MASTERCLASS Gnetwork360

Connecting People, Building Communities

On Thursday, March 17, MasterClass 2021, will be launched as a global LGBTQ+ virtual learning platform. This unique day-long, and no-cost education program is especially designed for business leaders, tourism and hospitality leaders, students and educators, social entrepreneurs and professionals from all walks of life, and will be sponsored by the LGBT Chamber of Commerce of Argentina and the National Institute for Tourism Promotion (Inprotur).

All details and free registration online may be found at https://bit.ly/masterclassG360.

This unique and first-of-its-kind event, MasterClass 2021, created by Gnetwork360 will be an opportunity to see, listen and learn from some of the world’s leading experts, who will share master classes live on video and virtual via streaming. The topics of these 4 online master classes are: 

• Diversity and LGBTQ Inclusion,
• Tourism and Innovation
• Inclusive Visual Narratives, and
• Inspiring Stories and their Social Impact

MasterClass 2021 is designed to be an inspiring and top-level learning experience. It is aimed at both beginners and experts, students, professionals, and entrepreneurs who agree LGBTQ inclusion is an essential value. 

The four-part classes will take place on that same day. Experts from Paris, London, Minneapolis, Los Angeles, New York, Buenos Aires, and Washington will share their stories of success and failure, their advice, and their experiences with the audience.

Ricardo Sosa, Executive Secretary at Inprotur, emphasized: “Our country welcomes LGBT tourists and is actively working nationally and internationally to promote its destinations, its experiences and its diversity within a private-public collaboration that has been functioning for more than a decade. For 13 years, Inprotur and CCGLAR have been hosting the most important LGBTQ tourism event of this region. Today, in 2021, as we work to overcome the crisis caused by the pandemic, we are proud to present this new initiative: MasterClass 2021. This virtual class will establish Gnetwork360’s four main pillars: LGBTQ Tourism, Inclusion, Innovation and Trends, and Inspiring Stories.”

Program Schedule for March 17

7 am ET / 9 am ARG - The opening session presented by IBM and Out & Equal is called Leading with Hope: Authenticity and Strategies for Change. This class will be led by Tony Tenicela, Global Leader, Marketplace Diversity from IBM, Delfina Daglio from IBM Argentina, Deena Fidas, and CV Viverito, Associate Director at Out & Equal.

This session will highlight new challenges in diversity, equity, and LGBTQ inclusion within the corporate work environment in a post-COVID context. It will focus on the impact of new work modalities and the development of inclusive leadership. A special chapter will address the inclusion of non-binary people and the trans community in Latin American organizations.

9 am ET / 11 am ARG - Tristen Norman, Head of Creative Insights at GETTY Images, will present the second master class: The Age of Inclusion: Insights on The Importance of Realness in Visual Storytelling.  

The world is in the midst of a colossal sociocultural shift. Consumers are demanding that brands stand for more than their products and services, global conversations are challenging and reimagining our norms and values, while rapidly advancing technology is providing the platform that enables all of this radical change – even in the midst of a global pandemic.

These cultural, social, and even ecological shifts have had a profound impact on consumer expectations of visual expression. Plan to hear Norman’s insights about what “real” truly looks like in visual storytelling and how to build an inclusive practice that keeps pace with a changing visual landscape.

1 pm ET / 3 pm ARG - Laurent Queige, from Paris, will present the third master class - THE FUTURE OF TOURISM: Innovation and New Trends in Entertainment and Travel. Laurent is Director at Welcome City Lab, Paris&Co, expert in Tourism and Travel, President of the French Digital Innovation Committee, and a member of the board of directors at Grand Palais National Museums.

Queige will share his vision regarding the future of tourism, with new perspectives for innovation in travel and entertainment. He will analyze projects developed by startups in the first platform of touristic innovation which he leads in France, with 160 projects and 1500 jobs created, and 200 million euros in private investment.

3 pm ET / 5 pm ARG- The last segment Inspiring Stories begins. 49-55-96 Business as a force for good: LGBTQ Social Impact - From an invisible past to a bright future is a dialogue among three generations which share the same dreams and the same legacy, going beyond languages and borders. 

Spurring this inspirational dialogue will be Charlie Rounds, a global pioneer in LGBTQ hospitality and tourism, leader, entrepreneur, and visionary. Rounds will be joined in Minneapolis, Minnesota by 24-year-old Nick Alm, Executive Director and co-founder of Mossier. They will share their visions for today and the future, from the base created by Kevin Mossier 40 years ago to the current social movement impacting the whole world. Daniel Coletti, Trans-TI / CCGLAR, will moderate this dialogue from Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Pablo De Luca, President of CCGLAR, said: “We are proud to host this event, which allows us to offer virtually the rich contents we share each year in person. We have the privilege of presenting the best speakers in the world in each of the categories we chose for MasterClass 2021. Just as in each of Gnetwork360’s previous editions, the access will be entirely free for professionals, students, entrepreneurs, and touristic service providers from our country and all Latin America.” 

This year’s theme will be: “Connecting People, Building Communities,” with our host Franco Torchia. Each master class will last about 45 minutes. 

Gnetwork360 Awards

After each session, the Gnetwork360 Awards will be bestowed to the companies and projects which lead the way and show us the most ambitious goals in terms of LGBTQ inclusion and diversity, both within organizations and throughout society.

·       The first award will be presented to SAP Argentina, represented by Ezequiel Massa, Head of Diversity & Inclusion for Latin America and the Caribbean, and IBM Argentina, represented by Anthony Tenicela, Global Leader, Marketplace Diversity, IBM, for their exceptional commitment to LGBTQ+ Inclusion, Equity and Diversity in Argentina and throughout this region.

·       Uwern Jong, Founder and Editor in Chief of OutThere Magazine, will be honored for the excellence of his work in the media and for being a true ambassador for LGBT Argentina in the world.

Education and work are two fundamental human rights. To close this event, CCGLAR also will award special recognition to two initiatives that have a great daily impact on the lives of the trans community in Argentina and inspire role models in the region. 

·       The first initiative’s social impact resides in the work that inspires and delivers employment opportunities for trans people. Maryanne Lettieri will receive the award representing HIRE TRANS (CONTRATA TRANS).

·       The second initiative grants full access to education, invaluable for repairing the debt we all have to the trans community. Manu Mireles will receive the Gnetwork360 award honoring the school Bachillerato Popular MOCHA CELIS.

The event will end with the beautiful artistry of AMAL, a Latin American drag queen and vocalist, who will perform the song “Mi negro lindo.” 

All are invited to register and join the program entirely free of cost, thanks to the generous support of leading organizations and companies such as Visit Argentina, Delta Air Lines, IBM, Hertz, Grupo GEA, Aerolineas Argentinas, Visit Lauderdale, Visit BA, GMCVB, Madrid, Witeck Communications and many others which make this event possible. The entire program and its contents will be available for audiences in both English and Spanish.

Free online registration: https://bit.ly/masterclassG360