HOUSTON (February 5, 2017) – As Houston prepares to host the Super Bowl, at least six local LGBT-owned businesses are reaping the rewards of Houston hosting the big game, thanks to a new chamber of commerce and the NFL’s commitment to diversity.  The Greater Houston LGBT Chamber of Commerce launched earlier this year and began a strong collaboration with the Super Bowl Host Committee to ensure that local LGBT business owners were well represented in the NFL’s Business Connect program.

The six companies and members of the Chamber include J & D Entertainment, Jim Benton Catering, Mister French’s Gourmet Bakery and VAST Marketing Group. These businesses were selected as Super Bowl LI vendors through the NFL’s Business Connect program.

Business Connect is the NFL’s supplier diversity program designed to connect diverse, local businesses to contracting opportunities related to the Super Bowl. The program’s goal is to increase opportunities for qualified, experienced and certified local enterprises to conduct Super Bowl business, as well as to support individual business growth through networking events, educational and capacity-building programs.

Business Connect accepts into the program businesses that are certified as an LGBT Business Enterprise® by the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. That official designation helps companies generate business and clients through supplier diversity contracting opportunities.

”The LGBT Chamber is proud to partner with the Super Bowl Host Committee to ensure that the pool of certified businesses qualifying for the Business Connect program included strong representation from the LGBT community,” said Tammi Wallace, Co-founder of the Chamber.  “These six businesses have broken new ground and become part of local LGBT history as the first, local companies to obtain NFL vendor contracts utilizing the LGBTBE® certification.  This is exactly what the Chamber is doing—helping to break new ground and serving as a catalyst to support business growth for LGBT owned businesses in the region.”    

Final numbers are not available but the Super Bowl was expected to draw 138,000 out-of-town visitors to Houston in the 10 days leading up to the big game. That, coupled with spending from others throughout the region as part of the event, was expected to result in an economic impact of $350 million for the city, according to an independent report from Rockport Analytics LLC.