The Most Important Next-Step is for the Community to Respond
It’s all about business…it’s all about visibility.
The focus of any chamber is to provide products, opportunities, and programming that will showcase its members and their goods and services. As the Miami-Dade Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (MDGLCC) is a “community” -based chamber, our focus is less about supporting a particular governmental entity (i.e. Kendall or Miami Lakes); rather, our focus is to expand the understanding and business prospects for the community that we serve… LGBT owned businesses and those desiring to do business with this market. During the past 3 years, our goal has been to bring awareness to the size and purchasing power of the local LGBT market (recent estimates reveal our Miami-Dade GDP at $8 billion annually).
The most important annual event MDGLCC holds to achieve this “market showcase” is our Explore/EXPO. For this 4th edition we have partnered with Steven Levenberg’s Productions, LLC who will be including its GLBT Travel Expo in this great event. The Explore/ EXPO will take place on Sunday, February 12th, 2012 from 12pm-5pm at the Moore Building located at 191 NE 40th Street (in the Design District) in Miami. Expo‘s are a means of bringing market focus to a large group of businesses in one place with an express desire to engage a target demographic group … in this case the LGBT and allied community. As the U.S. marketplace has become increasingly more competitive, companies are always looking for new demographics to which they can expand their reach. For large corporations who have been engaging the LGBT community for years, the next step is to validate the 3rd party buying statistics they have come to rely on. For newbie’s stepping into the market for the first time, it is the Chamber’s responsibility to help guide them towards the success they hope will follow.
The most important next-step is for the community to respond! If the LGBT community expects business support, we need to be a visible participant in commerce. One great way to do this is to patronize those businesses that show their support for the community … purchasing from a MDGLCC member and telling them why you are supporting them is the best way to ensure continued support from business. Showing up at the Explore/EXPO in mass is another great way to be visible as a community. If companies feel that their contribution in our Community is being met with support, they will expand their investment to other organizations and embrace the equality we so ardently seek.
Written by Steven N. Adkins (President & CEO, Miami-Dade Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce) & Jorge Richa (Marketing & Programming Director, Miami-Dade Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce)
Why Expo’s are a great networking opportunity…
- Exhibitions are one of the most effective mediums for establishing and maintaining customer relations. In an increasingly digital age, they are the only media where buyer, seller and product physically come together — a potent force for business.
- Unlike magazines and direct mail, exhibitions involve a two-way communication process. Visitors can question, challenge, and debate. Exhibitors can give and seek information. Most importantly, business is conducted face to face — the most persuasive form of selling and of building customer relationships.
- Exhibition visitors are pro-active rather than passive recipients of your sales and marketing messages. They make a conscious decision to attend and set aside valuable time to do so. Many are specifiers and influencers who it might otherwise be impossible to identify.
To reserve a booth at the Explore / EXPO or for inquiries please contact us at 305-673-4440, mdglcc@bellsouth.net, or www.gogaymiamiexplore.com
