At 30 years old, the Tampa Bay Business Guild is embedded in the history of LGBT Tampa Bay. But as technology and business needs have evolved, so too must the organization that promotes the success of LGBT and allied businesses throughout Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.
“It's important for us to recognize 30 years of history,” said TBBG board president Mariruth Kennedy. “We're doing that, but we also have to meet the new needs of the community, and one of the things we did was change the meeting structure.”
What used to be monthly dinner meetings in hotel ballrooms are now cocktail-style gatherings at restaurants, museums and other venues throughout the area. It gives members and guests more time to mingle, share ideas and, of course, exchange business cards.
“The system right now is that eight times a year we'll have networking functions held around Tampa Bay,” Kennedy explained. “These are about meeting people who can help move your business forward. We've heard repeatedly that it's a friendly atmosphere and a real chance to get introduced to other like-minded business people.”
Kennedy added that it's the mission of every board member to introduce themselves to whomever walks through the door, and then to introduce that person to another member. Kennedy said complaints about the Guild becoming too “clique-ish” and that staying squirreled away in a hotel ballroom was unproductive helped ignite the change.
“There's good news and bad news when new people come into a long-standing organization,” said Kennedy, who was elected vice president in November and became president of the Guild after president Scott Barry resigned for personal reasons. “The bad news is that sometimes you can forget about the history. But the good news is that a new board seems more willing to listen to what people are saying and is less defensive.”
In addition to the eight networking mingles this year, the board has planned three programmed events, beginning with one in April in conjunction with the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. The April 10 meeting will focus on how businesses can become certified LGBT businesses, which isn't as easy as some may think.
“This is something that would normally cost a business owner $400 to become certified,” Kennedy said. “For members, it's $25 and for non-members it's $35. It's an amazing deal.”
One of the concerns of members prior to the reformatted Tampa Bay Business Guild was the cost of the lengthy dinner meetings and the value, or lack of value, programs offered. That has changed this year, Kennedy said, and so far the feedback has been positive.
“We're increasing attendance,” Kennedy said. “Last summer we had 19 members show up to a meeting. Our last networking event had more than 50 people attend. We're also expecting a big crowd at the April program because it's something business owners need and we're offering them something of value.”
Membership for the TBBG is $130 a year, which includes free entry into the networking events. For non-members, those events are $10 a person. The new structure is not only enticing new members to check out the guild, but it's bringing back some former members who haven't been to a meeting in several years.
“It's a great time for folks to come back to an entity that they valued at one point and then something happened to make them think it didn't it them anymore,” Kennedy said. “We want them to come back and see if it fits them again. I think it will.”
Besides bringing LGBT and allied business owners together, the TBBG is taking a more active role in the public in 2012. Already, the Guild made its presence known at the recent Tampa City Council meeting where the board voted on a proposed domestic partnership registry ordinance. Kennedy spoke in support of the registry, saying it would be good for business in the area.
“We can advocate for our members and our entity and we will speak out on issues that affect the LGBT business community or the business community at large,” Kennedy said. “And the DPR was one of those things. We want to be an economic voice for the LGBT business community in Tampa Bay.”
Other members of the TBBG board of directors include: vice president John DeRosa, secretary Monte Michelson, treasurer David Buby, Lisa Demmi, Sharon Herman, Jose Cayon, Chris Rudisill and Anthony Barros.
