NABJ kicks off convention in Birmingham hoping to set attendance record

OTHER DETAILS HAVE BEEN RELEASED. WELL, HERE IN BIRMINGHAM, IT’S BEEN A LONG TIME COMING, BUT IT IS FINALLY HERE. NABJ 2023, THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BLACK JOURNALISTS CONVENTION IS BRINGING IN THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE TO OUR CITY. AND IT ALL STARTS TODAY, WVTM 13. ERIN LLEWELLYN IS LIVE IN BIRMINGHAM TONIGHT. AND, ERIN, THE WAIT IS FINALLY OVER. YES, IAN SHERRY, THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE EXCITED TO BE HERE IN BIRMINGHAM FOR THE CONVENTION. AND FOR MANY IT’S THEIR FIRST TIME HERE IN THE CITY. NOW, THE NABJ SAYS THAT THIS COULD BE A RECORD BREAKING YEAR FOR ATTENDANCE, AND THAT’S GOOD FOR THE LOCAL ECONOMY. THOUSANDS OF JOURNALISTS READY TO EXPERIENCE THE MAGIC IN THE CITY OF BIRMINGHAM. THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BLACK JOURNALISTS CONVENTION HAS ARRIVED. I’M VERY EXCITED. AND IT’S EXPECTED TO BE A RECORD BREAKING YEAR. NABJ SAYS THIS COULD BE THEIR FIFTH MOST ATTENDED CONFERENCE. WVTM 13 ANCHOR CALAWAY SERVES AS PRESIDENT OF THE BIRMINGHAM CHAPTER. WE KNOW THAT IT’S PROBABLY AT LEAST 3000. COULD BE MORE. I MEAN, WE I THINK WE’RE AT FOUR AND FIVE OVERFLOW HOTELS AND WITH A LARGE NUMBER OF VISITORS, THE GREATER BIRMINGHAM CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU SAYS NABJ WILL BRING IN MORE THAN $7.5 MILLION IN THE AREA. WILL GET A CHANCE TO GET MORE BUSINESS NIGHTLIFE IN THE AREA. THIS IS A GROUP THAT LIKES TO HAVE A GOOD TIME AND PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING THE CITY. THIS IS SARAH WILLIAMS, FIRST TIME AT NABJ IN HER FIRST TIME IN BIRMINGHAM. I MEAN, I TRIED TO GET A RESERVATION AT THE TACO PLACE DOWN THE STREET, AND IT WAS A LOT. SO A LOT OF PEOPLE THERE. SO I’M SURE THAT IT’S GOOD FOR WHATEVER’S GOING ON AS FAR AS THE ECONOMY HERE AND SUMMER, KNOWLES IS READY TO OPEN HER WALLET. YEAH, I’M GOING TO BE SPENDING MY MONEY. ALL THE MONEY HERE IN THE CITY, IN THE CITY. SOAK UP SOME OF THE CULTURE, BUT DEFINITELY SPEND SOME MONEY AND HELP THE LOCAL ECONOMY. LIKE MANY OTHERS, WILLIAMS SAYS THIS WON’T BE HER LAST TIME EXPERIENCING THE MAGIC HERE IN BIRMINGHAM. I WANT TO VENTURE OUT AND GET TO KNOW MORE OF THE AREA, BUT 4000 PEOPLE BEING IN ONE SPOT, THAT’S THAT’S A LOT. THAT MEANS THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING GOOD THINGS HERE. TO HAVE NABJ COME HERE AND DO AN EVENT LIKE THIS. NOW, THE SESSIONS AND THE CAREER FAIR AND THE WORKSHOPS HAVE ENDED FOR THE DAY, BUT THE FUN IS JUST BEGINNING. THERE ARE SEVERAL MIXERS THAT ARE HAPPENING TONIGHT, SO PEOPLE CAN REALLY LET THEIR HAIR DOWN AND HAVE A GOOD TIME AT THE CONVENTION AND WE’LL PICK IT BACK UP IN THE MORNING BRIGHT AND EARLY. BUT FOR RIGHT NOW, WE’RE LIVE