The LGBT Meeting Professionals Assocation (MPA) team has been busy lately… they’ve just wrapped up a successful advisory board gathering and networking trip in Toronto, in conjunction with the IGLTA Convention there in early May 2018. Continuing on in 2018 will be additional workshops and networking events held in Philadelphia, in conjunction with the NGLCC Conference in August, as well as IMEX in Las Vegas in October.
The next main event coming up, however, will be held at the 2018 NACE Experience in Palm Desert, California on July 23rd, 2018. This networking event will provide LGBT attendees and LGBT allies the opportunity to meet, connect, and share ideas and experiences with other LGBT meeting professionals from both the U.S. and abroad! Sponsored by NACE, the Greater Palm Springs Convention and Visitors Bureau, and 360 Destination Group, it will allow attendees to take a moment away from their conference activities and stop by for light snacks and a complimentary cocktail or beverage, as well as mingle with the industry’s premier Joan Rivers look-alike while listening to the hottest music spun by DJ GALAXY. In attendance will be LGBT MPA Board Chair, Jim Clapes, as well as other board members at this exclusive event! RSVP at https://www.lgbtmeetingplanner.com/events
In addition to the networking event, the LGBT MPA will be conducting a workshop at NACE as follows:
Including the Rainbow: Planning the LGBT Friendly Event
The LGBT event is a growing niche in the meetings industry. Destinations around the country are developing programs and marketing strategies to reach and serve this market. Most meetings do not specially focus on LGBT issues but almost all meetings include attendees who are a part of the LGBT community. How should this fact be reflected in the content of mainstream meetings and events? This discussion will present best practices for building itineraries, creating content, promoting, and executing meetings and events that create a spirit of inclusion for all attendees.
With an educational workshop and first-class networking event, it sounds like a winning formula for the LGBT MPA’s growth in 2018 and beyond!