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Newsletter / Mar 2010

Hi and Kia ora!

Welcome to the March 2010 newsletter of the 2nd AsiaPacific Outgames.

Registrations open June 12!

We've set the big date for 2010 - you'll be able to sign up for your sports event(s) or the Outgames conference on our website from June 12. That's exactly nine months out from the start of the Outgames. We're planning special events in both New Zealand and Australia to mark this day. Watch out for details.

One year out

We celebrated the 12 month countdown to the start of the Outgames with a very stylish evening in the Mark Hutchins Gallery in Wellington in March. The city's mayor Kerry Prendergast called on the packed crowd to plan their participation in the Outgames and to invite overseas friends to visit for that week. Also in attendance was the US Ambassador to New Zealand, David Huebner.

Meet the Outgames crew

One of the members of our exec team, Kevin Haunui, recently travelled to Surabaya, Indonesia, to meet participants at the 4th ILGA (International Lesbian and Gay Association) Asia Conference. Things didn't quite go to plan for the conference organisers, but Kevin still managed to meet up with GLBT people from the Asian region to tell them about our own conference at the Outgames.

And if you're in Auckland or Brisbane, you can meet us:

We'll have a marquee at the Big Gay Day at Beresford Square in central Auckland on Easter Sunday 4 April, from noon to 10.30pm. This event will have entertainment on two stages, food and beverages. It's R18. Entry is $15. See www.biggayday.co.nz

We'll be in Brisbane for the Pride Festival Fair Day (Musgrave Park, 12 June)

Other trips will be announced in coming months.

Sports

We've added more detail to our website sports pages. Now you can read about the specific events and venues for badminton, dancesport, running, squash, swimming, ten pin bowling and tennis. The information about other sports will be available soon.

Arts and culture

We're adding more details about arts and culture to our website too. From wine tasting to kiwi spotting by torchlight (New Zealand's national bird only comes out at night!), there will be some wonderful art, entertainment and cultural activities for you to enjoy during the Outgames week.

Look out for details soon of a "Treasures of Te Papa" event, when you'll get the opportunity to see some things in our national museum that are not normally on public view - including some of special gay and lesbian interest.