Successful Meetings - February 2008 - (Page 41) > The Rainbow Connection are trying, with their help, to establish a partnership with TAM Airlines, which is the national airline in Brazil.” The only way those partnerships would be possible is through the CVB, Thom says, as “cold-calling some of these businesses would be tough.” Most of the Task Force events are local, but the group also holds its national conference in cities on the front lines of the LGBT civil rights movement. The event must also be held in a union-friendly hotel, Thom says, and so CVBs become very helpful in coordinating logistics. A number of CVBs around the country also have a designated sales representative for the LGBT community—a feature that Thom says is appreciated and helpful. Even smaller cities and destinations not traditionally thought of as “gay-friendly” are getting into the act, she says. “It is something we have not made enough hay out of, and we certainly will next year,” Thom says. “It’s getting to the point where Cleveland, OH, has a LGBT arm to their CVB. It makes our lives much easier. You don’t have to go in and explain what you’re doing and why it’s important. They are already educated about specific issues for gay tourists, for example. They know there are places in town where you might not be welcome, and they can tell you where those are.” Three years ago, the Dallas CVB launched an effort to promote the city to gay and lesbian travelers and groups, says President and CEO Phillip J. Jones. The CVB has a dedicated LGBT sales representative and a dedicated page on its website with resources for this market segment, www.glbtdallas.com. CVB Focus pated in a number of research projects, and focus groups, and built partnerships with local gay and lesbian groups and organizations. “The results have been impressive. We’ve booked 33 meetings and conventions since we launched the program, and we have a strong partnership with the Greater Dallas GLBT Chamber of Com- sincere and that you are truly focused on this market as a growth market.” Any doubt that Dallas would make an effort to attract more groups and events from LGBT organizations has evaporated with the success of the program. Gay and lesbian travelers spend more than $64 billion a year in the United States alone, garnering them about 10 percent of the total travel industry, Winter Party in Miami Beach “You don’t have to go in and explain what you’re doing and why it’s important. They are already educated about specific issues for gay tourists, for example. They know there are places in town where you might not be welcome, and they can tell you where those are.” —Janice Thom, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force merce and other similar organizations in the city,” he says. The CVB also works with LGBT programs of corporations located in Dallas, such as American Airlines’ Rainbow program, to bring in their meetings and conferences, Jones says. The efforts have made Dallas the 10th most popular destination for LGBT meetings and events, according to LGBT market research firm Community Marketing. “It’s a very loyal market,” he says. “If you show that you’re committed to this market and invest in it and assign staff to attend the trade shows and industry-specific meetings, and if you show that you’re committed by partnering with other GLBT organizations in the community, it shows your commitment is mimegasite.com “It was somewhat of a surprise to many groups that Dallas was going after this market. There has traditionally been the perception that Dallas was not a ‘gay-friendly’ destination,” Jones says. “The reality is that we have one of the largest GLBT communities in the country.” To launch the initiative, the CVB particiSUCCESSFUL MEETINGS FEBRUARY 2008 according to Community Marketing. “After two or three years of focusing on this market, we’re being used as an example to other cities in how to do it. It’s not about being politically correct, it’s about being economically correct,” Jones says. In addition to the LGBT designated sales representative, the CVB has representatives for the African American, Latino, and Asian market segments. “In these niche markets, it’s very relationship-based,” he says. “You really have to take the time to attend the meetings and do the networking and show that you’re truly committed to this effort and market. We have a limited staff and a limited budget, but we felt it was the best investment worth making.” 41 http://www.glbtdallas.com http://mimegasite.com
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