The Austin LGBT Chamber of Commerce has announced its plans to host two official events during the "South by Southwest (SXSW)" festival. The Chamber's representatives have been in discussions with SXSW and Equality Texas about the nature of these LGBT-focused events.
According to SXSW, the first event being hosted by the Austin LGBT Chamber of Commerce is the 11th Annual Big Queer Kickoff Party on March 8. The party, once an "unofficial" gathering of "the queer community," has now gained official status. It will take place at Rain at 4th from 6 p.m. to midnight, featuring DJ Reesh who will start playing at 8 p.m.
As per the Chamber's website, their second event is titled "We're (So) Over the Rainbow." This discussion will involve IGC CEO Deirdre Walsh, IGC CMO & ED Jackie Padgett, and VP of DEI at Southwest Airlines Juan Suarez. Filmmaker Fiona Dawson will moderate the panel discussion. The panelists plan to delve into how companies and brands have recently retracted LGBTQ+ inclusion efforts to avoid backlash. They will also present an in-depth case study on how organizations can align support for the LGBTQ+ community with their business objectives. This event is scheduled for March 9 from 11 a.m. to noon at Cambria Hotel Austin Downtown, located at 68 East Ave.
The Austin LGBT Chamber of Commerce, as stated on its website, was established in 1997 with a mission to promote economic health within the LGBT community and support LGBT businesses through equality and inclusion efforts. In 2004, it became one of the founding members of the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. For several years now, it has been hosting official business panels during SXSW.