About Us

The Key West Business Guild, KWBG or the Guild, is a nonprofit organization devoted to promoting Key West to LGBT travelers. It provides comprehensive information about Gay Key West and promotes it’s member organizations to a national and international travel market. This work helps to attract about 210,000 LGBT travelers here each year, earning Key West the well-deserved reputation as one of the most appealing gay-friendly destinations in the world.

Begun in 1978 to encourage summer tourism and support Key West’s gay community, the Guild was the nation’s first gay-oriented chamber of commerce. From a small original membership it has grown to include more than 350 enterprises representing virtually every facet of the island’s business community.

Today, the Key West Business Guild ranks among the nation’s leading gay business associations and its marketing efforts, supported by the Florida Keys Tourism Development Council, incorporates a gay-marketing specialist and an award-winning advertising campaign.

The Guild also operates a Visitor Center which is located at 513 Truman Avenue. Walk-in visitors can find a warm welcome and an informative introduction about the island, events, local businesses, and area attractions.

In addition, the Guild produces four annual special events that support area businesses and attract visitors from around the world: Pridefest Key West, Womenfest Key West, Tropical Heat, and Headdress Ball. Each event has its own website with thousands of hits monthly, while the Business Guild’s site, gaykeywestfl.com, attracts tens of thousands of visitors each month and offers downloadable brochures in several languages.

Want to become a part of the Key West Business Guild? Contact us today and find out how. Members. Volunteers. Committees. There’s always something happening at the Guild. For more information, call us at 305-294-4603.

CLICK HERE for our 2012 Membership Application