November 8 – 10, 2020
Loews Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando™
Orlando, Florida
THE EVENT
Connect THRIVE Summit
Connect THRIVE Summit is focused on community development through LGBTQ travel, sports, and entertainment. This one-of-a-kind marketing summit features dynamic general sessions and networking events alongside a series of pre-scheduled, one-on-one connections between destinations, resorts, hotels, attractions, domestic and international tour operators and travel agents, sports rights holders, media, marketers and brands.
THE LOCATION
HOW IT WORKS
Register and Pay
Registration is $1,495
Come to Las Vegas
Meet with a variety of domestic and international companies for pre-scheduled, one-on-one connections.
Network
Build key relationships between destinations, resorts, hotels, attractions, domestic and international tour operators and travel agents, sports rights holders, media, marketers and brands.
Learn from Experts
Enjoy in-depth sessions about relevant topics led by industry experts.
Unwind and Mingle
Build relationships while the networking continues at our entertaining and interactive receptions.
WHAT ARE THEY SAYING?
“We firmly believe that the Connect THRIVE Summit presents an extraordinary opportunity to strengthen our communities by building strong connections between leaders within the LGBTQ travel, sports and entertainment industry.” – DJ Doran, Managing Director, Diversitas Media
“Attended Connect THRIVE Summit 2019 and was very impressed with the level of attendees and set up of the show. Tremendous experience and in depth knowledge sharing of this very important market, that encompasses the more discerning passenger who is looking to feel welcome in a majority luxury category. – Sean Bayliss, International Tourism Resources Group (ITRG)
2020 SPONSORS
2020 AGENDA
Monday, November 9, 2020
8:00 – 10:00 am
Registration
8:30 am
Coffee & Tea
9:00 – 9:15 am
Welcome from DT Minich, Visit Kissimmee and Cedar Rapids Tourism
9:15 – 10:00 am
How Important Restaurants are to Communities, Art Smith, sponsored by Cedar Rapids Tourism
10:00 – 10:05 am
Words from Roger Dow, US Travel Association
10:05 – 10:10 am
Words from Dana Young, VISIT FLORIDA
10:10 – 10:15 am
Words from Don Welsh, Destinations International
10:15 – 10:55 am
Community Marketing Inc. Research Update, Thomas Roth
10:55 – 11:25 am
General Session, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor
11:30 am – 12:30 pm
Gaycation Travel Show Podcast with Ravi Roth
12:30 – 1:30 pm
Lunch
1:30 – 2:30 pm
DJ Doran Podcast
2:30 – 2:50 pm
General Session, Michael Scheinman, Orbitz and CheapTickets
2:50 – 3:15 pm
General Session, Ed Salvato , LGBTQ Travel Expert, Author, Educator and Author
3:15 – 3:45 pm
Break
3:45 – 5:00 pm
The Daily Best with David Downing, United Landmark Associates
5:30 pm
Reception, sponsored by VISIT FLORIDA
Tuesday, November 10, 2020
8:30 am
Grab & Go Breakfast
9:00 – 10:00 am
#ILoveGay Today Podcast, Matt Skallerud, Pink Media
10:00 – 10:20 am
General Session, Leah Chandler, Discover Puerto Rico
10:20 – 10:40 am
General Session, OnePULSE Foundation, Inc.
10:40 – 11:00 am
General Session, Nadine Smith, Equality Florida
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
The Daily Best with David Downing, United Landmark Associates
EVENT PHOTOS
2020 SPEAKERS
Jane Castor
Jane Castor is the 59th Mayor of the City of Tampa. Born and raised in Tampa Florida, Castor graduated from Chamberlain High School and attended the University of Tampa on an athletic scholarship.
Upon graduating, she joined the Tampa Police Department and worked her way up from serving as a beat cop to being appointed Tampa’s first female Chief of Police.
In 2019, Jane was elected mayor of the City of Tampa. In just her first few months in office, she successfully launched numerous initiatives, including the city’s largest ever water/wastewater infrastructure plan (PIPES); the Transforming Tampa’s Tomorrow Advisory Teams to focus on building a strategic roadmap for the City’s top priorities; establishing a minimum wage of $15 an hour for full-time city employees; securing a federal grant for body-worn cameras; initiating a renewal of the City’s transportation master plan (Tampa MOVES); designating Tampa as a Vision Zero city; and originating a range of community-based initiatives such as Art on the Block, Crosswalks to Classrooms, and Bridges to Business. All of this was done while achieving unanimous adoption of the City’s one billion dollar budget – the first budget in the black since the create recession.
Chef Art Smith
Chef Art Smith is the executive chef and co-owner of Blue Door Kitchen & Garden in Chicago, Southern Art & Bourbon Bar in Atlanta, Art & Soul in Washington DC, Art Bird & Whiskey Bar at Grand Central Terminal in New York City, and Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’ Florida Kitchen & Southern Shine Bar at Disney Springs at the Walt Disney World Resort.
Art Smith has received two James Beard Foundation awards, the culinary profession’s highest honor, and has cooked for some of the world’s most famous celebrities.
Smith is the author of “Back to the Table; Kitchen Life: Real Food for Real Families”; “Back to the Family”; and “Art Smith’s Healthy Comfort,” with a focus on healthy cooking and healthy living.
Chef Smith is the founder of Common Threads, a non-profit organization teaching low-income children to cook wholesome and affordable meals since 2003.
In 2015 Smith launched a non-profit organization, Reunion, Florida Garden and Kitchen School, in Madison FL at the historic Wardlaw-Smith House near his childhood home in Jasper, FL.
Nadine Smith
Nadine Smith is the Executive Director of Equality Florida, the state’s largest organization dedicated to ending discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. An award-winning journalist turned organizer, Nadine was one of four national co-chairs of the 1993 March on Washington. She was part of the historic meeting between then – President Clinton – the first Oval Office meeting between a sitting President and gay community leaders. She served on the founding board of the International Gay and Lesbian Youth Organization. She is s a Florida Chamber Foundation Trustee and served on President Obama’s National Finance Committee. Nadine has been named one of the the state’s “Most Powerful and Influential Women” by the Florida Diversity Council. She has recieved the League of Women Voter’s Woman of Distinction Award and in 2018 was named one of the 100 Most Influential Floridians by Influence Magazine. She currently serves as chair of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights Florida Advisory Committee.
Thomas Bömkes
Since 2010, Thomas Bömkes is Managing Director of Diversity Tourism GmbH, Munich, Germany. A consulting and marketing agency, specialized in LGBT and Medical Tourism worldwide. Offering strategic development, creative marketing solutions and MICE business activities
for tourism suppliers. Since 2010, Thomas is also the ITB Berlin advisor for LGBT Tourism and since 2016, he is also in charge of the development of the Medical
Tourism Segment at ITB Berlin. His company operates the online travel guide TomOnTour.com and other websites for Medical and LGBT Tourism. After graduating at Munich’s University with a Masters degree in economics in 1996, Thomas worked as a marketing consultant since then in different positions.
He has been a member of the board of directors of the International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA) from 1999 – 2009.
Roger Dow
Roger Dow is president and CEO of U.S. Travel Association, the Washington, D.C.-based organization representing all segments of travel in America. U.S. Travel’s mission is to increase travel to and within the United States. As the leading travel industry advocate, Dow and
his team regularly meet with executive branch and congressional leaders to advance policies that benefit the broader travel industry. His efforts have resulted in major legislative victories, including his instrumental role in establishing and renewing Brand USA, the highly effective national travel and tourism promotion program. Dow and U.S. Travel are also leaders of the Meetings Mean Business Coalition, which promotes and defends the value of face-to-face business meetings, trade shows, conferences and conventions.
Prior to joining U.S. Travel in 2005, Dow spent 34 years at Marriott International, rising to senior vice president of global and field sales. Dow served in the United States Army with the 101st Airborne Division in Vietnam, where he received the Bronze Star and other citations. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Seton Hall University and was honored as a Most Distinguished Alumnus in 2012. In addition, he holds an honorary degree from Johnson & Wales University.
Billy Kolber
Billy Kolber is the founder of HospitableMe, the global leader in LGBTQ+ strategy and training for tourism and hospitality. He co-founded OUT&ABOUT, the first gay/lesbian travel magazine in the US, and ManAboutWorld, one of the first mobile-only magazines of any kind.
He and his team provide learning and training around issues of sexuality and gender diversity, empowering destinations and brands to provide authentic, welcoming service to diverse travelers, and more personalized service to everyone. Billy traveled and sang around the world with the Yale Whiffenpoofs and has visited 71 countries, but still lives in New York City, where he was born.
Ed Salvato
Ed Salvato (pronouns he/him) offers LGBTQ marketing consulting and inclusive hospitality training to the travel, tourism and hospitality industries, as well as Inclusive hospitality training to major travel, tourism & hospitality brands around the globe. Ed also runs the LGBTQ Travel Pavilion at the NY Times Travel Show and is the emcee at ITB’s Pink Pavilion. He’s co-author of the Handbook of LGBT Tourism & Hospitality Marketing: A Guide for Business Practice by Columbia University Press. Previously, Ed was editor in chief of OUT & ABOUT, Out Traveler and ManAboutWorld gay travel magazines. Ed is an adjunct instructor in marketing at NYU’s Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality currently teaching a class in customer relationship management.
Matt Skallerud
Matt Skallerud, president of Pink Media, specializes in LGBTQ online marketing, targeting gays & lesbians via content marketing, social media, programmatic ad banners, mobile smartphone apps and more. He also specializes in search engine optimization (SEO), key word / search advertising (PPC) and social media analytics. He’s been in the LGBTQ online industry for over 20 years now.
Matt Skallerud began his online career in May 1995 with the launch of GayWired.com, which became one of the top 3 LGBTQ websites worldwide. Having worked with companies, large and small, for more than 20 years to reach the LGBTQ online consumer through this site and others, he is now focused on the most cutting-edge global innovations in programmatic ad buying, social networking and Web 2.0 technologies. He empowers his clients to reach the LGBTQ market using the most advanced techniques taking hold in the online marketing world today, including Real-Time Ad Bidding (RTB), Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Google Plus, YouTube, blogs and others.
In addition, Skallerud is the former Board Chairman of the International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA) and has served on the boards Travel Gay Canada (TGC) and the LAGLCC. He is actively involved with key national LGBTQ organizations including the NGLCC, Out Professionals and Lambda Legal, just to name a few.
Ravi Roth
Roth comes with prior experience in LGBTQ+ travel as a blogger, vlogger, content creator, and influencer, exploring the Queer culture in 31 countries with his travel brand Ravi Round The World. Ravi fearlessly captures and discovers where to stay, play, eat, work out, sites to see, and the Queer history of each destination. Ravi has been recognized as an expert in the LGBTQ+ travel community and was was named “One of the Top 10 Gay Travel Instagrammers in the World to Follow” by Unicorn Booty, nominated for “Best Insta Traveler of 2019″ by Gay Cities, and recognized as “People We Love in 2019” by Metrosource. As a highly sought after lecturer on LGBTQ+ travel, Ravi has been a featured speaker at the NY Times Travel Show, LGBT Week, Google, and Community Marketing Insights. Ravi is also an actor and singer and has been living in the Big Apple for 14 years! Ravi is represented by Jeremy Katz at The Katz Company.
DJ Doran
Mr. Doran currently serves as the CEO of Doran Omnimedia and Aequalitas Media. He also serves as the Executive Director of the AEQUALITAS Advisory Board. Mr. Doran’s background and experience include a 23-year military career as a United States Air Force Reserve Pilot; and a business career that spans over 25 years as owner and CEO of multiple corporations across various media companies. Mr. Doran has held key leadership roles throughout his career in LGBTQ Media and his management and leadership qualities as CEO have given Mr. Doran a unique ability to evaluate opportunities and successfully negotiate agreements that support the mission statement of the company, board of directors and investors. Such experience and insight have allowed Mr. Doran to work with his team toward the profitable acquisition of media assets ahead of the competition.
Mr. Doran continues to be actively involved with the local/national LGBTQ community as well as an ambassador to the business and political leaders of Chicago and beyond.
Michael Scheinman
Michael Scheinman is general manager of the Orbitz and CheapTickets brands for Expedia Group. Orbitz’s vision is to be the champion of inclusion and diversity in travel, and in July 2020, it launched the Travel With Pride initiative to support the LGBTQIA travel community. Prior to leading Orbitz and CheapTickets, Michael has spent over 10 years at Expedia Group and served in a variety of roles across hotel partner relations, product management, operations, and e-commerce strategy. He has an undergraduate degree in Hotel Administration from Cornell University, and an MBA from University of Chicago Booth School of Business, where he focused in revenue management and corporate strategy, respectively.
DT Minich
DT Minich is a veteran tourism executive. In August 2014, he became the first President and CEO of Experience Kissimmee, the Destination Marketing Organization for Osceola County, Florida. In this role, DT leads a 53-person staff, plus in-country representation firms in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Germany, Northern Europe, Mexico, and the United Kingdom. With an annual operating budget of $25 million, Experience Kissimmee helps inspire visitation for more than 8.9 million overnight guests annually. Capitalizing on his nearly three decades as a tourism marketer, DT has succeeded in strengthening the destination’s relationships with valued travel professionals and media worldwide. In addition, DT champions strategic partnerships as witnessed by frequent collaboration with key agencies, such as U.S. Travel Association, Brand USA, and the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority.
Under DT’s leadership, the staff has made tremendous gains in positioning Osceola County as a top destination for vacations, meetings, and sporting events. In 2017, DT and Experience Kissimmee were recognized by U.S. Travel Association with the Grassroots Travel Champion
Award. DT is a U.S. Travel Association Chairman Circle Board Member, Executive Committee Member and sits on the Brand USA Marketing Committee and IPW Planning Committee. He also serves on the board for the Central Florida Hotel & Lodging Association and is the past president of the Florida Association of Destination Marketing Organizations.
Register
Hotel
Connect Travel Cancellation Policy:
Connect Travel requires registration to be paid in full to access any live event. Any special billing or payment arrangement must be made in writing and agreed upon between Connect Travel management and the client seeking event access. Please see below for cancellation policy.
Cancellations requested inside of 30 days to event date – Client forfeits 100% of registration fee. Cancellations requested 31-90 days prior to event date – Client forfeits 50% of registration fee and the remaining 50% can be used towards a new product purchase in the same calendar year. Cancellations requested over 90 days to the event date – Client may apply 100% of the registration fee to a new product purchase or service in the same calendar year.
Photo Release:
Connect and its legal representatives and assigns, retain the right and permission to publish, without charge, photographs taken during this event. These photographs may be used in publications, including electronic publications, or in audio-visual presentations, promotional literature, advertising, or in other similar ways.
Medical Release:
With registration, the attendee agrees and acknowledges they are participating in the conference on their own free will. While Connect does its best to provide the safest possible environment for the events, the attendee acknowledges freely and knowingly that as a result of their registration and participation, they hereby assume responsibility for their own well-being and safety, releasing Connect of any harm.