REGISTRATION MORE THAN DOUBLED for the sixth annual edition of LGBT Confex, held in October 2016 at Mexico City’s World Trade Center. Now the organizers are preparing to take the event to a new destination: Colombia.
More than 600 people registered for the sixth edition of LGBT Confex, Mexico’s largest tourism and business conference focused on the expanding LGBTQ travel market. Over two and a half days, government tourism representatives, hoteliers, tour operators and other industry professionals networked, delivered presentations and engaged with the public. The trade show floor featured prominent sponsor displays from companies such as AT&T, Scotiabank and Mundo Cuervo, alongside exhibitors including Mexico Boutique Hotels, Interjet and the tourism offices of Mexico City and the state of Morelos.
Conference discussions concentrated on how the LGBTQ market is evolving. In Mexico, as in many regions, this segment is increasingly seen as part of the mainstream market, said Fernando Castillo, owner of Condesa Haus, a boutique hotel in Mexico City’s stylish Condesa neighborhood. “The market will be less and less LGBT-specific, because there’s more and more integration,” he noted. “For me, it’s not a matter of advertising that I accept gay people. I accept everyone. More and more businesses are becoming better integrated.”
Panelists discussing hospitality trends echoed that view. “Within the last 10 years there has been a general change in hotel employees, in social channels and marketing,” said Paco Carrera, vice president of sales at Oasis Hotels & Resorts, which promotes its Oasis Sens property in Cancún to LGBTQ travelers.
Service quality emerged as a central theme. “The most important thing to perfect is service,” said Saul Lomelí Guerrero, associate director at Neta Comunicación, a marketing firm that works with brands such as Westin and Aloft. “You could promise incredible service, but if guests arrive and the service doesn’t match that promise, it becomes a major problem.”
LGBT Confex, which will return to Mexico City on Sept. 29–30, is expanding internationally. Ruben Sandoval, the event’s CEO and founder, announced plans to launch a similar conference in Bogotá, Colombia, on May 26–27. “Colombia is a growing and important destination for LGBT travelers and for business,” he said. “We see strong opportunities for growth and look forward to bringing together local and international businesses, tourism experts and travelers in Bogotá.”