National gay chamber brings annual gathering to Dallas’ Omni Convention Center Hotel, despite uncertainty about company’s LGBT-related policies
OMNICOLORED | The Omni Convention Center Hotel, shown in August 2012, is owned by the city but operated by the company, which recently moved its headquarters to Oak Lawn. (Stephen Masker/Dallas Voice)
Before Omni Hotels won a contract to manage the city of Dallas’ $500 million convention center hotel in 2009, no one inquired about the company’s LGBT-related policies.
When it became clear Omni was one of the few major lodging chains that doesn’t offer domestic partner benefits to its employees nationwide, North Texas GLBT Chamber of Commerce CEO Tony Vedda enlisted the aid of then-Mayor Tom Leppert. The company eventually agreed to offer DP benefits at the Dallas property, which also joined the GLBT Chamber.
Today, Vedda said, Omni Hotels offers health benefits to spouses of all its married employees, gay and straight, regardless of their state of residence. Omni representatives didn’t return phone calls seeking to confirm that policy.
Because Omni Hotels doesn’t participate in the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index, the full extent of its LGBT policies remains unknown.
But representatives from the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, which brings its 10th annual convention to the Omni Dallas next week, said the company’s progress is a prime example of the organization’s impact.
“Part of what we do is help companies become better corporate citizens,” said Justin Nelson, president and founder of NGLCC. “It’s our job to build the business case.
This is not a cultural statement.”
Nelson said Omni might not be where it ultimately needs to be, but after the convention is over, NGLCC will continue to work with the company.
“The conference may leave,” Nelson said, “but the push for equality does not.”
Omni Hotels currently operates 56 hotels and resorts in the U.S. and Mexico. Earlier this month, Omni expanded by purchasing five resorts, including Barton Creek Resort & Spa in Austin.
Omni is privately held by TRT Holdings, which is owned by Robert Rowling of Highland Park, whose $7 million donation to American Crossroads, founded by Karl Rove, ranked him as third-largest donor to that PAC.
In the 2012 election, American Crossroads spent $96 million for negative ads against Democrats and another $8 million supporting Republican candidates.
Because Omni is privately held, the company doesn’t disclose its equal opportunity policies or specifics on its benefit plans.
In addition to Omni, TRT owns Gold’s Gym, Tana Exploration and has investments in a number of other companies. TRT’s corporate headquarters is moving to a new building under construction on Maple Avenue in Oak Lawn on the Old Parkland Hospital campus where the lesbian bar Buddies II was located.
TRT Holdings also does not participate in the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index.
Human Rights Campaign spokesman Michael Cole-Schwartz said he had no information on LGBT policies and practices at Omni or TRT.
“We don’t have any information on them other than they have not responded to our requests to provide information or participate in the CEI,” he said.
Other hospitality companies such as Hyatt and Sheraton received perfect scores on the most recent CEI. Marriott received a score of 90 percent.
Although the CEI survey is sent only to Fortune 1000 companies, Cole-Schwartz said other privately held companies voluntarily participate in the CEI.
Rowling has said his contributions to American Crossroads were about “fiscal sanity” and had nothing to do with social issues. The company tried to distance itself from the donation as personal rather than corporate, but half the money came from corporate accounts.
As a result, a Gold’s Gym franchisee who owned four locations in San Francisco pulled out of the chain, while another franchisee in Los Angeles published ads saying the gym was locally owned.
Since Gold’s Gyms are franchised, the corporate policy is, “Gold’s Gym offers a variety of employee benefits which may vary by location,” according to the company’s website.
Regardless of the controversy involving Gold’s Gym, Nelson said he’s confident about what convention-goers will find at the Omni Dallas.
This is the first major LGBT conference to be held at the hotel since it opened in 2011, and its employees will go through diversity training before attendees arrive,
Nelson said. During the conference, gender-neutral bathrooms will be designated.
National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce spokeswoman Laura Berry expects the 10th annual chamber conference to be its largest. At least 26 of the 38 regional LGBT chambers in the U.S. will be represented with more than 600 members already registered.
A number of special events are planned through the week, including an opening night reception at the Perot Museum.
On July 31, they’ll screen the HBO special The Out List with Dallas Sheriff Lupe Valdez, Twiggy Pucci Garcon and Wade Davis, who appear in the film, discussing the project afterwards.
Valdez will be honored as a female leader, as will Texas trans activist Meghan Stabler.
The Austin LGBT chamber will be recognized as the rising star and Central Pennsylvania as Chamber of the Year.
Phil Giorgianni, NGLCC director of supplier diversity, certifies businesses as LGBT-owned. He helps match these companies with 140 corporate partners.
He called this the largest conference for companies looking to interact with the LGBT community.
“They partner with us because they’ve said, ‘We want to do business with LGBT businesses,’” he said.
The certification is modeled on how minority- or women-owned businesses are designated. He said a marriage license with a same-sex partner, a newspaper article or letters from friends or a local LGBT chamber may be used to verify someone as LGBT. Then ownership papers would prove that person or persons control at least 51 percent of the company.
He said this program isn’t for corporations trying to cash in on the lucrative LGBT market.
“They’re not saying we want to sell to the LGBT community,” Giorgianni said. “They’re saying we want to buy from you.”
One event that takes place during the conference is called Matchmaking, which Giorgianni described as speed dating for businesses. LGBT suppliers are matched with corporations for 15-minute meetings. He said so many companies have registered to participate as both LGBT suppliers and corporate buyers that the event had to be moved to a larger venue.
The keynote speaker is Les McKeown, author of Predictable Success and an adviser on accelerated business growth, who brings 30 years of experience starting and sustaining businesses.
At the plenary luncheon on July 31, three chief diversity officers — Karyn Twaronite from Ernst & Young, Wanda Brackins from RBC Wealth Management and Cuc Vu from HRC — explore diversity and inclusion as a market-driven business imperative.
In breakout sessions, a variety of topics will be addressed. Wells Fargo executives will discuss the financial impact of the Defense of Marriage Act decision on same-sex couples.
The conference is broken into two tracks. Not only will chamber members interact, but chamber organizers will have their own breakouts with experienced leaders like Vedda discussing how to start a local affiliate chamber and organizational sustainability.
National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce holds its annual business and leadership conference at the Omni Dallas Hotel Dallas, 555 S. Lamar St., July 30–Aug. 2. For more information or to register, go to NGLCC.org.
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition July 26, 2013.