Testimonials

Public Speaking, Moderating + Presenting

You are one of the most amazing teachers I have ever known.
— Fred Dixon, President and CEO, NYC & Company

— Pauline Frommer, Editorial Director Frommer’s

Ed Salvato, your dedication to educating and fostering connections among professionals and future global industry leaders is incredibly inspiring. I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to delve into Business Events Solutions by Maritz initiatives, trends, and for the engaging discussion highlighting these important topics and learning through their engagement. Let’s do it again!

— Samantha Butler, Business Events Solutions buy Maritz (guest speaker at an NYU class)

Open, informative, practical and fun – that’s Ed!
— Wendy Morrill, WYSE Travel Confederation

What can I say, but thank you.  You were brilliant! Your contribution was relevant, engaging and spot on – funny, thought provoking and entertaining. Ed, you’re amazing.
— Murray Harkin, Murray Harkin Associates

GREAT job last night! The keynote panel [at the first-ever LGBTQ Virtual Travel and Adventure Show] was fun – relaxed, informative and went so smoothly! You were perfect for the role

— Cristina Cotto, Director, Strategic Partnerships, Travel and Adventure Show

Thank you so much for moderating the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion webinar on Dec 8. I knew it was going to be insightful, useful, interesting, unique, but everyone, and the conversation so far exceeded my expectations I couldn’t be more thrilled. We’ve already had tons of great feedback and folks asking “when’s the next one?” I want to thank you so much again. The conversation is so important, you all elevated it in a way that hasn’t quite been done before.

— Michael Becker, Founder and CEO, GeoSure Global

You were a brilliant moderator, loved your energy.

— Jamie-Lee Abtar, Executive Director, BAME Women in Travel

The speaker at the PCMA webinar “The Return to Face to Face; What Will You Do?, was well prepared and delivered valuable insights. – 100% answered “Agree” or “Strongly Agree”; I plan to use the information presented in this webinar. – 100% answered “yes”. (100% on both does not happen often, so kudos!). Here’s a video link to the webinar. 

— Caitlin O’Malley, PCMA

Thank you so much for putting together such an excellent event. I appreciate you dedicating time to putting this together and the thoroughness and professionalism. It was a sincere opportunity for the ERG. Apologies for going over on time a bit. It’s always so great to engage with you on a professional level — I always learn so much. So many people emailed to say they enjoyed our event thoroughly.

— Thomas Harris, AIG Travel | General Insurance

We brought Ed on as moderator and trainer for a workshop on Designing Trips for and Marketing to LGBTQ+ Travelers at AdventureELEVATE in 2019. From the first outreach, Ed was communicative, friendly, generous with his knowledge and network, and organized. I truly appreciate it when I enlist the help of a professional to moderate and present at our events, and they deliver above and beyond expectations, and this describes Ed to a T. One of our attendees even said that it was “the most informative and helpful session she’s ever been to at an event.” I can’t recommend him strongly enough.
— Alice Gifford Adventure Travel Trade association (via LinkedIn)

I can’t thank you enough for the upliftment, encouragement, inspiration, generosity and pure joy that I experienced on these Sounding Board Zoom calls (twice-weekly industry round tables organized and moderated by Ed).
— Jody Cole, Founder & Guide, Wild Rainbow African Safaris

Just a note to say thanks for moderating the LGBTQ panel at yesterday’s annual [NYC & Company members] meeting! The feedback from members has been off the hook! And everyone has been mentioning your name and saying how brilliant you were as a moderator. I thought you’d want to know.
— Kelly Curtin Executive Vice President, NYC & Company

The LGBTQ panel was terrific and you did a great job as moderator. So fantastic to have that included for the Annual Meeting – to quote you, the “gayest NYC & Company Annual Meeting” – loved it!!
— Maria Wilcox, Senior Vice President, NYC & Company

Thank you for your wonderful and helpful presentation! You did a great job, and we did get a receptive, positive response.
— Lisa Margaroli, Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board

Thanks for allowing us a chance to promote our healthy travel resources. Your panel at the Travel & Adventure Show was a blast and very informative, a rare and delightful combination.
— Kelly Winter, MPH, Health Scientist, Travelers’ Health Branch, Communication and Education Team, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Ed is a great friend of Consular Affairs (U.S. State Department) —we share an interest in keeping all travelers safe—and he is also a lively and engaging presenter. He did a great presentation for us inOverseas Citizens Services last week which someone pronounced the best presentation she’d ever seen in a government building. He’d be a great addition to any course.
—Karen L. Christensen
Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Overseas Citizens Services

Thanks so much for coming to talk to us today! Informative and entertaining! We don’t get too much of that in the government.
— Kaitlin Turck
Global Digital Engagement Advisor
Office of Policy Coordination and Public Affairs | Bureau of Consular Affairs

You, sir, are a prince. Thanks so much for coming out west, taking charge of all the cooks in the kitchen, bringing our collective wisdom up a notch, charming the mayor into a selfie and being a lot of fun to hang with. I really enjoyed spending time with you. [At the annual GSBA Business Luncheon.]
— David Blandford, VP Communications, Visit Seattle

Everyone is still talking about the luncheon and how the delightful and informative presentation you gave to our membership. [A week after delivering the keynote at the annual GSBA Business Luncheon.]
— Louise Chernin, GSBA President and Chief Executive Officer

I would love to send you a great big thank you card …  Nice job Ed. You rocked it. [At the annual GSBA Business Luncheon.]
— Scott Walden, Events & Community Outreach Manager
Greater Seattle Business Association (GSBA)

I will send you a more formal “thank you” letter in a week or so but I wanted you to know your presentation was the highlight of our event this year [at the 21st International Tourism Safety Conference in Las Vegas, March 31-April 4, 2014]! THANK YOU!
— Ray Suppe, President of the International Tourism Safety Association and Director of Security for LVCVA

I have gotten three emails already from participants that were blown away by your presentation.  I can’t wait to hire you again for even more help.  You certainly gave us plenty to work with in the short term!
— Megan Smith, Vermont Commissioner of Tourism

I just wanted to personally thank you for today’s presentation – informative, relevant and thought provoking with a wealth of vital data for us all to reflect and act upon. I, for one, learned so much this morning and am looking forward to working closely with Megan and the travel and tourism community in Vermont to take advantage of your valuable insights and ideas we market the Vermont brand.
— Kathleen A. Murphy, Chief Marketing Officer, State of Vermont.

You’re the man. There’s a reason you’re the go-to guy on gay tourism. I sincerely hope I can put you as a “for sure” speaker for NY Trav Fest. Thanks again for being part of our little Destination Accelerator
— Roni Weiss, founder, Destination Accelerator

Now that the Summit is over I just want to say a big thank you for the workshop you presented at the Summit [the first-ever session on LGBT tourism marketing at the Discover New England Summit in March 2012] – it was so good of you to take the time and the trouble to do this and I know the delegates who attended all found the subject matter to be interesting and useful – and I am sure they know a lot more about the LGBT market in New England now! I heard a lot of good things regarding your presentation and you are so enthusiastic and engaged – it was a pleasure working with you!
— Sue Norrington-Davies, Managing Director, Discover New England

Great presentation [the first-ever session on LGBT tourism marketing at the Discover New England Summit in March 2012].  Thank you…many people commented on how valuable it was.
— Laurel Williams, Marketing Director, Discover New England

I want to thank and Jeff Guaracino again for the time and energy you have put in to assisting us in moving forward with our efforts to develop a strategy for engaging the gay and lesbian tourism market.  Your presentation on Friday and additional information on Saturday clearly showed you had done your research and had an appreciation for our destination and some of the challenges we face.  Everyone was very impressed with your preparation and knowledge.

Marketing to gay and lesbian travelers is different than marketing to other markets.  Gay and Lesbian Tourism – The Essential Guide for Marketing has provided us with a blueprint for developing our marketing initiative. Prince Edward island has never presented itself to the gay and lesbian market and as we move forward with developing our strategies, this book is playing an important role in our planning.
— Bill Kendrick, Prince Edward Island Gay Tourism Association

On behalf of the Tourism Industry Association of Prince Edward Island (TIAPEI), I want to thank you for your presentation at our Annual Meeting last week. The session was very well attended and everyone seemed to enjoy it and take away a lot to think about. We certainly appreciate you coming to speak on the topic especially on the holiday weekend. We got great media coverage on your presentation. I hope you enjoyed your short visit to Prince Edward Island and come back again soon.
— Kathy Livingstone, Tourism Industry of Prince Edward Island

CONSULTING

I’m never disappointed knowing your strong character, intelligence and authenticity that you bring to everything you do. You raise the bar for all of us and make this work rewarding too.
— Bob Witeck, Witeck Communications

That you were able to juggle the creation of the Snapshot (Atlantic City Alliance’s annual report) on time and with outstanding results is truly amazing. I already have received numerous compliments on its quality and overall professionalism.
— Elizabeth B. Cartmell, President Atlantic City Alliance

We appreciate your support, Ed, and working with you is always good. Best right back to you,
— Meryl Levitz, President and CEO, Greater Philadelphia Tourism and Marketing Corporation

You have been amazingly supportive, flexible and reliable since our very first conversation.  As one of the undisputed thought leaders in LGBT travel, your response and enthusiasm was one of the most important litmus tests by which I measured the viability of our concept and vision.  I think we’ve built the infrastructure for a long-lasting and mutually beneficial relationship.  I’m very excited to see what we can achieve.
— Brian Goldthorpe, Chief of Communications & Founding Partner, www.OffTo.com

Thank you again for EVERYTHING you did for PIFA.  You and your army of bloggers made a big impact on how the Festival was received by a population that we desperately wanted to reach.  Plus – you were a pleasure to work with!
— Dawn Frisby-Byers, Marketing Director, PIFA (the Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts)

I just wanted to tell you formally how grateful I am for all of the help you provided for this extraordinary project. It was a total delight working with you, and I hope (fervently!) that we have many more opportunities ahead to partner on any number of projects.

Thank you for your dedication and commitment, for your attention to detail and the ability to turn on a dime, for the extraordinary work you did in assembling and then directing our blogger army and your ability to then give them marching orders that they not only followed but jumped forward to put PIFA in the social media and blogosphere spotlight so many times. Clearly, the proof was in the pudding on Saturday. There is not a doubt that our bloggers had an overwhelming impact on the composition of that crowd — our mommy bloggers for sure; and the others as well. I am getting, literally from everyone, the feedback that our Street Fair audience was the nicest audience EVER at a Broad Street event, which is more valuable than you can ever imagine, and that was a direct result of the social media campaign.

At the end of the day, we couldn’t have done this — and accomplished what we did — without you. I’m ecstatic with the results, as is Ed Cambron, and Sarah, and I don’t think I can ever find the words to fully express my gratitude.

Thank you so much for all you did. I am indebted to you for being such an amazing partner and bringing us not only the results we hoped for, but so much more. With gratitude, ultimate respect and lots of love,
— Nina Zucker, President, Nina Zucker Associates

So glad all the blogger photo shoot in Philadelphia worked out — really brilliantly in fact. Thanks SO much for getting the bloggers together for us and for ALL of your efforts for this. Can’t tell you how grateful I am and how blessed we all are to have you with us on this project!
— Nina Zucker, President, Nina Zucker Associates

On-air guest expert

I just listened to the I love My Wife podcast. It was super informative and energetic. Thank you for mentioning something about it on Facebook. I so appreciate you mentioning my name and company at the end of the show. You are an incredible friend, super fun to listen to and be around and immensely generous with your time and expertise.
— Jody Cole, owner Wild Rainbow African Safaris

I booked a gay cruise (Atlantis) last week and knew I made the right decision after hearing you on the podcast. You were so good on Dennis’ show, so upbeat and positive, and such and good storyteller. 
— Robert, a ManAboutWorld reader

I just wanted to say how much I enjoy your knowledge and comments on the Derek and Romaine show.  I am a straight female (married, 2 kids), but love outQ radio.  I love to travel and enjoy your wealth of knowledge on so many destinations. When you are on their show, my commute is so much better! Looking forward to your next visit on OutQ!
— Shannon, Gilroy, CA

Ed, always enjoy hearing you; you give out great info and you’re so good with the callers.
— C. Cooper, Atlanta GA (via Twitter)

Ed, love you on Derek and Romaine!
— P. Stanton via e-mail

Social Media Activation

I was thrilled to see the level and quality of engagement in the LGBT Pride travel safety twitter chat which you organized using hashtag #PrideGuide. We tend to participate in a lot of these, and my typical complaint is that we turn into a partner echo chamber — just a bunch of similar organizations parroting each other’s comments without anybody REALLY listening. This one was such a breath of fresh air — a great range of organizations with a ton of “real people” getting new information, and actually being interested in learning! Thank you as always for including us, and we’ll be looking out for word from you on the next opportunity.
— Megan O’Sullivan, Travelers’ Health Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Writer, Editor + Blogger

Ed Salvato has, as stated on his website, “spent the last 14 years in the world of LGBT travel and tourism on just every angle you can imagine: editorial, marketing, communications, product development, sponsorships, events and more.”  The man juggles multiple gay travel balls better than anyone I know (insert joke here).  He was one of the first editors that ever published my work and he’s one of the best, most professional communicators I’ve encountered in this crazy business.
— Ivan Quintanilla, editor TravelingIQ (travel blog), bestowing the “Awesome Blog Award”

Since you were so generous with promoting my Big Gay Train on EdSalvato.com, I just wanted to let you know we are sold out! And that’s two weeks prior to the event. The rails of Napa Valley may never be the same! Again, Thanks & Cheers!
— Gary Saperstein, Principal/Partner, Out In The Vineyard

Delivering Webinars

Awesome job on the webinar (that I created and conducted on targeting LGBT group and leisure business). Great information! I think you really hit it out of the ballpark and I expect you to get some follow up questions. As promised I will share any feedback with you!  Thanks again for sharing your expertise.
— Jennifer Reeves, Director Sales and Servicing, Serendipity Publishing, www.SerendipityPublishing.com

Recognized LGBTQ Travel Expert

It was indeed great to see you at the Community Marketing 11th Annual International Conference on Gay and Lesbian Tourism in Vegas. And I was so happy to see you involved in the conference on both the panels and your individual presentation, what a treat that was.  You’re a true expert in your field and you provided valuable and realistic information. I appreciated it; I hope everyone else did too.
— Scott Furman, Director Western Accounts, Here Media, San Francisco, CA

You are the best! You really do know everybody!
— Jennifer DiBlasi, RR Partners, Las Vegas, NV

It’s been so delightful to meet you, as well as a real pleasure to work with such a pro.  I appreciate all the time you devoted to doing your recurring segments on the Derek and Romaine Show, and what you brought to the table. I hope our paths will cross again, ed, you’re a real gem
— Samara Lenga, Producer, Sirius XM Satellite Radio

University Instructor (NYU’s Tisch Center of Hospitality & U Texas at Austin’s NYC Center)

Thank you, again for the lift you bring to the UTNY program. You have and are making quite the impact and I’m thrilled to have you as part of the team.

— Michael Wilson, Assistant Dean, Professional Programs & Executive Director UTLA/UTNY, The University of Texas at Austin

You are fast becoming one of our most popular faculty. Well done, Professor Salvato, you are killing it!
— Dr. Lynn Minnaert, Academic Chair, Clinical Associate Professor, Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality, New York University

You are by far one of the best professors I have had at NYU. Your energy and charisma is refreshing. I never feel like I am being lectured. It’s always insightful dialogue.  The curriculum is very organized and I appreciate how you engage the class. The current events, individual assignments about the reading and the freedom to development our own CCTD product really helped me to retain the information and always kept things interesting.

— Raven, student of Creative Community Tourism Development at NYU’s Tisch Center of Hospitality

I want to let you know that I truly mean it when I say you have been the best professor I have ever had. It has always been difficult for me to look forward to a class but I genuinely loved it. I wanted to let you know how much your class helped get me through my struggles this semester, I will be recommending it to everybody. Thank you so so much once again!

— Miranda, student at University of Texas at Austin’s NYC Center

The way you construct this course makes it easy for us to engage and share our thoughts, a very open-minded platform! Thank you!

— Jim, student of Emerging Issues at NYU’s Tisch Center of Hospitality

 I am honestly very inspired by your classes: the subjects, the amazing speakers, and your teaching style. This is exactly why I am doing this master’s program; I wanted to be challenged and expand my horizons. I also wanted to share my perspective and my experiences. I feel like you allow us and encourage us to do that. So thank you for an overall great class.

— Alejandro, student of Emerging Issues at NYU’s Tisch Center of Hospitality

I am writing to thank you for the fantastic classes that we had. All the content, your attention with the on-line students, was extraordinary. And not to mention the Top 1 guest speakers! Thank you very much for this semester! Muito Obrigado.

— Leo, student of Tourism Principles and Practices at NYU’s Tisch Center of Hospitality

I want to thank you once again for making this semester so enjoyable, I loved every minute of your class and I learned so much in the process. I hope that you will continue to teach at NYU for many, many years. I am looking forward to another great class in the Spring. I wish you all the best, stay awesome!!
— Aja, student of Tourism Principles and Practices at NYU’s Tisch Center of Hospitality

I want to let you know that our class on Monday was one of the most interesting classes ever. The two professionals you invited to class were such interesting guest speakers, I have been talking about that class this whole week and the things I learned. Keep being awesome, thank you for all of your hard work.
— Aja, student of Tourism Principles and Practices at NYU’s Tisch Center of Hospitality

I think Professor Salvato does a really great job of engaging both the in-person and remote classmates. He creates not only an academically stimulating environment but also a fun and social experience for all the students.
— Alex, student of Tourism & Hospitality Sales & Marketing at NYU’s Tisch Center of Hospitality

Having you as our professor makes us want to participate. You make the learning environment fun, engaging, and productive. Great students learn from great leaders, and we knew you were a great leader right off the bat. I am excited for the rest of the semester and will see you in class.
— Michael, student of Tourism & Hospitality Sales & Marketing at NYU’s Tisch Center of Hospitality

Thank you so much for the presentation in the Strategic Brand Management course this morning. As a daughter of two women I’ve experienced poor, good & great experiences in the hospitality industry when it comes to, specifically, lesbian travel. It makes me emotional (happy tears!) to see the progress our world has taken, and especially within our industry.  Thank you for your continued contribution to making not only LBTQ+ included, but also their loved ones. 
— Margaret, student in graduate tourism and hospitality class, NYU

Thank you for your teaching this semester! I appreciate it! I like your class environment, and you are so kindly and warmly. Thanks in Chinese = 谢谢
— Yajing, student in graduate tourism and hospitality class, NYU

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