Four Cities Named Finalists for 2014 Gay Games

Boston, Cleveland, Miami and Washington DC Will Bid to host Gay Games IX

Cape Town, South Africa (28 October 2008) -- Groups from Miami (Florida), Cleveland (Ohio) Boston (Massachusetts), and Washington (D.C.), have submitted letters of intent to bid for the ninth edition of the Gay Games, to be held in 2014, officials announced at the close of the Federation of Gay Games (FGG) annual meeting in Cape Town, South Africa.

“Fourteen (14) cities worldwide had expressed interest in hosting the 2014 Gay Games,” said Darl Schaaff, co-chair of the Federation’s Site Selection Committee. “We are very excited to now have four highly qualified bidders for the 2014 Gay Games who met the 20 October 2008 letter-of-intent deadline.”

Bid documents are due to the FGG in March of 2009. FGG Site inspectors will then visit each city between May and August of 2009. After final multi-media presentations, the 2014 Gay Games host city will then be selected by the Federation of Gay Games Assembly at its 2009 annual meeting in Cologne, Germany next October. The FGG Assembly is comprised of organisations representing sports clubs, city teams, and cultural groups from around the globe.

Previous Gay Games have been held in San Francisco, USA (1982, 1986), Vancouver, Canada (1990), New York, USA (1994), Amsterdam, The Netherlands (1998), Sydney, Australia (2002) and Chicago, USA (2006). Gay Games VIII will be held 31 July – 7 August 2010 in Cologne, Germany. Gay Games Cologne registration officially launches worldwide on 31 October 2008 at www.games-cologne.com.

Organisers from Cleveland and Miami had representatives present in Cape Town, South Africa, in support of their intent to bid for Gay Games IX 2014.

The Gay Games is the largest and longest running multi-sport event on the international LGBT calendar, with more than eleven thousand participants taking part in approximately 30 sports and cultural events every four years. Ever since the organisers of the first two Gay Games in San Francisco decided to send the event to other cities, groups from dozens of cities on four continents have sought the honour of hosting the Gay Games. A wide range of government officials, Olympic athletes, celebrities and community leaders now support local bid groups in their efforts to showcase the Gay Games.

“We extend our best wishes to the groups from Boston, Cleveland, Miami, and Washington D.C. who have entered this stage of the bidding process,” Communications Officer Kelly Stevens said. “The FGG looks forward to working with them during the bidding cycle.”

For information on how to sponsor or participate in Gay Games VIII Cologne 2010, visit www.games-cologne.com. For information concerning sponsors of the Federation of Gay Games, go to www.gaygames.org. Images for press and promotion of Gay Games are available on the gallery link at www.gaygames.org or by request.

About The Federation of Gay Games:

The Federation of Gay Games is the international governing body that perpetuates the quadrennial Gay Games and promotes the event's founding principles of “Participation, Inclusion and Personal Best”™. The Gay Games were conceived by Dr. Tom Waddell, an Olympic decathlete, and were first held in San Francisco in 1982. Participation in the Gay Games is open to anyone without pre-qualifications regardless of sexual orientation, physical ability, age, gender, nationality, ethnic origin, religions, political conviction, race, or health status. For more information, visit www.gaygames.org.

“Gay Games”, “Federation of Gay Games”, the interlocking circles device, and the phrase “Participation, Inclusion and Personal Best” are trademarks of the Federation of Gay Games, Inc. Trademarks are registered in the USA, Canada, Benelux, the UK, Germany and Australia.

CONTACTS: Kevin Boyer, FGG Spokesperson, Kevin.Boyer@allterrain.net, +1 312-588-3713

Invite the Family Home for the Holidays- But Have Them Stay at the Hyatt

“Home for the Holidays” Rate Special at Hyatt Regency Woodfield

Schaumburg, IL – What’s better than having family come home for the holidays? Having them stay at a hotel, of course!

This coming holiday season, the Hyatt Regency Woodfield is offering a special “Home for the Holidays” $79 room rate special at their newly renovated property at 1800 East Golf Road. Located in Schaumburg in Suburban Chicago, just minutes from O’Hare Airport, the Hyatt’s special rates are good Thursday to Sunday nights from Thanksgiving night (November 27) through December 30.

Conveniently located close to O’Hare, the Woodfield shopping district and with easy access to downtown Chicago, the Hyatt is a perfect place for your parents, returning children or other relatives who would otherwise just use your fancy guest towels. With a 24-hour gym, in-room Wi-Fi, deluxe bath with rainfall shower head and complimentary shuttle to the Woodfield Shopping Center, you might be tempted to book a room for yourself down the hall from your loved ones.

To book their rooms, call the Hyatt Regency Woodfield at (800) 233-1234 and mention “Home for the Holiday” special rate. To convince your family to stay at the Hyatt instead of your house, show them the list of amenities and photos at http://woodfield.hyatt.com.


About Hyatt Regency Woodfield
Experience the incomparable service you deserve at New* Hyatt Regency Woodfield. Superbly positioned to offer easy access to downtown Chicago, O’Hare, local businesses and area attractions, our exceptional hotel in Schaumburg is dedicated to ensuring a remarkable stay from start to finish. Take advantage of services designed to keep up with your busy schedule or enjoy your free time with a round of golf organized by our knowledgeable Concierge. Host important businesses events with confidence, backed by the Hyatt Regency Woodfield hotel’s onsite team of expert planners and renowned caterers. Great restaurants, deluxe amenities and unparalleled attention to detail add the finishing touches that make us the outstanding choice among Schaumburg, Illinois hotels. *$32 million renovation completed December of 2008. Visit http://woodfield.hyatt.com for more information.

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Oct 5: Notre Dame and Chicago Machine To Host Lacrosse Exhibition Game in Downtown Chicago

Exhibition game to follow lacrosse clinic for youth up to high school age

Chicago, IL – A team of pro lacrosse players, many from the Chicago Machine, and top college club players will play the Notre Dame Men’s Lacrosse Team in a free “Fall Ball Exhibition” game open to the public at 1:30 pm on Sunday, October 5. Prior to the game, top Chicago Machine pros including Kevin Leveille, Steven Brooks, Mike Gabel and Jake Dean will conduct a lacrosse clinic for youth up to high school age from 11 am to 1 pm.

The event will be held at the Lower Hutchinson Field at Grant Park, south of South Columbus Drive and East Balbo Drive. The event is free to the public. The lacrosse clinic and exhibition game are co-sponsored by the Chicago Machine, Chicago Park District, Notre Dame Lacrosse, Chicago YMCA and Peapod.

For information on the youth lacrosse clinic, call the Chicago Machine at (312) 255-1522.

The Notre Dame Men’s Lacrosse team finished the spring 2008 season ranked #6 in the Nike/Inside Lacrosse Magazine poll with a 14-3 record. They advanced to the quarter finals of the Division I national lacrosse championships before falling by just two goals to eventual National Champion Syracuse University.

About the Chicago Machine
The Chicago Machine is Chicago’s outdoor professional men’s lacrosse team, members of the Western Conference of Major League Lacrosse (MLL). Having just concluded their third season, the Chicago Machine plays at TOYOTA PARK, 15 minutes southwest of downtown Chicago. Led by head coach, John Combs, the team has top players from nationally ranked college programs such as Notre Dame, Cornell, UMass, Virginia, Johns Hopkins, Navy and Syracuse. For 2009 game schedule, ticketing, team and player information, visit http://www.chicagomachine.com/. To receive score and team news updates, text “Machine” to 28546.

Kilo Kai Co-Sponsors "Fear No Fashion"

http://nbc5streetteam.wordpress.com/2008/09/15/kilo-kai-presents-fear-no-fashion/

read the complete article

Fashion is something not to fear darling, and to prove it Kilo Kai spiced rum is co-sponsoring “Fear No Fashion”. Snap!

“Fear No Fashion” is a wonderful event that includes a HOT fashion show, tantalizing burlesque acts, silent auction and my favorite- complimentary drinks featuring Kilo Kai from 4-5pm.

The event will benefit the PAVE Foundation (Promoting Awareness, Victim Empowerment).PAVE is a Chicago- based national grassroots nonprofit organization that uses education and action to shatter the silence of sexual and domestic violence.
So, although it’s a fun night out on the town you’ll be helping a GREAT cause!

The event takes place at Cubby Bear Lounge (1059 W. Addison Street) on Sat., September 28th, from 4pm-8pm. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased online at http://www.fearnofashion.org/ and for more info on Kilo Kai rum visit them at http://www.kilokai.com/

Rum Campaign Tweaks Twin Cities Political Scandal

http://promomagazine.com/news/rum_campaign_twin_cities_political_scandal_0902/

Republican conventions are known for being tightly scripted, unsurprising and pretty bland, and signs indicate this week’s gathering in St. Paul, MN, won’t break that basic mold. But upstart rum brand Kilo Kai hopes to throw a little swerve into the party’s stride this week with a guerrilla promotion that takes aim at a political sex scandal well known in the Twin Cities.
The spiced rum brand and its agency All Terrain sent teams out Monday to place promotional footprints in the public bathrooms of hotels, bars and nightspots around the Twin Cities and also around the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, where the 2008 Republican National Convention is being held this week. The footprints ask stall occupants to “Tap your toe if you want to hook up with Kilo Kai.”

The stunt refers to a 2007 political scandal involving Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID), who was arrested about a year ago for lewd conduct in a bathroom at the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport. Craig pled guilty to a lesser charge of disorderly conduct and promised to resign his Senate seat, then tried to withdraw his plea. When a federal judge denied that motion, Craig took back the resignation promise. He opted not to run for re-election this year.

“I’m a firm believer that public relations is a big part of the marketing mix,” said Brad Trayser, president of Kilo Kai’s parent company, Apostrophe Brands. “I would rather have editorial coverage than a billboard any day. People do adopt brands because of public relations, but not because they saw a cool billboard.”

Kilo Kai had recently branched out from its home market into six or seven new states, so Trayser asked promotional agency All Terrain to brainstorm some ideas that would generate press outside of the average product launch notices.

Since one of those new state markets was Minnesota, the agency began thinking about all those political journalists converging on St. Paul and how to grab their attention.
“They came up with the idea of the footprints,” Trayser said. “I liked it because it’s fun and in keeping with the spirit we’re establishing for the brand—maverick, irreverent. Being placed on the floor of a public bathroom isn’t necessarily the context most brands want to be seen in, but overall, I think the unserious spirit of the campaign is right on.”

All Terrain teams will not saturate the Twin Cities with the footprints, according to agency spokesperson Julie Lu. Instead they will place about 300 of the signs on Monday.
The teams will then go back on Wednesday and lay down replacements where zealous janitors or sensitive Republicans may have removed the first set.

Trayser downplays the potential for harming the Kilo Kai brand by associations with either illicit sex or political chicanery.

“A lot of beverage companies forget that drinking is about having a good time,” Trayser said. “Drinking Kilo Kai should put a smile on your face, and the advertising and marketing activities should do that too.”

Unlike rival spiced rum Captain Morgan, which combined a marketing campaign to elect its iconic captain president with in-bar events around Denver during last week’s Democratic National Convention, Kilo Kai is not running any special on-premise activations around the footprint campaign.

“Our goal is to make this as viral and guerrilla-style as possible,” All Terrain’s Lu said in an e-mail.

“We don’t want to alienate either Republicans or Democrats,” Trayser added. “If that’s the effect, then you’re probably taking things too seriously.”