Pink Banana Media & LGBTBrandVoice.com

I had an incredible work week in Dallas this past week, staying at the Kimpton Hotel Palomar and spoiled by the staff and Group Sales Manager, Sam Tucker. As I arrived Sunday night, on the MLK Weekend holiday, the Oak Lawn and Cedar Springs area was crazy with hot guys everywhere.  TMC was packed, as was S4 with a line wrapped around the corner.  I had no idea the boys in Dallas could party so hard!!!! As the work week began, at the Palomar it was very easy to meet with my friends and clients, and on top of all that, there was an incredible gym just 3 blocks away (and a Taco Bell on the way back!) We had our IGLTA board meeting later on that week, where we were wined and dined by both the Philadelphia folks and the Ft. Lauderdale team out here meeting with us for our future convention locations.  Jeff Guaracino, Josh Neal, Niki Grossman and Joshua Winston spoiled us rotten. We then wrapped up the weekend with an IGLTA reception at the Lumen Hotel, another Kimpton property, along with a

I've had the fortune of being nominated and elected to the board of directors of our local Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce ( http://www.laglcc.org/ . There's a great new team on board, including Randy Malmud , the new Chamber President , Anthony Vulin , the new Chamber Vice President , James Holchin the new Treasurer and Amanda Williams the new Secretary . In addition, Doran Farnum of Frontiers News Magazine is also a new member of the board as well. JD DiSalvatore has also recently come on as a new board members, and other board members include Jason Miller , Financial Advisor with Prudential Securities , Maureen Steinberg , Realtor with Keller Williams , Julie Falen , Real Estate Solutions Entrepr eneur/Owner, Big Fiddle Properties , Peggi Garvey , Frontiers Magazine , Kirkland Tibbels , Founder/President Funny Boy Films and Dawn Ackerman , Co-CEO OutSmart Office Solutions and Immediate Past President, LAGLCC. For more information on this organizati

Be sure to check out my recent interview I did with J Federico of Equal4All's World. Matthew Skallerud, President of Pink Banana Media, began his career in the GLBT marketplace in the mid-90s – a time where not many companies catered to the GLBT community and their needs to go forth and flourish in this country. Matthew wanted to be a trailblazer – a true trend-setter. And that’s just what he transformed himself into after many a trial and error. Equal4all is proud to introduce Mr. Skallerud in the raw… http://equal4all.wordpress.com/2009/01/11/the-man-behind-pink-banana-media-–-matthew-skallerud/

In This Issue New Marketing Tools for 2009 How to get more targeted visitors to your site In the last edition, Matt Skallerud wrote a great article, "Making Sense of Social Media." He compared social media to talk radio and old-fashioned telephone party lines. "A tiny percent call - but everybody is listening." This article is going to teach you how to best market to all of those "listeners...." LGBT Marketing Forum: European Tourism and Hospitality Leaders to Gather in London Timely Discussion of Gay and Lesbian Growth Opportunities During Economic Downturn Unprecedented economic challenges facing the global tourism and hospitality industries have led leaders to explore viable "niche" markets to fill the gaps. Research over the past decade has indicated particular strength in the gay and lesbian markets, who continue to take holidays in large numbers during recessions, health scares, etc. Community Marketing, Inc. (CMI), the international LGB