Pink Banana Media Updates - October 2017

#ILoveGay Partner Highlights At VA PrideFest, our newest partner and client, Virginia Tourism, launched their LGBTQ tourism initiative, @VisitGayVA.  A companion to the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Virginia.org/LGBT website, both provide Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender visitors 24/7 access to statewide lodging, dining, events, travel deals, itineraries and more. All VA experiences self-designated as LGBT friendly, and welcoming to all visitors. The Virginia Governor, Terry McAuliffe, stopped by the booth to put in his 2-cents! For more information, view our blog post here: http://ilovegay.net/2017/09/29/virginia-gov-terry-mcauliffe-attends-and-speaks-at-virginia-pridefest-2017/ #ILoveGay Ambassadors & New Media We're excited to announce some of our latest new #ILoveGay ambassadors.  Ty Autry and John-David, both from New York, will be attending the Richmond Fire, Flour & Fork culinary event, where they'll be jumping in head-first into some of the epicurean wonders that Richmond, VA has to offer!  Gabi & Fabia from Sao Paulo, Brazil have joined us as well, bringing some of their experiences in traveling the world as a lesbian couple with their blog, Estrangeira. For more information on Ty, John-David, Gabi & Fabia and some of our other ambassadors and LGBTQ influencers, check out: http://www.pinkbananamedia.com/lgbt_influencers.cfm Speaking of influencers, be sure to join us at the CMI Conference on Tourism & Hospitality in San Francisco Nov 1-3, 2017.  We'll be moderating a panel entitled Working with LGBTQ Influencers & Digital New Media in 2018. Panelists include Ravi Roth, Shane Ortega, Josh Rimer, Damian Pelliccione and Jon Bailey. http://lgbttravelblog.gaymonde.com/2017/09/destinations-tourism-hospitality.html Some other partner highlights October is a busy month... if you're in NYC, be sure to check out Richard Skipper Celebrates and his cabaret performance on October 8 at the Laurie Beechman Theatre. If you're in Montreal, the annual Black & Blue event "Luminocity" starts October 5 and runs through October 9. And every Sunday, be sure to check out the latest from John Davis and Tony Ortega of RawSexySpiritual and their "Raw(est) brunch!" RawSexySpiritual - spirituality for gay men & those who love them! Upcoming LGBT Business Conferences Reaching Out MBA Conference October 12-14, 2017 Boston, MA Join the largest gathering of LGBT MBA (and graduate) students and LGBTQ MBA alumni in the world for the 20th Annual Reaching Out LGBTQ & Business Graduate Conference The 2017 Reaching Out LGBTQ MBA & Business Graduate (otherwise known as ROMBA) Conference will provide lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer young professional leaders from around the world the opportunity to network, learn, and improve their skills so they will emerge stronger and more confident in the business world. The conference is open to current, alumni and prospective LGBTQ MBAs and business graduates and their active allies. http://www.reachingoutmba.org/register/ LGBTMPA 1st Workshops + Network Event In conjunction with CMI's 18th Conference on LGBT Tourism & Hospitality Three afternoon workshops feature topical insight into LGBT community issues for inclusion and success for the meeting professional. Attendees can select from a wide range of course topics to understand, attract and plan LGBT related meetings and LGBT events within meetings. All presentations are designed specifically to empower your meetings for greater diversity inclusion and communication. https://www.lgbtmeetingplanner.com/lgbtmpa-at-cmi 18th Conference on LGBT Tourism & Hospitality November 1-3, 2017 San Francisco, CA Don't miss the LGBT tourism & hospitality industry's premiere destination for market education, networking and fun!  Over 30 speakers! The tourism industry’s premiere marketing, sales, public relations and research forum to help you reach LGBT travelers... ALL NEW PROGRAM FOR 2017: Multiple workshops focusing on internet marketing to the LGBT community, plus featured presentations on the latest LGBT tourism market statistics, successful marketing techniques, case studies and much more! Use PBM2017 when registering and save $100 http://communitymarketinginc.com/lgbt-tourism-conference/