Magazine Online    The Authority On African-American Conventions, Incentives, & Leisure Travel
Industry Briefs
DALLAS IS THE BELLE OF THE AKA BOULE

The streets of downtown Dallas, Texas were a blur of pink and green excitement as Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated held its 2024 Biennial National Convention, or 71st Boule as it's known to members, at Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Dallas July 5-11, 2024. The 360,000 member-strong organization brought 20,000 high-energy attendees to a week-long conference that featured live entertainment, elevated dining experiences, and even a rousing keynote address by Vice President of the United States Kamala Harris, herself a proud member of the AKA sisterhood.

The multi-venue, multi-day event presented the culmination of a years-long preparation process that brought the entire city of Dallas together in an ultra-coordinated hosting effort. Initial outreach and collaboration between Kevin Owens , Regional Director of Sales for Visit Dallasand AKA began as far back as 2018. The sheer size of the AKA group, ambitious meeting specifications, the extended length of stay, and an already busy future event calendar presented planning challenges to any host city, requiring intentional planning and strategic vision. To get a clearer idea of how an AKA Boule would look and feel in their city, and what resources would need to be activated, Visit Dallas sent an early planning delegation to the 2022 Boule in Orlando, FL.

In the years that followed, Dallas, no stranger to citywide multi-faceted events, engaged Visit Dallas staff, convention center staff, community leaders and city officials to participate in the planning process. Visit Dallas conducted city planning meetings as well as a city-wide integration roundtable with multiple partners and stakeholders. Partners included Downtown Dallas, Inc., Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, Dallas Love Field Airport, Lyft, hotels, area restaurants, retail outlets, tour and transportation companies and the Dallas Police Department to name a few.

The Visit Dallas team's vision was to create not only a memorable convention experience within Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Dallas but a spectacular entertainment district surrounding the center that would include downtown, arts districts, Klyde Warren Park, McKinney Avenue historic district, The West End and the Deep Ellum entertainment district. All seamlessly connected by highly coordinated transportation resources running nearly around the clock.

AKA leadership envisioned that beyond their formal sessions, the Dallas Boule Conference would give members ample opportunities to strengthen their bonds of sisterhood. Social events, including galas, luncheons, and informal gatherings where members could reconnect and forge new relationships, were abundant. At every turn the spirit of unity and camaraderie would be encouraged and promoted as the sisters celebrated their identity as AKA women in a city united around them.

From the opening ceremonies Dallas' maverick can-do spirit was on full display. In collaboration with partners across multiple neighborhoods, the city hosted 2 VIP receptions, a 10,000-attendee western-themed night at the famous Gilley's dance hall, a city-wide light activation of the Dallas skyline, a soaring drone show and much more. Big, bright, audacious and quintessential Dallas down to every detail.

Initial projections of economic impact for the 71st AKA Boule in Dallas are in the $60M range, much of which was intentionally directed toward local businesses and corporate partners, with an emphasis on women and minority-owned businesses. But the impact went far beyond those numbers. True to its mission of service, the Boule Conference also included several community service initiatives.

Members participated in volunteer activities throughout Dallas, demonstrating their commitment to making a tangible difference in the lives of others through community service. Projects included partnerships with local schools, health clinics, food banks, and a Guiness World Record setting event for creating the most hygiene kits made within one hour.

Cheryl Richards

Visit Dallas' SVP, Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer Cheryl Richards, herself an AKA member, commented,

"Dallas clearly benefited from hosting this prestigious group that created an economic impact for our city, which also provided numerous jobs, and impacted the local community by providing over 25,000 power food packets and 8,500 hygiene packets for Dallas children and families."

One thing is clear, no one holds an energetic, inspiring gathering quite like the sisterhood of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. And no one hosts a gathering quite like the city of Dallas.

Advertisement