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February 2009 Gay Business Report

New Webinar Series for 2009
Updated presentation adds more detail on “touch points” and the power of influential contacts in your network

Be sure to watch for our freshly updated seminar and webinar series for 2009, covering the world of Social Network and Web 2.0 marketing to the GLBT?community. With almost 50% new material, focusing on new topics such as Power Influencers and how to connect with them, as well as expanding on the best Touch Points your company can have when making outreach in this new frontiers, this seminar/webinar series will show you both how to do it all in-house, as well as help bring some new concepts to your overall online marketing mix....

Recession, but no depression: LGBT media organizations are cutting costs, but weathering the economic downturn

The current economy’s impact on the media industry has been well documented. In December, for example, Detroit’s newspapers cut home delivery to three days a week, printing smaller editions on the other days. In January, the Chicago Tribune repackaged itself into tabloid format for distribution at newsstands, while subscribers will continue to receive the paper in traditional broadsheet format....

NGLCC Leaders Attend White House Discussions on Economic Stimulus Plans

The leadership of the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) joined other leading U.S. business executives and organizations on Jan. 28 to discuss President Barack Obama's economic stimulus package with his top advisors, including Jason Berman, the White House's economic policy director....

Other Highlights

5 Types of Posts to Feed Your Business Blog
Survey Shows Inbound Marketing Becoming More Important to Small Businesses
U.S. Gays and Lesbians Continue to Travel Despite Economic Downturn
Massachusetts Launces GLBT Tourism Site

Download PDF

Spotlight on Boston

Boston is ground zero for gay rights in the United States thanks to the Massachusetts legalization of gay marriage in May 2004; the GLBT community here is politically and socially active, and continues to grow. The epicenter of activity remains the picturesque South End, which enjoys the reputation of the country's oldest Victorian brick rowhouse district; pretty and distinctly quaint, it houses growing numbers of gays and young families. As real estate prices rose through the early 2000s, however, an increasing segment of the community has moved just south of the city to the burgeoning district of Dorchester. To the north of the Charles River, which wends its way from Boston Harbor westward, lies Cambridge, housing the state's two most famed universities, Harvard and MIT, along with the lesbian-ppopular residential streets of Somerville.

Most of the bars and clubs still cluster around the city's popular Theatre District just east of the South End (Popular nights include Dedo on Tuesdays, Club Cafe on Fridays, Buzz and Fritz on Saturdays and Chaps on Sundays), while the mixed area surrounding Fenway Park and the entertainment-laden Landsdowne Street include popular nights as well (Embassy on Thursdays, Machine/Ramrod on Fridays, Pink on Saturdays, and Avalon on Sundays). Other venues include Paradise in Cambridge (the puritan Boston equivalent of a strip club), Toast in Somerville, levi/leather bar The Alley in downtown, and renowned drag bar Jacques on the fringe of Chinatown. Boston's only after-hours venue is Rise, a two-floor, non-alcoholic membership club that is popular on Saturday nights.

There are currently no parties on the circuit hosted in Boston, but the annual Pride Week is highly attended by individuals from all over New England. The city enjoys two print publications - Bay Windows and in newsweekly (an HX Magazine publication). Online, EDGE Boston (EDGEboston.com) enjoys a large regional readership and hosts regular nightlife parties in town.

A few hours from Boston by ferry, plane or car lies Provincetown, MA, a popular gay resort on the tip of Cape Cod. In the summer, most GLBT Bostonians frequent this welcoming little fishing village to enjoy one of the country's top ten beaches, and a range of exciting restaurants and nightlife. More information on Provincetown can be found online at EDGEprovincetown.com or at the local business guild's website, Ptown.org.

Boston Phoenix: www.phx.com

Bay Windows: www.BayWindows.com

Boston Spirit: www.BostonSpiritMagazine.com

Pink Pages: www.pinkweb.com

Rainbow Times: www.therainbowtimesmass.com

Golden Rainbow Times: www.goldenrainbowtimesnewspaper.com

INTERNET

www.EdgeBoston.com

gayboston.blogspot.com

www.LGBTMassVacation.com

EVENTS

Boston Pride: www.BostonPride.org

BUSINESS ASSOCIATIONS

www.gbbc.org

www.centralmassbusinesscouncil.com

ORGANIZATIONS

AIDS Action Committee: www.aac.org

Boston Gay Men's Chorus: www.bgmc.org

Boston Alliance of GLBT Youth: www.bagly.org

For the full-color PDF, please go to:
http://www.pinkbananamedia.com/pdf/gmg2008-boston.pdf

Spotlight on Atlanta

Just about everyone along the East Coast of the U.S. knows Atlanta is the queer 'Mecca' of the South. Gays and lesbians have flocked to this Southern metropolis over the years in droves - and for good reason.

Atlanta has one of the most progressive and largest gay & lesbian communities in the entire South, excluding Florida. Anchored by Piedmont Park, north of the city, we start with the Midtown area of Atlanta. In Midtown, the gay community is spread out all throughout this region, with clusters of bars, restaurants and other gay retailers including Blakes on the Park and Outwrite Books; Ansley Mall, north of Midtown on Piedmont and Monroe with Burkhart's Pub, Brushstrokes, a number of other bars and the famous Cowtippers restaurant halfway between Midtown and Ansley Mall; Cheshire Bridge Road with The Heretic and other bars; Woofs even farther north; east side of Piedmont Park with Big Red Tomato and Red Chair; and the Midtown Promenade with Hoedowns and other bars.

Atlanta has two strong gay & lesbian business associations, and both their pride and film festivals are some of the largest in the country. In addition, their local Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) has begun marketing Atlanta officially to gay & lesbian travelers and has a section of their website dedicated to this sector. Delta Airlines, based in Atlanta, has also begun to make outreach to the gay & lesbian community and has marketed itself in event, print and Internet advertising in 2004.

David Atlanta Magazine: www.DavidAtlanta.com

Southern Voice: www.Sovo.com

Labrys Atlanta: www.labrysatl.com

INTERNET

www.Gay-Atlanta.com

www.AtlantaBoy.com

www.ProjectQAtlanta.com

EVENTS

Atlanta Pride: www.AtlantaPride.org

Black Pride Atlanta: www.inthelifeatl.com

Out On Film: www.OutOnFilm.com

BUSINESS ASSOCIATIONS

www.aen.org

www.AtlantaGayChamber.com

ORGANIZATIONS

Atlanta Gay Men's Chorus: www.AGMChorus.org

Gay Atlanta Sports: www.gaytlsports.com

For the full-color PDF file, please go to http://www.pinkbananamedia.com/pdf/gmg2008-atlanta.pdf

My Week in Dallas

I had an incredible work week in Dallas this past week, staying at the Kimpton Hotel Palomar and spoiled by the staff and Group Sales Manager, Sam Tucker.

As I arrived Sunday night, on the MLK Weekend holiday, the Oak Lawn and Cedar Springs area was crazy with hot guys everywhere. TMC was packed, as was S4 with a line wrapped around the corner. I had no idea the boys in Dallas could party so hard!!!!

As the work week began, at the Palomar it was very easy to meet with my friends and clients, and on top of all that, there was an incredible gym just 3 blocks away (and a Taco Bell on the way back!)

We had our IGLTA board meeting later on that week, where we were wined and dined by both the Philadelphia folks and the Ft. Lauderdale team out here meeting with us for our future convention locations. Jeff Guaracino, Josh Neal, Niki Grossman and Joshua Winston spoiled us rotten.

We then wrapped up the weekend with an IGLTA reception at the Lumen Hotel, another Kimpton property, along with all of our friends from the North Texas Gay & Lesbian Chamber. The photos from that night can be seen here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mattskal/sets/72157612904270901/

The Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Chamber - LAGLCC.org

I've had the fortune of being nominated and elected to the board of directors of our local Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (http://www.laglcc.org/. There's a great new team on board, including Randy Malmud, the new Chamber President, Anthony Vulin, the new Chamber Vice President, James Holchin the new Treasurer and Amanda Williams the new Secretary. In addition, Doran Farnum of Frontiers News Magazine is also a new member of the board as well. JD DiSalvatore has also recently come on as a new board members, and other board members include Jason Miller, Financial Advisor with Prudential Securities,Maureen Steinberg, Realtor with Keller Williams, Julie Falen, Real Estate Solutions Entrepr

eneur/Owner, Big Fiddle Properties, Peggi Garvey, Frontiers Magazine, Kirkland Tibbels, Founder/President Funny Boy Films and Dawn Ackerman, Co-CEO OutSmart Office Solutions and Immediate Past President, LAGLCC.

For more information on this organization, including an update on all of the ways the LAGLCC can help you grow your business with education, networking and more, please check out and join us at http://www.laglcc.org/.

Also, be sure to attend our upcoming First Thursday Mixer, the premier GLBT business networking social event, at OBar, 8279 Santa Monica Blvd. in West Hollywood, Thursday, February 5th from 6:30 to 9:00 pm. $5.00 cover charge only, and the drink prices are fantastic!
To RSVP, Click Here.

:: Southern California GLBT Business Online Resources ::

LAGLCC.org Social Networking Site
Be sure to check this site out... it allows all of us in the Southern California GLBT Business Community to network amongst each other using some of the latest social networking and Web 2.0 tools available today.

Also, find the LAGLCC Online At:

Recent Interview by Equal4All's World

Be sure to check out my recent interview I did with J Federico of Equal4All's World.

Matthew Skallerud, President of Pink Banana Media, began his career in the GLBT marketplace in the mid-90s – a time where not many companies catered to the GLBT community and their needs to go forth and flourish in this country. Matthew wanted to be a trailblazer – a true trend-setter. And that’s just what he transformed himself into after many a trial and error. Equal4all is proud to introduce Mr. Skallerud in the raw…

http://equal4all.wordpress.com/2009/01/11/the-man-behind-pink-banana-media-–-matthew-skallerud/

January 2009 Gay Business Report

In This Issue
New Marketing Tools for 2009
How to get more targeted visitors to your site

In the last edition, Matt Skallerud wrote a great article, "Making Sense of Social Media." He compared social media to talk radio and old-fashioned telephone party lines. "A tiny percent call - but everybody is listening." This article is going to teach you how to best market to all of those "listeners...."

LGBT Marketing Forum: European Tourism and Hospitality Leaders to Gather in London
Timely Discussion of Gay and Lesbian Growth Opportunities During Economic Downturn

Unprecedented economic challenges facing the global tourism and hospitality industries have led leaders to explore viable "niche" markets to fill the gaps. Research over the past decade has indicated particular strength in the gay and lesbian markets, who continue to take holidays in large numbers during recessions, health scares, etc.

Community Marketing, Inc. (CMI), the international LGBT research and marketing firm, has announced a comprehensive "European Symposium on Gay & Lesbian Tourism" to meet these challenges and identify growth opportunities. The symposium, to be held at the Cumberland Hotel, Marble Arch, London on 13 February, is dedicated to marketing and sales executives of tourism boards, accommodations, travel suppliers, tour operators, retailers and meeting planners. ...