Thousands of sorority members hold conference in Columbus

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Some 3,600 registered members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, one of the nation’s historically African-American sororities, will converge on Columbus for its 2024 regional conference.

The Aug. 1-4 event will feature a number of business meetings and community service projects.

“We are the catalyst behind (those) who orchestrate and champion different change and challenging the status quo,” says Brittani Blackwell, midwest regional director for the sorority.

Experience Columbus, which markets Columbus as a destination city, said the sorority’s conference will bring more than $2.6 million to the local economy.

“First off, they're gonna fill the restaurants, the hotels,” Dan Williams with Experience Columbus said. “They're coming to our community, they're leaving their dollars in our community, but they're also leaving great knowledge in our community.”

While thousands will attend the conference in person, Blackwell says some 4,000 others are expected to participate in sessions virtually.

The sorority’s midwest region includes Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Ontario, Minnesota, Michigan, and Kentucky. Experience Columbus says such events show other organizations it can host similar events in Columbus.