CINCINNATI, OH, JUNE 28, 2016 – The Cincinnati USA Convention & Visitors Bureau will welcome the international body of the Church of God in Christ Inc. (COGIC) from July 4-8 for the organization’s annual Auxiliaries In Ministry (AIM) 2016 Convention. The convention is expected to attract more than 10,000 attendees from around the country, with direct visitor spending estimated at $2.2 million.
 
COGIC is a Pentecostal-Holiness Christian denomination with a predominantly African-American membership, made up of more than five million members in the United States. The AIM Convention is the annual summer gathering of COGIC, with programming focused on spiritual enrichment, training, education and fellowship for attendees, as well as promoting effectiveness in ministry. The convention events will take place primarily in the Duke Energy Convention Center and contracted downtown Cincinnati hotels.
 
For further information regarding the COGIC AIM schedule and special programming, visit www.cogic.org/AIM.
 
COGIC’s arrival continues a busy and diverse convention summer for Cincinnati, with the region’s largest four events – Educational Testing Service (June 1-18), The Christian Booksellers Association (June 26-30), COGIC (July 4-8), the NAACP (7/16-20) and the American Legion (8/26-9/1) – collectively expected to bring more than 32,000 attendees to the region.

“For Cincinnati to be hosting both COGIC and NAACP in the midst of such a packed convention summer is truly remarkable, and it speaks to our strength as a welcoming destination for multicultural and religious organizations” said Dan Lincoln, president and CEO of the Cincinnati USA Convention & Visitors Bureau. “This is a special organization - one of the largest African American religious conventions in the country - and they couldn’t be coming at a better time for our city.”  

In conjunction with COGIC’s arrival, the Cincinnati USA CVB will launch its new multicultural platform, Vibe Cincinnati. Through art, entertainment and immersive experiences, Vibe Cincinnati aims to create a welcoming and inclusive environment for diverse audiences, engaging both Cincinnati residents and visitors in the energy of the downtown area. As the kickoff of Vibe Cincinnati, free events and entertainment options on Fountain Square will be scheduled July 3-7 for COGIC attendees and area residents.  Click here for the Vibe Cincinnati schedule.
 
“The CVB’s new Vibe Cincinnati platform is all about showcasing our region’s diversity of talented artists and entertainers to visitors from around the world,” said Jason Dunn, Vice President of Multicultural and Community Development at the Cincinnati USA CVB. “We look forward to introducing the VIBE platform to the community with the start of COGIC, one of our largest multicultural conventions of the year.
 
As part of Vibe Cincinnati’s mission to connect convention attendees to local artists, the CVB recently unveiled welcome banners, posters and signage for both COGIC and NAACP to feature the work of local artists Annie Ruth and Joyce Phillips Young. See the COGIC welcome banner artwork here.
 
About the Cincinnati USA Convention & Visitors Bureau
The Cincinnati USA Convention & Visitors Bureau is an aggressive sales, marketing and service organization whose primary responsibility is to positively impact Hamilton County's and the City of Cincinnati's economy through convention, trade show and visitor expenditures. The travel and tourism industry is a $4.4 billion industry annually in Cincinnati USA, employing 74,000 people in a variety of fields and bringing 24.1 million visitors to the region each year.
 
About the Church of God in Christ
The Church Of God in Christ (COGIC) is a Pentecostal-Holiness Christian denomination with a predominantly African-American membership. The denomination reports having over five million members in the United States. The National Council of Churches ranks it as the largest Pentecostal denomination and the fourth largest Christian denomination in the U.S.
 
Internationally, COGIC can be found in more than 60 nations. Its worldwide membership is estimated to be between six and eight million, composing more than 15,000 congregations throughout the world.