IGLTA Newsletter - MARCH 2012

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IGLTA SOUTH AFRICA NEWSLETTER 01 I March 2012

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Get ready for a brand new South African

IGLTA. It is set to become a cornerstone

for the travel industry to attract and

retain local and international “pink

travelers” in SA.

The IGLTA will be transformed into a fully

functioning business guild, with regular

networking meetings, promotional

avenues & workshops and chances for

branding & marketing to the pink

market.

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The biggest change will be inclusion of

gay clubs, bars, restaurants & events for

collaboration with major travel partners.

Also join us on facebook:

(http://www.facebook.com/igltasouthafrica) &

stay tuned for a major revamp of

www.iglta.org and a new consumer

drive to help you reach more pink

travellers & business partners.

Here’s to a promising new beginning.

New Look and Revamp! WHAT IS MISSING FROM THE IGLTA SA? Help us help you!

Fill out this online survey to

rate current service levels

and tell us what is missing.

We want to make your

business GLITTER!

http://www.zoomerang.c

om/Survey/WEB22F2NUJ5E

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MAKING THE SOUTH AFRICAN

TOURISM INDUSTRY

HIGHLIGHTS:

Eugene Brockman joins the IGLTA South Africa. He is the designer of the Gay Flag of SA, well connected and a passionate patriot.

WHO:

The IGLTA SA gets a new “local and lekker” logo.

STYLE:

The IGLTA will expand by signing up gay clubs & establishments to give existing members access to gay travellers.

GROWTH:

more on 2

SAVE:

The IGLTA SA members qualify for the cheapest ad rates in SA

2 Making SA Tourism Fabulous

IGLTA SOUTH AFRICA NEWSLETTER 01 l March

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ADVERTISE FOR 7.5% –

25% LESS As an IGLTA SA member you now have access to immediate discounts on advertising in all local gay print and online media. As an IGLTA members you can advertise for less in the following: OUT AFRICA Mag: Quarterly gay glossy, 5 K print run, 20K readership. Distributed through gay venues nationwide. 15% discount on ¼ page ads.

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ALICE Mag: A sleek gay girl’s glossy quarterly. 10 K prints sold nation wide at CNA & Exclusive books. 20% discount on all ads. GAY PAGES: Comprehensive quarterly gay services & business listings. Well established and widely distributed. 15% off all ad rates. PINK TONGUE: Cape Town’s pink newspaper, distributed 5K copies in the Western Cape. >25% off all ads.

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EXIT: Oldest & only national gay newspaper. >15% on business card size ads. QUEERLIFE: Online portal, 98 000 SA users, 900K impressions. >7.5% off on buttons, banners, newsletters and SNS marketing. Not to mention the IGLTA’s international marketing options.

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PINKTRAVELERFACTS:• 87%willchooseaboutique/designledproperty

• 90%willonlystayin4+starproperties.

• 74%areavidconsumersofluxuryservices/goods

• 34%havespendmorethanaverageonluxuryitems.

IGLTA MEMBERS GET CHEAPEST GAY AD RATES IN SA!



PRIDE & YOUR BUSINESS Glitter, feathers and the bottom line

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Most of South Africa’s metropolis are

overrun once a year with feathers,

glitter and fantasy as their local gay

and lesbian communities are joined by

broader counterparts in celebrating

their civil rights and freedom to love.

One can expect flamboyance, toned

flesh, a dizzying array of messages and

images portraying the alternative

lifestyle of an identified a homosexual,

bisexual, transgender or intersex person.

Statistically Jo’burg pride is now verging

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on 30 000 revelers on the day, rightfully

claiming the title of Africa’s Pride. It is

well organized and a viable non-profit.

Cape Town Pride is a two-week

collection of festivities, book fairs,

beach picnics, the Red Party and other

minor events. The actual parade has

about 3000 partygoers join in. However

this years event almost did not happen

due to insolvency and poor previous

management.

(continued)

“Labels are for filing.

Labels are for clothing.

Labels are not for people.”

- Martina Navratilova



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The Garden Route has their own

festival named the Pink Loeries who

sees most of SA’s “queer” inner

circle trek down to Knysna for the

weekend.

Most recently Nelson Mandela Bay

Pride launched succeeding in

getting numbers of around 700

participants for their first effort.

Soweto and Erhukuleni has a

parade each year in the

September months, both are still

more of a funded community

project than a viable festival with

benefit for corporate sponsorship.

So how do you decide to get your

brand involved with the local

festivities in your city?

At first it might seem a bit jarring to

get involved with Prides as they are

a non-profit consisting of volunteers

who most often are not business

minded.

However, Jo’burg Pride is very

much an institution with return

investment and sponsorship. The

organization runs smoothly and

effectively every year to give their

sponsors a return on their

investment.

For other pride events businesses

must recognize that some patience

will be required. A hands-on

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approach in most cases will yield the

results you might expect in terms of

brand exposure, marketing and

promotions.

The volunteers making up the board

or executive committees are often

appointed for their standing in the

community rather than their business

acumen, so expect to do some

coaching.

As a sponsor or investor you must

recognize that the pride committee

will be assisting you in their spare time

on a voluntary basis. As such your

requirements and demands might fall

out of the scope of capabilities of the

volunteer who is your contact person.

That being said, Pride festivals are an

incredibly emotional experience for

self-identifying LGBTI individuals. It is a

day in the year where they can be

free to be as flamboyant and blatant

as they wish without repercussions or

disapproval.

Having your branding send a

message of support and acceptance

to target consumers/ clients on the

day can create long lasting

awareness and loyalty for the

remainder of the year, more so than

just advertising in local gay media

South Africa’s LGBTI community

stands at an estimated 4.8 million with

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63% of that number rating them

selves as brand loyal according to

Queerlife.co.za.

This is incentive enough to get

involved in your local Pride festival.

Lastly, the following are key points you should consider:

• Be clear on your requirements for return on investment (have your brand tied to an event name, run a promotion with reference code on their website, clarify where your brand can be visible and/or published.)

• Demand clarity on what the Pride organization can & cannot do, press for honesty.

• Formalize your agreement in writing.

+ “Pride festivals are an incredibly emotional experience”

Having your brand send a

message of support and

acceptance to target

consumers/ clients on the

day can create

awareness and loyalty

within this target market.

(continued)



• Formalize your agreement in writing.

• Meet with the primary and but demand on secondary key contacts.

• If you are tied with a specific event, make sure that your flyers,

branding, products and other necessary equipment and or materials

are handed over and signed for the day before the event as in most

cases it is a mad scramble on the day.

• Fly the gay flag and colours during the week of the pride event.

• Also use social media to follow and posts on the Pride’s facebook & twitter walls, share stories of your LGBTI staff, messages of encouragement and support.

Lastly be sure to relax and enjoy the madness. Expect chaos and delays,

but don’t compromise on the key tangibles that they Pride committee has

promised you.

It is not easy to find happiness in our selves; and it is not possible to find it elsewhere. Agnes Repplier

MEET HUGE:

The South African IGLTA team has been joined by Eugene

Brockman, nicknamed “HUGE” because of his ambitions.

Eugene has over 5 years corporate experience in Tokyo

Japan where he was a founding member and Marketing

Manager for the South African Chamber of Commerce.

Before returning to SA Eugene came up with the concept

of the Gay Flag of South Africa, which he has since

launched and turned into a national symbol and

movement for the LGBTI community.

He has also set up set up a national merchandising

network, which won him an interview on BBC World

Business Report Africa. Eugene has also taken the flag on

a national tour (in the vein of Priscilla Queen of the

Desert) to raise awareness on lesbian hate rape prevalent

IGLTA SA NEWSLETTER

CAN’T GET SATISFACTION?

Eugene has also brought about “exhibitionist activism.” as he has uses costume to play on homophobic stereotypes, in order to get media attention in order to convey messages of equality and acceptance in several interviews on SABC News, CNN, BBC and radio such as Highveld, 2Oceansvibe, Jacaranda, O FM, Algoa FM, etc.

The Gay Flag of SA will again tour the country for this year making it the first ever national Gay tour, where he and his fellow “Exhibitionist activists” raise awareness and build unity in the LGBTI community.

Eugene has won nearly a million rand in media exposure for his sponsors of the Gay Flag of SA on their bus tour IN ONLY TWO WEEKS and has created value in businesses marketing towards the LGBTI community.

Eugene will bring his passion for this country & it’s LGBTI community as well as his extensive base of contacts to the IGLTA SA to connect you to the key players in pink business.

The IGLTA in SA has expanded their team and are dedicated to help you achieve the most out of your membership.

An IGLTA membership is much like a gym membership. Though you are signed up at a gym, it does not mean you’ll soon flaunt a physique like Arnold Schwarzenegger’s. It takes work, the gym only provides the space and means to achieve your goals. So too an IGLTA membership provides you with the means to access international travellers, tourism professionals and to market yourself in a targeted and appropriate manner.

Regardless, we would like you to give us feedback on the service and value you have received from your membership. Likewise we would like to hear from you which services you’d like the IGLTA to offer you.

Either way we want to optimize your return on investments.

Kindly take five minutes to fill out this easy multiple-choice survey. Help us help you attain your goals.

http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22F2NUJ5ENU

01 I March 2012

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IGLTA Newsletter - MARCH 2012