MDGLCC Fourth Annual Explore/Expo
Sunday, February 12, 2012, Noon to 5:00 p.m.
The Moore Building
Miami’s Design District
191 NE 40th Street
Miami

Tickets: Free and open to the public
Parking: Valet Parking – $6
Metered Street Parking

The Miami-Dade Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce 100 gay and gay-friendly businesses and organizations

Post-Event Reception: 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Alberto Linero Gallery
2294 NW 2nd Avenue at the corner of 23rd Street and 2nd Avenue
RSVP: 786-287-7789 or info@AlbertoLineroGallery.com

Wine & Hors d’oeuvres
Free to Explore/Expo attendees and exhibitors

Fourth Annual “Explore/Expo” To Spotlight LGBT and LGBT-Friendly Businesses For The Community
Miami-Dade Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce Adds Partnership with GLBT Travel Expo to Expand Travel-Related Resources

The LGBT community is a fiercely loyal consumer. According to a recent Harris Interactive national study, seven out of 10 LGBT consumers said they are likely to remain loyal to a brand they believe to be very friendly and supportive to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community, even when less friendly companies may offer lower prices or be more convenient. More than 100 such businesses will be on hand for the local LGBT community and its allies when the Miami-Dade Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (MDGLCC) presents the “4th Annual Explore/EXPO.”

Visitors to Explore/EXPO will be able to stroll three floors of the dramatic Moore Building and speak with representatives from a diverse cross-section of businesses, including advocacy organizations, entertainment companies, financial services, health services, hospitality groups, real estate professionals, retail products, non-profit organizations and travel firms – especially travel firms. The event will also feature food and entertainment.

New for the “4th Annual Explore/EXPO” is an association with the GLBT Travel Expo whose mission is to connect LGBT travelers with gay-friendly airlines, hotels, destinations and related travel services. In addition to Miami, GLBT Travel Expos take place in Ft. Lauderdale, Chicago, Philadelphia and New York.

“Explore/EXPO is a one-stop shop for LGBT consumers who want to put their dollars where they count by patronizing gay and gay-friendly companies that actually want their business,” said Steve Adkins, president of the MDGLCC. “This year’s event is bigger, better and, ironically, more intimate with our move to the Moore Building in the Design District.”

In addition to the expo booths and free giveaways from many of the businesses, MDGLCC will host a free raffle drawing for attendees with prizes ranging from a pair of travel vouchers from Miami to South America, three nights at the Bolongo Bay Resort in St. Thomas, and two nights at the Palms Hotel in Kissimmee.

Following Explore/EXPO, attendees and exhibitors are invited to the Alberto Linero Gallery for a post-event reception featuring art, wine and hors d’oeuvres. Alberto Linero Gallery presents a refreshing spin on contemporary and modern art, showcasing mixed media works, sculpture and painting. The gallery features a compelling line-up of Latin American and international art.

The Miami-Dade Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce is the largest not-for-profit corporation in the county for gay and lesbian businesses. The Chamber’s mission is to promote a unified and thriving, gay and gay-friendly business and professional community throughout the county. The Chamber’s goals are to promote networking within the existing gay and gay-friendly business and professional community; to promote business opportunities for Chamber members; to promote Miami as a year-round, gay and gay-friendly tourist destination; to provide resources for its members; and to provide outreach from the LGBT community to other organizations.

For more information on Explore/EXPO, including booth rental, visit www.gogaymiamiexplore.com, call the Chamber at 305-673-4440, or email mdglcc@bellsouth.net.