OUTSPORT TORONTO SportZone Kick-off Meeting

Please join us on Wednesday, February 26 at 7pm at the Mattamy Athletic Centre for the OUTSPORT TORONTO SportZone kick-off meeting for WorldPride 2014.

If you could let us know you’re coming by using the sign-up link at the bottom of this posting, that will help ensure enough seats for bums and papers for hands and the right number of high fives on order.  And please bring friends - the more the merrier! :)

Also, if you sign up with your email address you’ll get two secret messages before the meeting.  One’s from Ellen! Oh… um – now there’s only one secret message…

Cool stuff we’ll be talking about:

1.  What the heck is WorldPride and why would my league or organization get involved?

WorldPride is like regular Pride on Red Bull™! We all know the Pride festival in Toronto is one of the biggest and best run in the world, now we can show them our Sports and Recreation community is too!  Get involved to show the world just how vibrant Toronto’s LGBT Sport and Rec scene is, and how they can get in on the fun!

2.  What the heck is the SportZone and why does OUTSPORT TORONTO do it?

We’re coming into our fourth year of the SportZone – a collection of booths and activities during the Pride Toronto Village Festival weekend which are side by side along one street heading west off Church Street (traditionally on Alexander Street).  Sticking together we can have a greater impact!

3.  What is the OUTSPORT TORONTO WorldPride Series in the week leading up to the SportZone, and how can my league get involved?

The OUTSPORT TORONTO WorldPride Series is a chance for your organization to offer a discounted or free introductory class to the general public so they can see who you are and what you’re about.  This year, to support the WorldPride Series, OUTSPORT TORONTO has purchased an Affiliate Event registration with WorldPride.  That means this year's activities will be advertised across the broad spectrum of WorldPride's communication platforms, in addition to the advertising work OUTSPORT TORONTO is already planning.  Hopefully your organization will get involved!  Come and learn more about the requirements and how we can knock the OUTSPORT TORONTO WorldPride Series out of the park!

4.  What will OUTSPORT TORONTO do this year to support my Organisation’s booth and presence in the SportZone?

Great question!  We’ve been working since December alongside the staff of WorldPride to get terrific placement for the SportZone and ensure it is well advertised in the Official Pride Guide.  We hope to have more details at this and future meetings as our planning continues.  Meanwhile, we’re planning a very similar program to last year in regards to booth pricing and the FlexZone.

5.  What about the Passport Program with all those amazing prizes?!

Prizes!  Prizes!  My favourite part of Pride last year was contacting and meeting the winners so they could claim their prizes!  At this meeting we’d like to hear more from you about how the Passport Program could be made even better!

6.  Will there be a Women’s Booth again this year?  And how can women in my league get involved?

Yes!  OUTSPORT TORONTO is proud to say we are sponsoring the We Love Sporty Women Booth again this year!  More details and contacts for this terrific project will be available at the meeting, so please come and hear all about it!

7.  What will the FlexZone look like this year?  And will you be bringing back the dunk tank and large pop-up racing game?

The FlexZone is always as hit, and the SportZone wouldn’t be complete without it.  We expect a very similar arrangement to last year.  And as for the dunk tank – the Women’s Booth team seems to be planning a repeat!  We are always open to hearing from our leagues how best to use the FlexZone space and keep the fun rolling, so if you’ve got ideas, please come to the meeting and have your voice heard!

8.  PARADE!  FLOAT?

Perhaps you secretly own an 18 wheeler flatbed that you race during the weekends?  Or maybe you’ve got great ideas for what could go on such a float?  Let’s get together and brainstorm how to let everyone in Toronto and the world know we’re here and how they can get involved with us!

9.  Wait – how can I get more involved in the planning?!?

I LOVE THIS QUESTION!  Come to the meeting and learn more about joining the super awesome committee we’re forming at OUTSPORT TORONTO to keep all this energy racing towards the finish line!

10.  What else?

Anything else you’d like to hear about?  Do?  Know?  Please let me know in advance if you can so I can have answers for you, or just come along to the meeting and ask your questions and I’ll do my best to answer on the spot (I may do so through interpretive dance, be warned).  Reach me at:   adam.mcnair@outsporttoronto.org