, and practiceswhile understanding how WE show up within them.

The more culturally fluent we become, the better storytellers, marketers, leaders, creators, advisors, entrepreneurs, and global citizens we become.

Exposure to different perspectives doesn’t only expand how we see the world , it expands how we see possibility .

And showing up in Milwaukee next week is about continuing a legacy that took root in Bronzeville and expanded far beyond it.

We’re coming together from across the country and around the world, bringing our experiences, perspectives, knowledge, and culture with us and continuing to build what comes next .

CULTURAL FLUENCY IS A CATALYST FOR GROWTH.

Personally.
Professionally.
Creatively.
Globally.

THIS IS OUR RENAISSANCE. SEE YOU IB MILWAUJEE

10/07/2026

WHAT IF THE LIFE YOU’VE ALWAYS DREAMED OF IS WAITING FOR YOU ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD?!

For some people, travel is an escape. For others, it’s the beginning of an entirely NEW LIFE!

And that’s exactly what happened to RJ MOOD!

Originally from Philadelphia, RJ MOOD | Expert Travel & Relocation Help curiosity took him to Colombia in 2017, where he began building relationships, exploring communities, and discovering a life beyond everything he had known. By 2023, he wasn’t simply visiting anymore he had made Medellín HOME!

Today, RJ is the founder of Rj MOOD|Travel|Relocation|Community which stands for MAKING OUR OWN DESTINY! And family, that’s exactly what he’s helping hundreds of travelers and aspiring expats do!

From exploring Colombia’s incredible food, culture, history, and communities to helping people confidently navigate relocating abroad, RJ has turned his personal journey into a pathway for others.

But what we love most about his work is his commitment to reconnecting the African diaspora through travel, culture, and genuine human connection. Because our connections to each other don’t stop at borders!

And he’s bringing an important conversation to this year’s Summit!

‼️YOU DIDN’T MOVE ABROAD TO BE A TOURIST IN SOMEONE ELSE’S CULTURE: Ethical Relocation, Intentional Connection, & the Conversations Black Travelers Actually Need ‼️

Moving abroad isn’t only about where you can afford to live or how beautiful the destination is. It’s about understanding the communities you’re entering, respecting the culture, building meaningful relationships, and recognizing the impact your presence has on the people who already call that place home

RJ is proof that you can redefine what home looks like, build community across continents, and create a life on YOUR OWN TERMS while being intentional about how you show up!

BLACK TRAVEL SUMMIT 2026, HELP US WELCOME RJ MOOD!

10/06/2026

DID YOU KNOW MILWAUKEE HAS OVER 1,000 BLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES???!!!!!

Our girl Sojourner, Train Travel Queen 🚂 and Visit Milwaukee have done an INCREDIBLE job , putting us on, but wait……. THERE’S MORE!!

Family, meet our friends MKE Black , a nonprofit organization dedicated to celebrating and amplifying Black-owned businesses, events, culture, and community throughout Milwaukee!

Looking for somewhere to eat, shop, explore, be creative or simply just experience Black Milwaukee? THEY GOT YOU! 🙌🏾

Through their website and app, you can search Black-owned businesses by neighborhood, category, day of the week, and even find the ones closest to you!

Y’all already know we’re BIG on GROUP ECONOMICS and supporting Black-owned businesses is one of the best ways to make sure our tourism dollars directly benefit the communities we visit!

As we get ready for the MILWAUKEE RENAISSANCE at Black Travel Summit, we’re making sure you know exactly where to spend those coins!

FOLLOW MKE Black SHARE THIS POST, AND LET’S KEEP BLACK BUSINESSES THRIVING!