Florida Agenda

Next Stop … Brazil!

By BOB KECSKEMETY

WILTON MANORS, FL – The International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA) finished their 2011 convention in Ft. Lauderdale/Wilton Manors in what the organization refers to as being a huge success.

IGLTA President and CEO John Tanzella, after returning from a U.S. Travel Association Pow Wow event which included tour operators, travel media, hotels and others involved in the travel industry, said that he couldn’t be more pleased with the results. The annual convention, with portions being held in both Fort Lauderdale and Wilton Manors, drew 507 delegates from 35 countries, coming from as far as South Africa and Australia to see what the Greater Fort Lauderdale area has to offer.

And what was the impression Fort Lauderdale made on the delegates? “It was extremely positive,” said Tanzella. “In fact, many of the attendees said they wanted to move here.”

The Annual Global Convention was held for five days, from May 10th through 15th. Each year there is a different education theme. This year’s education theme was marketing. Tanzella reported that there was a special emphasis placed this year on using online marketing techniques. He stated that there were representatives from Trip Advisor and Google, along with other presenters, explaining new trends and how businesses, big and small, can reach gay and lesbian travelers.

“Every year there seems to be more and more online marketing,” said Tanzella. “I think that LGBT travelers in particular tend to be more internet savvy, and so you need to reach them using the internet, social media, etc., to reach them versus some of the more historical ways of reaching travelers. So, even if you’re a travel agency, you still might not have people walking into your travel agency the way they did in the ‘80s, but you can market your travel agency on places like Twitter and Facebook to draw clients and easily connect your clients with the marketplace.”

Globally, it is estimated that gays and lesbians spend a total of $75-billion a year on everything from airlines and hotels to tours and complete vacation packages. Brazil, explained Tanzella, is extremely popular right now, as is New York City. He added that Capetown, South Africa, and Sydney, Australia, are also very popular, but the Greater Fort Lauderdale area always places in the top-ten in popularity. Next year’s convention will be held in Brazil.

Tanzella said the public consumer show, which was held on Friday, May 13th at Hagen Park behind the Wilton Manors City Hall, was the most popular event drawing thousands of locals from as far away as Miami. Those attending the consumer show saw exhibits from different travel destinations and businesses involved in the travel industry. That evening, there was also a concert by Kristine W., which was organized by the Rainbow Business Coalition of Greater Fort Lauderdale. The RBC also helped in marketing the entire event. “It was a fantastic night,” said Tanzella.

“This was the largest convention we’ve had so far,” said Tanzella. “Each year it seems to get bigger and bigger, but the previous record was the Las Vegas convention, which was held in 2008.” Tanzella also added that it was the largest convention held in Fort Lauderdale in regards to international delegates.

Tanzella credits much of this year’s success to the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau, Wilton Manors Mayor Gary Resnick and to the Rainbow Business Coalition. Broward County Mayor Sue Gunzburger was on hand to welcome the delegates and dignitaries from Washington, D.C., flew in to welcome the international delegates.

Delta Airlines, the Brazilian airline TAM and the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau were huge sponsors, explained Tanzella, but they also had sponsorships from different regions in Brazil in preparation of next year’s convention. Tanzella also appreciated the support the IGLTA convention received from local businesses like the Sawgrass Mills Mall, The Manor and Tropics, but indicated that the support received from the Rainbow Business Coalition was huge.

The IGLTA moved their international headquarters from Fort Lauderdale to N.E. 26 Street in Wilton Manors last August.

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL – Father Bill Collins and the Poverello Center Food Bank were honored for their work in South Florida and the Caribbean at the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association’s 28th Annual Convention held in Fort Lauderdale
earlier this month. The presentation took place at the Convention’s closing night gala on May 14th at the Broward County Convention Center.

IGLTA’s 28th annual convention brought together tourism industry leaders from more than twenty countries. Each year, IGLTA makes a donation to a charity in the host city as part of their gala evening. Poverello received a total donation of $29,500 ($5,000 from the IGTLA, $5,000 from Island City Health and Fitness, $1,000 from the Curacao Tourism Board, $2,500 from Jacqueline E.

Cannavan, PA, Esq., plus $16,000 from a silent auction.

LGBT Greater Fort Lauderdale:  The Future is in Your Hands

Part 6 of 6

By BOBBY BLAIR & CLIFF DUNN

“The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise with the occasion.”
– Abraham Lincoln

“We few, we happy few, we band of brothers…”
– William Shakespeare, Henry V

One of the last century’s great economists said that good ideas have to be relearned anew by each successive generation. Those of us in LGBT media know (and often quote the stats) that most gay men and women prefer to buy products from, or do business with, businesses and companies that support LGBT causes and that do outreach through various LGBT-themed media forms.

But there is an inverse side to these numbers.

A now-infamous Web posting that went semi-viral last year concerned the owner of a short-lived Wilton Manors business who announced his store’s swansong on his business’ site with a posting that was more accusatory than informative [“We were here for you.”]. To further drive home the none-too-subtle point, the message states, with finality and a tone that is sweeping in its indictment: “Due to the lack of business and SUPPORT from ‘our community’ the [business] has no toher (sic) choice but to close!”

The haranguing tone of the post notwithstanding, it is hard not to sympathize with the sense of disappointment that was surely conveyed: part Jeremiad, part cry for help, part reminder that we are all of us to some degree or other in this thing together.

In Wilton Manors over the past 18 months, 17 businesses have closed their doors; as many as 10 more are projected to do likewise in the next few months. And many owners are facing the possibility of forced relocation for their businesses in response to what they perceive as egregious increases in their rent by landlords with unknown agendas.

And yet, business remains an exercise in cooperation. This involves, to a large degree, getting large numbers of strangers to trust one another.

It means persuading large numbers of people – bosses and employees, stockholders and suppliers, to say nothing of customers – to work together towards a common purpose.

The Rainbow Business Coalition (RBC) of Greater Fort Lauderdale began as a group of likeminded business owners and community leaders who wanted to pool their individual ideas and best practices (hence the original working name, the “Think Tank”) in cooperation to achieve mutual goals.

“The RBC endorses, sponsors, and promotes opportunities that benefit business,” offers Reece Darham, owner of Island City Health & Fitness in Wilton Manors and the current chair of RBC. “Sometimes an opportunity may be to promote a type of industry; sometimes an opportunity may be to promote across the business spectrum.”

In its sophomore year, the group has been granted such an opportunity The International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association’s (IGLTA) decision to hold its 28th Annual Global Convention in Greater Fort Lauderdale represents an important short term economic fix that could bestow the benefits of long term, sustainable business opportunities.

The Convention, which began on Tuesday, May 10, will include seminars and meetings for IGLTA members, as well as a number of events for delegates to interact with Greater Fort Lauder-dale’s gay locals and scene. The largest of these is expected to be Friday’s Consumer Trade Show in Hagen Park, next to Wilton Manors City Hall. The Trade Show, which runs from 6 to 10 p.m., will befollowed by a free live concert featuring Billboard recording artist Kristine W.

By Darham’s best guess, “the IGLTA convention is estimated to bring in $1.3 million in the short week they are here, and has the potential to generate millions more in the months and years to come.”

He recognizes, too, the long term impact to the entire area. “As a Travel and Tourism convention,” he notes, “this is even more salient for Fort Lauderdale in that we are a tourism destination and many, if not most, businesses rely on the additional influx of tourism dollars in season to carry those businesses in the off-season.”

Both the Trade Show and concert have been underwritten by the RBC, which translated means its member business owners, and in some instances sponsors who have donated cash, product, or both. Darham insists that the owner/members have given “each according to his or ability,” and cites as standouts Jackson Padgett and Mark Negrete, owners of Georgie’s Alibi and Bill’s in Wilton Manors, who absorbed the costs for the concert and entertainers, including travel expenses, as well as Ken Kelley and Lloyd Pagels, the owners of Scandals Saloon in Wilton Manors and The Stable in Oakland Park.

“I don’t think Jackson knows the meaning of ‘no’,” Darham laughs. “Ken and Lloyd have been tremendous: not only will they be donating $3,500 in beer, but they have also secured Barefoot Winery as the wine sponsor.” He adds: “They will be the alcohol vendors for the event, giving the RBC 100% of all proceeds from sales.”

Darham notes that Brown Forman Brands, makers of Chambord Vodka, “also gave a $3,000 cash donation and an additional $1,500 in-kind donation to the event and will be the sponsor of the VIP tent for the IGLTA delegates.”

The business and community leaders who are investing their time, energies, and a-not-inconsiderable amount of money in the enterprise are upbeat and optimistic.

“With so many nations represented at the convention, this event may very well secure Fort Lauderdale as a premier gay destination of choice for international traveler,” says Scandals’ Kelley. “We have a unique opportunity to let the world know that Florida is not just Miami. The potential economic impact will hopefully be realized, not just during this weekend, but for many years to come.”

The Alibi’s Padgett agrees. “I believe the community will begin seeing some immediate financial influx of international dollars being spent over the next several months, but more importantly over the years to come.”

In the end, how the community responds to this unique opportunity to meet new friends from exotic places and encourage them to make Fort Lauderdale a regular part of their – and their clients’ – travel plans will determine in large measure what the long-term payoffs will be.  As Dr. Seuss wrote: “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. You are the guy who’ll decide where to go.” Another good idea it’s time to relearn.

REFLECT THE DESTINATION’S TOTAL TRANSFORMATION AND FAMILY APPEAL

Parents and Kids, Chic Couples and Convention Goers Fill Beaches Once Inhabited by College Kids on a Shoestring Budget

Photo: FLL Spring Break 1966

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL – As the City of Fort Lauderdale celebrates its 100th birthday this March, the 23 miles of Blue Wave beaches that make up the shoreline of Greater Fort Lauderdale will be bustling, though not with what most Americans think of as “Spring Breakers.” Fifty years ago this was the Spring Break capital of America, as some 300,000 college kids descended on the destination. Today, the story of Greater Fort Lauderdale is one of total transformation, and how things have changed.

“In contrast to 50 years ago, today’s Spring Breakers have a new mindset and think of us in a much different way,” said Nicki E. Grossman, president of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau.  “They are coming to Greater Fort Lauderdale for our affordable luxury, beach chic vibe, trendy dining, great shopping, AND spectacular beaches.  Once here, they realize that from the sawgrass to the seagrass we have it all – easily accessible and always enjoyable.”

What does the Greater Fort Lauderdale Spring Breaker of today look like?  They are apt to be chic couples in the mood for golf or luxury spas, opera, ballet or Broadway shows, and staying in luxury resorts like the W Fort Lauderdale, recently named the trendiest hotel in America. Or, they might be convention goers; the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center, celebrating its 20th anniversary, welcomes 580,000 attendees from around the world each year. Or they might be cruise passengers enjoying a mini-vacation before or after their voyage from the city’s Port Everglades, one of the busiest cruise ports in the world.

What is certain is that a large number of this year’s spring visitors will be far too young to be thinking about beer and bikinis – because Greater Fort Lauderdale is the ideal escape for families with younger children. Offering great value, families will find welcoming accommodations in every price category, from cozy guesthouses and B&B’s (known as Superior Small Lodgings) to the most popular hotel brands, as well

as diverse dining experiences. With child-friendly attractions and activities, all kinds of watersports, special events throughout the spring vacation season, and, of course, the beaches, this is “the place to go” for a memorable family break from school, according to AOL Travel’s recent story 2011 Spring Break: Where to Go and Where to Avoid.

On March 27, visitors can attend Fort Lauderdale’s birthday party, an all-day outdoor event in the center of the city’s Arts and Entertainment District. But that is just the beginning of things to do. From free outdoor concerts to fun and educational experiences at the Museum of Discovery & Science, Butterfly World and Flamingo Gardens to airboat rides at Billie Swamp Safari in the Everglades, canoeing, jet skiing, snorkeling and Scuba diving, and even leisurely Water Taxi rides or Jungle Queen Riverboat cruises through the Intracoastal Waterway and downtown Fort Lauderdale.

Springtime special events include Cirque Dreams Broadway at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, the Las Olas Wine and Food Festival, the Coral Springs Festival of the Arts, the 16th Wine & Culinary Celebration, and “Vatican Splendors – Art and Faith” a major touring exhibition at the Fort Lauderdale Museum of Art are other indications Greater Fort Lauderdale has transformed itself, and redefined Spring Break.

IGLTA: Countdown to Convention.     Part 5 of a Six Part Series

“If it were not for guests all houses would be graves.” Kahlil Gibran

With less than one week remaining until the start of the International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association’s (IGLTA) 28th Annual Convention, called “Unleashed,” Greater Fort Lauderdale’s LGBT-owned businesses are putting their final touches together in preparation for what is hoped to be a successful event, one that will pay dividends long after the attendees have returned to their respective cities and countries.

While many business owners are aware that the impact to their bottom lines may not be felt until sometime in the future – Realtors®, for example, who may reap the rewards through rental lease agreements and the prospect of future sales – food service and hospitality businesses are hoping for the immediate returns that a successful, well-attended convention and its collateral events will engender.

The dual goals of this sort of short-term/long-range strategy require the dexterity of a goat navigating a treacherously narrow mountain path. While the delegates to the IGLTA Convention and their guests attend lectures

and seminars, bar and restaurant owners will be planning for the weekend of May 13 through 15, when the largest number of visitors will be flowing into their establishments.

“Every business, whether specifically involved in this event or not, will realize some benefits from this convention,” insists Ken Kelley, co-owner of Scandals Saloon and The Stable. “This is a most unique opportunity for all of us to showcase our city and our diversity.”

The Rainbow Business Coalition (RBC) of Greater Fort Lauderdale has led the charge in making preparations for one of the largest planned events of the convention, the Friday May 13 Consumer Trade Show and Concert, both of which will be held at Hagen Park in Wilton Manors.

The Trade Show – a highlight of IGLTA’s 27 past global Conventions – is an opportunity for the delegates to promote their businesses to Greater Fort Lauderdale’s LGBT community.

According to John Tanzella, President and CEO of IGLTA, “this year’s travel-themed Consumer Trade Show is particularly dynamic thanks to the support of the RBC, which joined forces with IGLTA to produce the free expo in the heart of Wilton Manors.”

Beginning at 6 p.m., residents and visitors will interact with IGLTA members from Brazil, Germany, Argentina, the United Kingdom, Japan, France, Spain, Canada, Peru, South Africa, Australia and other countries, representing a variety of travel-related industries, including tour operators, hoteliers, destination resorts and communities, airlines and travel agents.

The organizers had originally planned a Parade of Flags on Wilton Drive, but the logistics of closing down the city’s main thoroughfare and getting the delegates to and from their expo booths was considered too time-consuming, so the decision was made to concentrate on producing the most successful expo possible. Immediately following the Trade Show, attendees will be treated to a free concert by Billboard recording artist Kristine W. That performance is expected to begin at 10 p.m., and has been underwritten in its entirety by Jackson Padgett and Mark Negrete, owners of Georgie’s Alibi and Bill’s.

Says Padgett: “It is my hope that we can show the IGLTA that we are a united community that strives to be kind, welcoming, compassionate, empathic and generous to all.”

Gay-owned bars and restaurants throughout Greater Fort Lauderdale are anticipating new guests who they hope to turn into friends, and potential returning patrons.

“I hope our visitors go back home only to recommend to their clients and colleagues to visit one of Fort Lauderdale’s most unique gay sports bars,” says Jennifer Morales, Director of Marketing at Sidelines Sports Bar in Wilton Manors. “Sidelines will do our very best to welcome the IGLTA delegates and we hope our loyal customers also come out during this time to meet new friends and enjoy the diversity we all enjoy as gay men and women,” she adds.

With so many businesses competing for a narrow market share, there has been no shortage of naysayers and critics pointing to the difficulties of bringing so many owners, and their divergent agendas, to the table for a common purpose.

“Over the years, there have been a number of attempts to unite businesses to reach a common goal,” notes Scandals’ Kelley. “That goal, of course, is for all of us to achieve the maximum success for our business. Those attempts have not been successful until the RBC. While we still have a way to go to truly be united, the RBC has made tremendous strides in bringing us all together.”

“The RBC was established to do just that,” agrees Padgett. “Open up communications between our community businesses in hopes to unite them, rather than allow the persistent separation by rumor and innuendo designed to do nothing but create a divided community and fuel hate and pain.”

Does this mean that the Age of Miracles has arrived in the gayborhood? Offers Kelley: “The fact that a group of bar owners will sit in the same room and discuss how we can all work together for our common good is quite remarkable.”

IGLTA: Countdown to Convention – Part Three of a Six-Part Series

By Cliff Dunn

Although he might not be consciously aware of it, Reece Darham is an exponent of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s admonition that “there are no second acts” in life. This can be witnessed in the almost monomaniacal way the chairman of the Rainbow Business Coalition (RBC) of Greater Fort Lauderdale is overseeing preparations for the Consumer Trade Show and Expo his group is sponsoring as part of the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association’s (IGLTA) upcoming convention in Broward County.

Darham and his band of gay business and community leaders have focused on the IGLTA event as a means of promoting both immediate and long term growth in Greater Fort Lauderdale’s still-struggling economy. When IGLTA selected Fort Lauderdale as the host city for their 28th Annual Global Convention, dubbed “Unleashed,” the RBC saw the opportunity to highlight the area’s thriving LGBT community, the nation’s second largest.

RBC was formed almost two years ago (under its original, informal working name, “Think Tank”) by  a small group of LGBT business owners and community leaders who realized an opportunity to join together to promote unity, leadership, and common goals.

As Peter Clark, Publisher of Hotspots magazine and a founder of RBC, pointed out at a recent board meeting, the group “is not a Chamber of Commerce, but a business league,” in which members “share information and best practices “ to grow their businesses and “generate awareness that will elevate Greater Fort Lauderdale as a top LGBT community and destination.” The organization soon had a new name, and a substantial and enthusiastic member base of over 90 LGBT businesses.

These businesses and their owners have staked much of their hopes on the upcoming convention of IGLTA delegates, which starts on Tuesday, May 10, and continues through Sunday, May 15. At that time, around 800 travel professionals from more than 80 countries will descend on the Hilton at 17th Street Causeway for what organizers and locals alike hope will be the first of many such interactions and trips.

“The goal is for the IGLTA delegates to leave craving for more of Fort Lauderdale,” Darham says. “For them to tell their clients, friends, and family about our hidden gem, and to send many tourists into our businesses.”

A major element of that strategy will be held in Wilton Manors on Friday, May 13. Each year, the IGLTA convention conducts a Consumer Trade Show that allows attendees  –  including tour operators, hoteliers, media, destination resorts and communities, airlines, and travel agents, among others, to promote their businesses to the host city’s LGBT community.

According to John Tanzella, President of IGLTA, “this year’s travel-themed Consumer Trade Show is particularly dynamic thanks to the support of the RBC, which joined forces with IGLTA to produce the free expo. Guests at the expo can visit travel vendors from around the globe.”

The event, “Celebrate Fort Lauderdale,” which runs from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., will open with a Parade of Flags on Wilton Drive featuring the global delegates.

The parade, which will be led by Wilton Manors Mayor Gary Resnick, will culminate in Hagen Park, next to City Hall, followed by a free concert from international recording artist Kristine W. That performance has been underwritten by Jackson Paget and Mark Negrette, owners of Wilton Manors-based Georgie’s Alibi and Bill’s. Decorations for the park itself have been provided by Wilton Manors’ Boom nightclub. Local businesses wishing to purchase tables in the consumer show should contact the IGLTA offices (www.IGLTA.org).

The RBC’s Darham, whose time is split between his RBC chair duties and his full-time job as owner of Wilton Manors-based Island City Health & Fitness, knows that the benefits of the convention and trade show are likely to accrue in waves.

“I would love to see the community and local cities embrace this opportunity wholeheartedly, as this convention is infusing our local economy and benefiting everyone,” he notes. While he may sell some temporary guest memberships to delegates and t

heir friends, the true payoff is likely to be felt later.

“Our whole purpose is to create sustainable economic growth for Greater Fort Lauderdale and the LGBT community,” agrees Greg Hardy, Vice President at Oakland Park-based Solutions Insurance Services and an RBC member.

“This is an unprecedented opportunity to showcase why we all choose to call this our home,” he adds.

More information on “Celebrate Fort Lauderdale” and “Unleashed” can be found at  www.IGLTA.org and www.RainbowBusinessCoalition.com.

Anticipation, Expectations Build in Run Up to Delegates Arrival for Summit

Part Two of a Six-Part Series

By Cliff Dunn

As part of its ongoing efforts to promote gay-owned businesses in Broward County, the Rainbow Business Coalition (RBC) of Greater Fort Lauderdale is partnering with the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA) to welcome the delegates for the latter organization’s 28th Annual International Convention – dubbed “Lauderdale Unleashed” – which kicks off on Tuesday, May 10, and continues through Sunday, May 15.

The RBC has planned several activities and events for the delegates, along with a Welcome Guide, which includes maps of Broward County and Greater Fort Lauderdale, Wilton Manors, information and facts about South Florida’s “gay history,” a directory of RBC members and a personalized ID card which doubles as a luggage tag. Several days of educational seminars and classes will culminate in a Friday evening Consumer Expo and Trade Show in Wilton Manors (and a post-expo concert featuring entertainer Christine W headlining and some other performers, to be announced).

Organizers believe a key to the success of the week’s events will be interaction between the local gay community and the delegates from more than 80 countries who will be in attendance. Greg Hardy, Vice President at Solutions Insurance Services in Oakland Park and an RBC board member, says that after all is planned and made ready, getting locals – individuals and businesses alike – excited and involved will be job one.

“Our number one goal,” says Hardy, “is for the IGLTA delegates to feel welcomed to our great city.”

On the business side, “we’d like to see the local tourism businesses register for the convention to network with our global attendees,” notes John Tanzella, President and CEO of the IGLTA. “We hope that [the community-at-large] will extend a warm welcome.” He says that the Friday night Consumer Expo and Trade Show, which starts at 6 p.m., “was specifically created to support and interact with the local community, and the RBC has been instrumental in building a wonderful evening of free entertainment.”

Business and community leaders alike know that these activities will provide the framework for what they hope will be a community-wide effort to make the delegates feel at home.

“In the long term, the delegates’ opinions and reactions to our destination and our people will surely determine our future,” offers Jennifer Morales, who serves as the RBC’s secretary and is also the Director of Marketing for Sidelines Sports Bar, which is co-owned by her partner, Laurie Whittaker. “Whether it’s a year from now, five years or even ten years from today, these delegates have the power to ensure that our city flourishes and grows to be the number one LGBT tourism destination,” she adds.

Tanzella says that IGLTA is grateful for the opportunity to meet, socialize, and play under the sunny South Florida skies. He notes, too, that his organization makes an effort to reciprocate to its host cities.

“We always give back to a local charity,” says Tanzella. “This year we’re presenting a donation to Father Bill Collins and The Poverello Center at our gala dinner and party on May 14.” The gala is another way for locals to mix with the visitors, with tickets available for purchase by non-attendees.

Of the convention and its effects, Chris Dunham, President of Fort Lauderdale-based Dunham Insurance Services, has his eye on the long view.

“This is like dropping a pebble into the water,” Dunham offers. “What’s under that stone feels only the first impact. Those ripples go on even beyond your ability to see them.

One conventioneer this year comes back with three friends next year, and buys a house off the beach the following year, that’s money in the bank for all kinds of businesses for years come.”

“Let’s not screw this up,” he adds sagely.