New York State’s first-ever conference for Pride organizers – Empire State of Pride – will bring queer organizers and LGBTQ+ advocates together to share knowledge and learn new tools and techniques to empower our communities to showcase their Pride across the State of New York. Hosted at the SKY Armory in Syracuse, New York on Friday, November 8th, the one day conference is presented by Big Gay Hudson Valley and Come Out Central New York, with support from I LOVE NY, Visit Syracuse and the Central New York Community Foundation.
While there were once just a few opportunities – primarily in urban centers – for queer communities to gather for celebrations like Pride, New York State is seeing LGBTQ+ community centers and Pride organizers proliferate across the state with community celebrations now occurring year-round.
“The Empire State of Pride conference was conceived earlier this year during Governor Kathy Hochul’s annual Pride Brunch at the Executive Mansion” explains conference Producer Kevin Bailey, founder of Come Out Central New York. “During the event we were all talking about how many new Pride celebrations were popping up in every corner of the Empire State. Recognizing that each one of these emerging events presented incredible opportunities to further showcase New York State’s queer communities, we created the Conference to bring us all together to share our ideas, celebrate our successes and plan for the future of Pride in New York State.”
Who Should Attend
From those just planning their first Pride celebrations to those who represent more established Pride organizations across the state, the Empire State of Pride conference is designed to bring our communities together so that we can support one another. All members of the LGBTQ+ community and our allies are welcome. This event is also appropriate for those who serve on the Boards of Pride organizations as well as those that represent municipalities and destinations that are interested in learning how they can support their local LGBTQ+ communities and help their Pride activities to grow in the future.
Presenters
The Empire State of Pride conference brings together organizers and advocates from across The Empire State. Presenters and panelists include:
- Mayor Ben Walsh (Syracuse, NY)
- Jimmy Monto, 5th District Councilor, Syracuse, NY and Board President of Central NY Pride (Syracuse, NY)
- Tandra LaGrone, Executive Director, In Our Own Voices (Albany, NY)
- Ross Levi, Executive Director / Vice President New York State Division of Tourism – I LOVE NY, Empire State Development (Albany, NY)
- Nathaniel Gray, MSW, Executive Director, Pride Center of the Capital Region (Albany, NY)
- Kevin Bailey, Conference Producer, Empire State of Pride and Founder, Come Out Central New York (Syracuse, NY)
- Carmen Neely, BFA, MST, Co-Founder of Harlem Pride and Co-Chair of the Black & Latino LGBTQ Coalition (Harlem, NY)
- Melaine Rottkamp, CDME, CTA, President & CEO, Dutchess Tourism and Chair, Hudson Valley Tourism (Poughkeepsie, NY)
- Chanel J. Lopez, New York State Deputy Director of LGBTQ Affairs, Office of Governor Kathy Hochul (New York, NY)
- Stephan Hengst, Conference Producer, Empire State of Pride and Co-Founder, Big Gay Hudson Valley (Kingston, NY)
- Patrick Decker, Co-Founder, Big Gay Hudson Valley (Kingston, NY)
- Mickey Harmon, Founder, Intersect Queer Arts Festival (Buffalo, NY)
Subjects to be discussed at the Empire State of Pride conference include:
- LGBTQ+ Pride Celebrations Driving Local + Regional Tourism
- Maximizing Your Local Tourism Resources
- Pride 101: Leveraging Your Local Resources To Showcase Your Pride
- Managing Your Pride Organization
- Embracing Diversity: Celebrating Marginalized LGBTQ+ Communities
- Sharing Your Pride: Marketing Your Event to Your Community
- Local Governments, Municipalities & Law Enforcement
- The Future of Pride in the Empire State
“The future of Pride in New York State rests in all our hands,” explains Stephan Hengst, conference Produer and Co-Founder of Big Gay Hudson Valley. “LGBTQ+ residents from across New York State once were forced to travel to our major cities and population centers to find community and celebrate their Pride. We’re now seeing the power of these local Pride celebrations as they pop-up in communities of all sizes – not just in June, but throughout the year – to change hearts and minds about LGBTQ+ people in even the most conservative parts of the Empire State. We’re hopeful that Empire State of Pride will help to strengthen our network of organizers and build on our successes.”
Early bird registration for Empire State of Pride is $159 per person, increasing to $199 after October 11th. Additional information about the speakers and conference subjects, travel information and discount hotel rates for attendees is available online at empirestateofpride.com
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About Big Gay Hudson Valley
Big Gay Hudson Valley has been building queer community since 2008. We know that a community’s success is the sum of its parts. We create experiences & promote resources that empower people to make new connections, explore the Hudson Valley & live as their authentic LGBTQ+ selves.
Media Contact:
Stephan Hengst
Co-Founder, Big Gay Hudson Valley
Conference Producer, Empire State of Pride
StephanHengst@gmail.com
Call or Text: 845.926.0652
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