Florida Agenda

When you sit down with Keith Blackburn, the President and CEO of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (GFLGLCC), you know you are facing someone who is on a mission. That mission—one that Blackburn has defined for himself and for the Fort Lauderdale and Wilton Manors area—is to create the world’s go-to tourism destination. His own personal experience as a business and community leader in South Florida has helped shape his expertise and his brief as a leading promoter of gay international tourism to Greater Fort Lauderdale.

In 2005, Blackburn opened Mary’s Resort near downtown Fort Lauderdale, a guest house catering to a specific LGBT clientele. When he opened Mary’s, Hurricane Wilma had recently wreaked havoc in parts of Broward County, and Blackburn’s new resort was without power for six weeks. One of the first key relationships Blackburn would forge would be with Roger Handevidt, at that time the owner of the Orton Terrace guest house and the energizing force behind the Rainbow Carpet Lodging and Hospitality Association (RCLHA), an organization that promoted gay tourism to South Florida, and which would become the Rainbow Alliance.

“Roger was one of those who promoted everyone in this community,” Blackburn offers in praise, adding, “He has been a great influence.” After having his “boots on the ground” for a while, Blackburn says that he and other interested business owners and community leaders saw an opportunity to promote Greater Fort Lauderdale and its “gay village,” Wilton Manors, to the wider international gay and lesbian community.

Partnering with other, like-minded movers and doers in the LGBT business community, they floated the idea of establishing a more permanent organizational structure to promote the area to tourists and to coordinate efforts with allied agencies and organizations. “I saw that there was a great potential, and I also looked at other business professionals who operate in the area,” recalls Blackburn.

“We teamed up, and really felt a need to build a ‘Gay Chamber of Commerce,’ and that is what we have built.” The organization that grew from that dream, GFLGLCC, was formed in 2011, as a 501 c (6) non-profit, with a mission to “promote business and economic opportunities for the LGBT and LGBT-friendly community, and to serve as “an advocate and resource for all member businesses that promote equality.”

Blackburn says that the task of GFLGLCC is too big for any one person or organization, and to this end, he and his board members, along with active partners in the local business market, have built close ties to other groups, including the Miami Beach Gay Pride, the Fort Lauderdale International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, and International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA), in order to better get the message out about the beauty and fun of Greater Fort Lauderdale.

“We have affiliate chambers [of commerce] throughout the country,” says Blackburn, who notes just how much the gay tourism dollar means to the area’s economy. “Nearly 28 percent of travel in South Florida has been related to the LGBT community—that’s huge,” says Blackburn.

“I just came back from Berlin with the IGLTA, and am getting ready to go to Orlando Gay Days in June,” an event he predicts will be “the biggest ever.” Blackburn and his fellow chamber members have high hopes for the organization they have built and its plans for the future, including stronger ties to other like-minded organizations. For more information about the Greater Fort Lauderdale Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, visit gogayfortlauderdale.com.

By Cliff Dunn

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL – On Monday, Feb. 13, the Wilton Manors City Commission approved a motion to allow the Rainbow Business Coalition (RBC) to host the city’s annual Stonewall Street Festival on Sunday June 24. The RBC was launched in 2010 as an association of LGBT businesses and community leaders to serve both residents’ and merchants’ interests in promoting sustainable economic growth as well as market reach and share for its members.

The Stonewall Pride event, in one form or another, has taken place in South Florida every year since 2000, when the not-for-profit Pride of Greater Fort Lauderdale (PGFTL) was formed to produce the first local Stonewall Street Festival. The event and its yearly sequels recall the 1969 Stonewall riots in New York City, which represent the beginning of the fight for LGBT rights in the U.S.

Reece Darham, co-chair of the RBC, says the organization and its members take the heritage event with which they have been entrusted very seriously. Darham says that the community’s businesses are also uniquely positioned to make the event a hoped-for success.

“Wilton Manors is a unique setting, and the businesses here—bars, restaurants, and the numerous vendors and merchants who support them—have hands-on experience in knowing what works and what doesn’t work to attract both locals and visitors to a major event of this undertaking.

Darham and the RBC cut their collective teeth last year in event planning and management when the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA) held its annual global convention in Greater Fort Lauderdale, with Wilton Manors serving as “ground zero” for many of the largest social events and activities, including an outdoor concert at the city’s Hagen Park.

“The business leaders of our community did a superlative job in bringing world-class entertainment to our little corner of paradise, and after 12 years of local Stonewall events, we know and understand the demographics of these things, as well as how they positively—and negatively—impact the community.

One example of the kind of operational changes that Darham, RBC co-chair Jason Tamanini, and their colleagues are bringing to bear is the organization’s negotiations with liquor brand representatives to develop a price-point for the sale of liquor at outdoor “satellite” bars during the event, which will be called Stonewall Summer Pride.

“The advantage of RBC dealing with liquor vendors for the street bars is that the prices in these satellite bars will be consistent, as will the product they will sell,” Darham explains.

This means that if Bar X has a street-side, satellite bar during the Sunday festival, it will be selling the same liquor brands as Bar Y and Bar Z, and at the same prices. These brands will be consistent with the event sponsors’ brands, but won’t impact what an establishment sells inside their permanent locations, or the pricing.

“We want people—customers as well as hospitality vendors—to know that whosoever is selling to the public from street side will be doing so from the same page as everyone else,” Darham added. One result will be the bars will only be competing with each other, rather than with each other and the event’s organizers.

Another advantage of this business model is that it encourages the participation of smaller establishments, as well as those businesses that are not located on Wilton Drive.

“Let’s face it,” Darham adds, “there are many terrific businesses, hospitality and otherwise, that participate in the joys and sorrows of our community which aren’t located in the ‘downtown’ area. Ken and Lloyd from Scandals Saloon and The Stable were especially ‘key’ in ensuring the success of the IGLTA convention last summer. They and many others are very much a part of what makes this such an amazing place to live and work. We want them to get the same benefit from this heritage festival as will Jackson and Mark [of Bill’s Filling Station and Georgie’s Alibi], Craig [of Boom], and our city’s other bar owners and restaurateurs. And the bars on Federal Highway like Mona’s, Cubby Hole, The Depot—just ask their customers: they are as gay as any bar on the Drive,” he adds with a laugh.

The organizers plan for Stonewall Summer Pride to take place on Wilton Drive as well as at the city’s Hagen Richardson Parks between 12 p.m. and 10 p.m. on June 24. Committees have been established to oversee marketing and publicity, logistics and site planning, sponsorship opportunities, vendor relations, as well as the parade, which will take place from NE 20th Street to Five-Points and be held around dusk, with the exact time to be determined.

Something else that’s new for 2012 is the organizers’ desire for Stonewall to be a truly community-wide affair. “This is not going to be solely a ‘Gay’ Pride event,” Darham notes. “This is a ‘Community’ Pride occasion, and to that end we want to encourage the participation of the traditionally ‘straight’ bars and nightspots to help promote our entire community.”

Krishan Manners, President and CEO of Wilton Manors Main Street, Inc. couldn’t agree more. “This community is turning a page in its maturation,” he notes. “We have such a unique mixture of talented individuals, gay and straight, who have shown time and time again that they can come together and build memorable and lasting creations, whether it’s a park or an annual destination-event.”

Manners adds that the RBC has some Aces up its sleeve. “When you have the support of bars and business owners as well as that of the city, you have two key components for organizing and holding a successful event on the Drive.”

Darham and his RBC associates have hopes that success for Stonewall Summer Pride will resonate in the months after the event is finished. “A profitable Stonewall means that RBC will have sufficient funds to hold future community events, as well as paying for things like closing the Drive for ‘Wicked Weekend’ on Halloween, and New Year’s, as well.”

What about a plaque to honor the group’s first chairperson? “Get out,” Darham says, only half joking. “I have work to do.”

Photo: In times past, Stonewall Pride sustained businesses in the summer.

Now we may get to see if the reverse is also true.

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.

Fort Lauderdale Welcomes the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association Convention.

Right now, the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association (IGTLA) is holding their annual convention in the Greater Fort Lauderdale area including Wilton Manors. Fort Lauderdale beat out Philadelphia, Chicago and New York for the right to hold the convention in this area this year.

“I want to welcome all the IGLTA delegates to South Florida and Wilton Manors and we’re thrilled to have them here,” said Gary Resnick, Mayor of Wilton Manors. “It’s a very important convention for our community and it should do wonders for our local economy. We’re thrilled our area was chosen and it’s a wonderful opportunity for us.”

Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jack Seiler added by saying, “I feel that everyone should feel welcome to Fort Lauderdale and that’s the message I’ve been spreading since I became mayor — that all segments of tourism should feel welcome. I think we’ve come a long way and I think we’ve shown that gay and lesbian tourism is a very healthy segment of our market and I hope they have a great stay while they’re here and I hope they continue to come back.”

The same sentiments were expressed by Oakland Park Mayor Suzanne Boisvenue, whose city will be the home of the new G-Resort, just one of a national chain of gay hotel resorts. “I think it’s great that they’re coming and Oakland Park will do everything they can to make them feel happy and welcome.”

Richard Gray, of the Royal Palms Resort, approached Nicki Grossman, President and CEO of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau, in 2009. (Gray also sits on the CVB.) The convention was previously held in Fort Lauderdale in 2001 and Gray felt that much has changed since then. Grossman and then Broward County Commissioner Ken Keechl went to the IGTLA board meeting in Dallas to make their presentation. Fort Lauderdale won the bid.

“I think it’s extremely important to have the convention here,” said Gray.

“It showcases the destination internationally. This year, IGTLA has representation from about 35 countries and I think that international representation is very important. It’s also important that you are getting the ‘Who’s-Who’ of gay and lesbian travel to attend the IGTLA convention.”

The business owners are also thrilled to have the convention in Fort Lauderdale this year.

“I think it’s a positive for Fort Lauderdale, as well as Wilton Manors,” said Roger Handevidt, owner of Orton Terrace guest house on Fort Lauderdale beach. “The travel agents and tour operators that are coming are going to see the number one gay and lesbian vacation destination in all of North America. When you talk to travel agents and you talk to travel writers, they will tell you they believe this is the number one destination in all of North America. It’s a
positive thing for all of us.”

“I think that it is paramount that Wilton Manors and Fort Lauderdale be recognized around the world as one of the leading cities when it comes to a united gay and lesbian community that shows compassion and welcomes every international body to enjoy that special gift that we here enjoy on a day-to-day basis,” said Jackson Padgett, who, along with his partner, Mark Negrette, own Georgie’s Alibi and Bill’s on Wilton Drive. “We have wonderful community, restaurants and bars; we have wonderful beaches and culture and everything they can get in any larger metropolitan city and I think it’s wonderful that we have now been recognized on an international level by bringing the convention to this town.”

Padgett and Negrette sponsored the Kristine W. concert. She will be performing for the delegates and area residents this Friday evening, May 13th, at Hagen Park in Wilton Manors. Earlier in the day, Hagen Park will host a trade show for the delegates and locals featuring tour operators, airlines, hotels and other facets of the travel and tourism industry. Much of the other events are being sponsored by the CVB.

The Rainbow Business Coalition (RBC), a group of local gay-owned businesses, has volunteered their time, businesses and staff to work alongside the IGLTA with tasks such as registration, organizing and hosting parties for the delegates.

Tour operators and travel agents have been shown around the city and they also have time on their own so they can do their own exploring of the area.

“I believe they are really working toward making things proper. These people come because they want to learn, not that they want to party. They are more interested in business itself,” said Handevidt.

Of course, each mayor is particularly proud of their own city.

“Everybody should feel welcome to the City of Fort Lauderdale,” said Seiler. “Every group is appreciated in the City of Fort Lauderdale. We are a tourist-based town, we have a very successful tourist-based system and I, for one, am very grateful that an organization such as this desired to come to Fort Lauderdale.”

“Wilton Manors offers everything for the LGBT community: Shops and restaurants, recreational amenities, nightlife, close proximity to the beaches and a lot of cultural events,” said Resnick. “It’s really the perfect spot for any LGBT person looking for a vacation destination. In Wilton Manors, we are a very open and accepting society where no one thinks twice about two men or two women walking hand-in-hand down the street. Wilton Manors is a place where LGBT people can be themselves, enjoy themselves and feel comfortable doing so.”

All three mayors thanked the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau for assisting in luring the IGLTA convention to the area.

But have the delegates been impressed with the Greater Fort Lauderdale area thus far?

“From what I’ve seen so far, people are impressed,” said Gray. “I think people are always surprised at Fort Lauderdale and that it’s not [as] crazy as Miami. They are surprised that the ocean and beach are so close to the road. Everyone I’ve been showing around has just loved it and is so surprised on how gay Fort Lauderdale really is. I think that’s always one of the biggest surprises.”

IGLTA: Countdown to Convention
Part Four of a Six-Part Series
By CLIFF DUNN

With just over two weeks remaining until the delegates and attendees to the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA) 28th Annual Convention descend on Greater Fort Lauderdale, preparations are under way for the range of events, seminars, meetings and parties that will welcome the estimated 800 travel professionals from approximately 85 nations.

Within the local LGBT business community, much of the attention is focused on the Consumer Trade Show hosted by the Rainbow Business Coalition (RBC) of Greater Fort Lauderdale. This event will take place on Friday, May 13, at Wilton Manors’ Hagen Park.

Planners are hoping that the highlight of a very successful expo will be the free live concert by Billboard recording artist Kristine W and guest performers, pop star Tony Cruz and Charlotte McKinnon,

former lead singer of Company B.
For those unfamiliar with the headlining act, Kristine W (born: Kristine Weitz) has 15 Number One Hits on the Billboard Hot Dance charts – more than Madonna – and was named by Billboard as one of the Dance/Club Play Artists of the Decade (2000 – 2009).

Needless to say, this kind of talent doesn’t come cheap. RBC chair Reece Darham and his fellow organizers of “Celebrate Fort Lauderdale” learned early on in the process to – in the words of the late Earl Nightingale – “mine their acres of diamonds” and turn to members of their own organization to make it rain. Says Darham: “Jackson Padgett and Mark Negrete, the owners of Georgie’s Alibi and Bill’s, have given over $7,000 towards Kristine W and her back-up dancers, including their accommodations, entertainment and transportation for the four nights they will be in town. Jackson coordinated all the negotiations for the talent, and personally signed her to this event. Without his influence, it would have been a challenge to get someone of her caliber.”

Other local bar and restaurant owners have likewise stepped up. “Ken and Lloyd from Scandals and The Stable have also been tremendous,” says Darham. “Not only will they be giving $3,500 in beer, but have also secured Barefoot Winery as the wine sponsor. They also have coordinated the alcohol permitting and insurances, which have taken considerable time and challenges to achieve. They will be the alcohol vendors for the event, giving the RBC 100% of all proceeds from sales. Impressive.”

Darham continues: “What has been so incredible to me is just how freely and willing all of them have been to give to this event to make sure it is a success. Jackson and Ken obviously don’t know the word ‘No,’ because whenever I go back to them and ask if they could – fill in the blank – they are there with check book and connections in hand to make it happen. Their commitment to the RBC has been phenomenal.”

“Boom’s General Manager, Chris, is donating his time and warehouse full of decorations to make Hagen Park sparkle,” Darham adds.

With an event and attendance the size Darham and his co-organizers are expecting – approximately 2,000 to 3,000 guests descending upon Hagen Park, located next to Wilton Manors City Hall – there are a large number of corporate, community, and individual sponsors, benefactors and volunteers who have committed time, staff or resources to ensure its success.

“Brown Forman [one of the largest American-owned spirits and wine companies and among the top 10 largest global spirits companies, with a strong corporate commitment to diversity] 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,” notes Darham.

Others who have contributed time and efforts to the expo: “Terry DeCarlo of Broward House has offered his time to produce the concert on the night of the event, and has secured Wendy Hunt as the DJ, who is donating her time as well, and two other magnificent artists to perform: Tony Cruz and Charlotte McKinnon.

Cash donations have come in from many RBC members, such as Orton Terrace and Northwest Savings Bank, and the eight bars who collaborated at this year’s Miami Beach Pride – Alibi, Bills, Boom, Johnny’s, Scandals, Sidelines, The Manor, and The Stable – donated 100% of their tips for the expo and concert.

As to the actual day of the expo – which falls on Friday the 13th for those who pay attention to such details – Darham is heaping in his praise of volunteers and their organizations whom, he says, “are coming out of the woodwork to help out on the day of the event: The Pride Center, Stonewall Street Festival, Wilton Manors Main Street, Volunteer Broward, Marc Hansen and Pride South Florida. And, of course, the countless businesses who participated in the Welcome Guide and Banner along Wilton Drive, who have helped promote Wilton Manors, Fort Lauderdale, and Broward County as the LGBT destination of choice.”
ith the level and showing of
commitment he and his fellows are bringing to the table, Vincent Frato, general manager of Georgie’s Alibi can’t help but boast. “This year belongs to the world’s newest number one gay destination: Fort Lauderdale and Wilton Manors, Florida. Get used to it!”