5 Ways the 2018 NGLCC Conference Gave Philadelphia More

ChatterBlast
October 5, 2018
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Just a few weeks ago, thousands of national and international LGBTQ folks gathered together in Philadelphia for a once-a-year opportunity: The National LGBT Chamber Of Commerce Conference. Held every year during the final few weeks of summer, the NGLCC Conference has grown from a handful of early diversity and inclusion pioneers to one of the most polished and powerful conferences in the country.

Through our CEO Evan Urbania who was a founding Board Member and past President of Philadelphia’s LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce’s Independence Business Alliance, ChatterBlast been a part of the paradigm for over a decade. ChatterBlast has been a certified LGBTQ business for almost as long.

While it would be impossible to blog about every single unique opportunity and exciting moment from this year’s conference, we can talk about some of our favorite points! Here are five ways this the NGLCC gave us more in 2018:

  1. More attendees

Over 1,300 professionals from all over the world came to Philadelphia for this year’s conference. Corporate participation and global representation were at record highs. This meant a dramatic increase in new faces at all of the networking events, truly living up to the phrase “the more the merrier.” Philadelphia looked truly great in the spotlight and rolled out the red carpet for the nation’s LGBTQ business leaders. As proud Philadelphians we love showing off our city – from Sampan to the Liberty Bell.

“I met so many incredible folks who are doing tremendous things in the space of business inclusion,” said first-time attendee and ChatterBlast Creative Director Matthew Ray.

  1. More marketing

Evan and LGBT marketing expert Matt Skallerud of Pink Banana Media co-presented a session to the delegation. The presentation focused on brand adaptability, social media, and emerging content marketing trends for the LGBT community. Attendees learned the difference between symmetrical and asymmetrical social networks, how and when to use Twitter for LGBT marketing, and the value of Instagram stories for your brand.

Want to learn more? Request a copy of the presentation by contacting us.

  1. More matching

Photo by Hugh E Dillon for CBS Philly.

The LGBT Business Enterprise matchmaking session was larger than ever. Hundreds of LGBT-certified businesses were matched with major corporate suppliers to uncover potential business connections and opportunities. Our team was honored to meet with Merck, Novartis, and AT&T. In addition, Evan met with two Canadian-based companies seeking to partner with other LGBT firms in the U.S. during a special Canadian trade mission program. It was truly an excellent and beneficial experience for all.

  1. More pitching

The ChatterBlast team was honored to be a sponsor of LGBT Biz Pitch, where three finalists got the opportunity to compete for $50,000 in cash and prizes. Corporate clothing startup eParel inched out a win from two other worthy businesses and will benefit from a comprehensive digital strategy from ChatterBlast as well as $25,000 in cash.

  1. More Martha!

Talk about mega-watt star power! The entire ChatterBlast team was swooning at lunch when Martha Stewart hit the stage. The queen of omni-media chatted about all things equality, workplace inclusion, style, chic autumnal ideas, and her friendship with Snoop Dogg.  Big takeaways from this keynote: tartan is going to be big in the fall and inclusivity at the corporate level is always fashionable.

What were your favorite moments from the 2018 NGLCC Conference? Let us know in the comments!

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