Education

THURSDAY, 9 APRIL

Welcome from Mayor Eric Garcetti, City of Los Angeles and the LA Tourism & Convention Board

KEYNOTES:

• Aditi Hardikar, White House Associate Director of Public Engagement, will accept the IGLTA Chair Award on behalf of President Barack Obama, President of the United States
• Yolanda Perdomo, Director of the UNWTO Affiliate Members Programme, will provide the latest statistics and current trends of world tourism, focusing on international tourist arrivals, tourism receipts, top ten destinations and the long-term  forecast for 2030. She will also provide an overview of the latest projects being carried out by UNWTO, focusing on its principal mission and specific initiatives such as the Private Sector Commitment to the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism which highlights  that tourism is “an irreplaceable factor of self-education, mutual tolerance and for learning about the legitimate differences between peoples, cultures and their diversity.”

BREAKOUT: LGBTQ+ Travel Sales & Marketing 2015 – Orientation & Update
Thomas Roth & David Paisley, Community Marketing & Insights
This interactive workshop will provide you with an overview of LGBTQ+ tourism sales & marketing, including statistics, effective marketing techniques and case studies of successful destinations, accommodations and travel suppliers. It will also discuss ways to gauge and improve LGBTQ+ sales and marketing return on investment. The workshop is a must for anyone new to the IGLTA conference, and will help put more advanced conference presentations into perspective. It is also a valuable session for those already working in the LGBTQ+ travel market, who want to be updated on all that has happened in LGBTQ+ travel over the past year.

BREAKOUT: Who is the “T” in LGBT?
Richard Gray, Greater Fort Lauderdale CVB & Lexi Dee, Southern Comfort Conference
There is no such thing as an LGBTQ+ traveler. We are all either, L, G, B or T. We know a lot about lesbian and gay travelers but little if anything about transgender travelers – until now. For the first time, transgender travelers have been surveyed. This is your opportunity to find out the results and learn how this awareness can help your business.

BREAKOUT: Straight Talk on LGBTQ+ Travel
Moderator: Aditi Hardikar, The White House
Panelists: Jack Markey, U.S. Department of State & Christopher Lamora, Los Angeles Passport Agency, U.S. Department of State
Same-sex relationships are illegal in dozens of countries, but some destinations are worse than others. How do I make this distinction? What if my gender doesn’t match my passport? What are some things non-traditional families should consider while traveling? Join us as we hear the U.S. Department of State’s answer to these types of important questions. This promises to be both a fun and enlightening conversation with ample time for attendee questions.

BREAKOUT: What Matters to Millennials?
Peter Jordan, Gen C Traveller
Reaching out to the LGBTQ+ customer has always required being innovative and hitting the right notes. However things just got more difficult because the next generation of travellers is rapidly becoming known for their power to disrupt the norm. Millennials are the generation known for being connected 24/7, being entrepreneurial, embracing the sharing economy and living for the moment. However they are also disloyal to brands, capable of whipping up a Twitter storm in minutes, and, crucially, Millennials in many countries around the world are even starting to regard being LGBTQ+ as a non-issue. So what does all this mean for LGBT-relevant brands and destination marketers? Are Millennials disrupting the LGBTQ+ travel space in the same way as other areas of the travel and tourism industry? How can you keep your brand fresh and stay relevant to a new generation of LGBTQ+ traveller? Bring your ideas to this interactive session, as Peter Jordan, a Millennial himself and specialist on emerging travel trends discusses his experience on what matters to Millennials from around the globe and invites you to share perspectives on where product development and marketing for LGBTQ+ Millennials is headed next.

BREAKOUT: Tourism as a Driver for Business Development and LGBTQ+ Equality
Moderator: Joanna Dees, NGLCC
Panelists – Pablo de Luca, Argentina Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (CCGLAR); Felipe Cardenas, Colombian LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce (CCLGBTco); Arnaldo Vilchez, Peruvian GLBT Chamber of Commerce (CCGLPe)
This session will showcase the correlation between the growth of the LGBTQ+ tourism sector and the LGBT business community. By leveraging the resources within and beyond the tourism industry, LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs are positively impacting not only their bottom line, but also the rights of the larger LGBTQ+ community. Attend this session to learn how you can join, or even help form, LGBTQ+ business organizations to build a more inclusive global economy.

BREAKOUT: The Economic Impact of Marriage Equality
Christy Mallory, The Williams Institute
Currently, 37 U.S. states and the District of Columbia recognize marriage for same-sex couples.  More than half of these states opened their marriage laws to same-sex couples within the past year.  By June 2015, the United States Supreme Court will determine whether same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry nationwide. This rapidly shifting legal landscape means that thousands of same-sex couples across the country will be planning their weddings within the next few years. This session will discuss research examining where and how same-sex couples will spend their money, and how this spending will impact specific industries and state economies overall.

BREAKOUT: Online, Offline & New Media: Fully Engaging an LGBTQ+ Audience
Michael Goff, TOWLEROAD
Attendees will discover ways to further attract and engage LGBTQ+ travelers in a new media world, better identify and personalize communications with their target audience, online & offline, and maximize ROI through marketing geared to social sharing, online interaction and integrated content.

GENERAL SESSION: Women in Business
Marquita Thomas, Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce
Get ready to hone your networking skills with Marquita Thomas, the executive director of the LAGLCC. Her talk will focus on the importance of building networking into your daily routine while fitting individual lifestyles and commitments; who, where, and when to network; the keys to successful networking; reasons to consider organizing your own networking events and ongoing groups; and winning techniques for developing your personal brand. Then, you’ll have time to put that information to the test in this combination breakout session and mixer for the women of IGLTA.

FRIDAY, 10 APRIL

GENERAL SESSION: CEO PANEL
Moderator – Chris McGinnis, TravelSkills.com
Panelists – Terry Dale, USTOA; Judy Dlugacz, Olivia; Ranjan Goswani; Delta Air Lines; Zane Kerby, ASTA; Daniela Wagner, Connecting Travel
Industry leaders discuss global travel trends that impact all areas of IGLTA’s membership, from Travel Advisors and tour operators to destinations, airlines and accommodations.

GENERAL SESSION: Travel Forward
Mark Murphy, TravAlliancemedia
Travel is so much more than getting on a plane and jetting off to some foreign locale. Even when you are close to home you can Travel Forward on an exciting journey of self-discovery and fulfillment. And, you’ll positively impact the world while you’re doing it. Mark Murphy will share some of the Travel Forward moments he encountered during his travels and inspire all in attendance to join the movement that will get people to look at the small things and realize that those minute things will multiply and make the world a better place to live.

GENERAL SESSION: The Next Wave of LGBTQ+ Travel Media
Moderator – Tanya Churchmuch, MuchPR
Panelists – Adam Groffman, TravelsofAdam.com; Auston Matta, TwoBadTourists.com; Davey Wavey, YouTuber
From Instagram to YouTube to gay content in so-called “mainstream” blogging, there is a new voice for LGBTQ+ travel. In this session you will learn about innovative media opportunities to reach LGBTQ+ travelers.

BREAKOUT: #LGBTBiz – Advanced LGBTQ+ Online Marketing Strategies for 2015:
Hashtags, Social Media, Mobile Local Targeting and Programmatic Banner Ads
Matt Skallerud, Pink Banana Media
This updated take from one of our most popular breakout presenters highlights some of the incredible new opportunities for targeting your company’s specific LGBTQ+ demographic online, whether that’s in a specific neighborhood or region or by specific demographic characteristics such as “interest in gay travel” or “enjoys spas and spa treatments.” It will also touch on some of the more advanced topics in social media marketing available today, including influencers and hashtags, and how your company can put them to work to help maximize your social media outreach. The focus is LGBT, but the strategies remain the same for almost any type of niche marketing.

BREAKOUT: From Pink Dollar to Pink Yuan, How to Engage China’s Emerging LGBTQ+ Travelers
Charlie Gu, China Luxury Advisors
The annual purchasing power of China’s 70 million LGBTQ+ population is estimated at $300 billion and the travel and hospitality industries are major beneficiaries. China is already the world’s largest tourist source market, with more than 100 million Chinese traveling abroad last year. The country’s statistically astronomical but largely untapped LGBTQ+ market presents a highly lucrative development opportunity for businesses and travel destinations that have benefited from LGBTQ+ consumers around the world. In fact, Chinese businesses already have their eyes on the pink “yuan.” In February, China’s tech giant Alibaba launched a Valentine’s Day contest in partnership with several non-governmental organizations – including PFLAG China and Beijing LGBTQ+ Center – to select 10 couples to get married in Los Angeles this June. Even though these marriages are largely symbolic, the campaign has already ignited enthusiastic discussions about the future of China’s pink economy. This session intends to help attendees understand the social and economic background of China’s emerging LGBTQ+ consumers and their unique interests and preferences in travel. Attendees can also expect to emerge from the session with knowledge on how to more effectively identify and engage these potential customers.