Gay Games stabilises

Gay Games stabilises

Sydney 2002 Gay Games has stabilised after the shock resignation of chief executive officer Geoffrey Williams last week. Acting CEO Judith Fletcher was appointed permanently last Friday, while a financial review meeting last weekend made no dramatic changes to the budget of either the Games or its organising body.

The Sydney 2002 board planned the weekend meeting in order to assess financial projections in the wake of the closure of the participant registration period (although the registration period for some sports was extended on Friday).

Co-chair Bev Lange told Sydney Star Observer that some areas for savings were identified at the weekend meeting in areas like publications and staffing, but no major budget cuts were made. She scotched a rumour that Sydney 2002 was considering cancelling any of their planned five parties.

We’ve not cut anything that would have an impact on the functions of the organisation, she said.

Although registrations in basketball, cycling, dancing, diving, squash, tennis, volleyball and water polo were closed last week (joining the list of sports already fully subscribed such as swimming and sailing), organisers announ-ced that the late registration fee would be waived for competitors who sign on for the Games during August.

At the official close of the registration period last Friday, Games organisers reported 12,723 registrations.

Lange said Australian competitors were leaving their run typically late, but that Australian registrations represented 22 percent of the total.

Organisers will not meet the 50 percent female participation target they set themselves, with women’s registration sitting at just under 4,000, or 31 percent.

Lange said Sydney 2002 would be negotiating with the Mardi Gras administrators about Sydney 2002 access to the Mardi Gras workshop for the construction of floats, props and costumes for the Games ceremonies.

There had been a number of conversations and emails between people in Mardi Gras and Gay Games (about access) -¦ and in-principle agreement had been reached, she said.

However, she also revealed that a few contingency plans had already been investigated in the event that the Mardi Gras workshop would not be made available.

We’re in discussions with a couple of organisations that will assist us, she said.

Discussions have also continued this week between Sydney 2002 and new sponsors and partners. Two new sponsorship announcements are expected in the next few weeks, while the Star understands that SBS will be announced as the principal television broadcast partner for the Games.

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