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Eileen Kessler writes that economic diversity can help your business grow. 
Convention and visitors bureaus (CVBs) are another—sometimes overlooked—avenue for directing visitors to local businesses by maintaining vendor lists, stocking brochure racks, and generally keeping close ties with the business community.
Because CVBs deal mainly with tourists and business travelers, they are often an invaluable pipeline to a market that small business owners with a local customer base don't have the time or resources to cultivate.
Convention and visitors bureaus are also waking up to the benefits of tailoring their marketing to LGBT travelers.
"More and more CVBs are adding 'rainbow' sections to their web sites," says John Tanzella, executive director of the International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. "We get a lot of CVBs that come to our annual convention and want to learn more about the gay market."
It's that kind of openness to a previously untapped market that often smoothes the way for developing a gay-targeted marketing effort that steers gay travelers to local LGBT businesses.
Chamber-CVB Ties Key
The relationship between the Dallas, Texas, CVB and the North Texas GLBT Chamber of Commerce is a case in point.
"The CVB here is so dedicated to diversity, and they've been very supportive of us," says Sherry Briggs, the chamber's president.
The Dallas CVB hosts an LGBT "microsite" on its general web site, available at glbtdallas.com, that refers travelers to the North Texas chamber's member businesses. One member from both the chamber and the CVB also sit on each other's boards.
