Annual Report 2016
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. Annual Report 2015-6 Welcome to our Annual Report. Secretary This report is an overview of our work Tereza Pelechová (Czech Republic) since the last AGM. Please don’t hesitate to send questions if you feel that EuroPride Coordinator something is missing, and we will Stein Runar Østigaard (Norway) address those questions at the forthcoming AGM in Montpellier. Media Coordinator Vincent Boileau-Autin (France) The new Board, elected at the AGM in 2015, is geographically diverse and even Conference Coordinator though we would like to encourage more Juan Carlos Alonso Reguero (Spain) non-male participation on the Board, we felt that a female President is a strong Human Rights Coordinator step in the right direction for gender Mattias Kristofferson (Sweden) balance within the organisation. Outreach Coordinator The eight members of the Board elected Ruben de Keyser (Belgium) in 2015 are as follows: Treasurer President Tomasz Baczkowski (Poland) Kristine Garina (Latvia) L-R: Stein Runar Østigaard, Hans de Meyer (past President), Kristine Garina, Vincent Boileau-Autin, Ruben de Keyser, Juan Carlos Alonso Reguero, Tomasz Baczkowski, Tereza Pelechová, Mattias Kristofferson. Unfortunately due to family reasons capabilities and we decided to cancel the Tereza had to resign from her board fifth board meeting which we felt was not position during the summer, and financially justified. We did however use although we were extremely any opportunity we had to meet at disappointed to lose her, on the personal various prides around Europe level we are delighted to congratulate individually and have had several Tereza and her partner with the birth of meetings with the InterPride board their son. during the preparation events for World Pride Madrid 2017. The board asked Steve Taylor from Pride in London to step in and The work of the board has also been temporarily take over the secretary's quite challenging at times due to two of position and we are happy to say this our board members due to be hosting has been a very fruitful cooperation. World Pride and EuroPride in the next two years, making them extremely busy During the year the board met for four in their own organisations. However on a board meetings in Brussels, Vienna, positive note this has contributed to Vilnius, and Amsterdam. We have tried EPOA's better involvement in planning to balance the last AGM's decision that and organising both of these important board members should not pay for events. attending board meetings from their own pockets with EPOA's financial Participation and cooperation with during Pride in London and speak about other organisations EPOA at many other great member pride events that we have attended. In all One of our strategic goals is raising these meetings and events we stressed EPOA's profile through more active the importance of pride as a force for international work and working with other change. organisations and movements. We've been quite successful in that. During the As a result of this increased visibility last year EPOA has met with ILGA- EPOA was invited to comment on pride Europe, Rainbow Rose, and the Harvey events, especially prides in hostile Milk Foundation; we participated in the environments, events cancelled due to conference ‘LGBTI rights in Europe, security (including the cancellation of political answers to an activist analysis’ Istanbul Pride) and other important organised by the Party of European events in terms of pride parades in Socialists, reached out to pride Europe and beyond. EPOA president organisers in the UK at the first UK Pride Kristine Garina was interviewed by Organisers Network conference, and several media outlets about the tragic participated and talked about EPOA’s attack in Orlando and as an organisation work to our sister organisation we encouraged and supported events all InterPride’s AGM and conference. We over the world to go ahead in spite of had a valuable opportunity to address terrorist threats and increased security the crowd at the Trafalgar Square rally measures. Communications During the past year, we have worked to enhance EPOA's social media presence and increased the number of followers on Twitter and Facebook to encouraging levels. Previously EPOA’s Twitter account was not actively used and had fewer than 100 followers; now it has over 700 followers, a result achieved within one year. EPOA’s Facebook account has also been more active in the last 12 months and we have reached over 3000 L-R: Wilbur Turner, President, Fierté Canada Pride, with Kristine Garina, and Brett Hayhoe and Sue likes for the page. A closed group has Doster, co-Presidents of InterPride. been created on Facebook for EPOA members, where Pride organisers can share information about their Prides, discuss relevant topics and network within the EPOA family. The group ‘Members of EPOA’ is open to all members and the board encourages all members to join. We have been slower than we would Currently we are in talks with several have liked with our newsletter and e-mail local and national organisations to set up communication with our members. That's similar regional conferences in their there for us to improve. We have sent respective countries with an aim to you, our members, five newsletters furthering EPOA membership repres- during the last 12 months. On average entation. The empowerment of our board about 50% of recipients have opened members and AGM delegates has aided them. the organisation in attracting more members and we are happy to say this growth trend is continuing. Outreach The added benefit of our greater visibility Another important strategic goal that we on social media and subsequent eng- have set for ourselves was membership agement has also proven to be an growth. We are happy to report that the invaluable tool. participation of EPOA in the UK pride network meeting has resulted in several From these experiences it has become new memberships and our continued clear that physical presence is more attendance to this meeting spearheaded fruitful and therefor new financial by Pride in London will result in many avenues need to be opened to support more. this. Handover of the EuroPride quilt from Amsterdam to Madrid, at the closing ceremony of EuroPride Amsterdam in August. EuroPride application process is now presented on our website, and the deadline for The EPOA Board would like to thank the sending the letter of intent was team of Amsterdam Gay Pride for their announced on our website and social successful event EuroPride 2016. From media channels. our point of view, the team of Amsterdam Gay Pride handled the task This year, the board received two letters of having this event on an European of intent for EuroPride 2019, from level very well. Amsterdam Gay Pride Strasbourg and Vienna. At the deadline has their own presentation and will for submitting the final application, it was report to the AGM about the event. only Vienna that applied. That means there is only one applicant for EuroPride At the last AGM, West Pride from 2019, as it was for 2018. Gothenburg and Stockholm Pride was awarded EuroPride 2018. We are having The board believe it is best for the a open and good dialogue with the development of the brand of EuroPride Swedish EuroPride team, and the board that there are more than one applicant, was represented at both their events this so the work of encouraging members to summer. apply should be increased. The board has worked on increasing the Ø Download Vienna’s application knowledge about the application from the EPOA website here. process. Information about the Finances extra money with their membership fee, which is amazing support. Members will receive a separate financial report with Income and The financial success of EuroPride 2016 Comparison Charts for 2015 and the in Amsterdam also contributed to our proposal for the next year’s budget. good financial status. In accordance with the EuroPride licence agreement, EPOA has ended the last financial year EuroPride organisers pay EPOA an with a deficit of 1938,48 Euros. The extra amount on top of the licence fee if deficit was planned in the budget and the event brings in profit. Although caused primarily by the expenses of the EuroPrides have taken place in many trademark. Despite this, our liquidity has great cities, Amsterdam is the first always been protected as we have EuroPride ever to fulfil this criteria and sufficient assets on our accounts. we hope it will be a positive inspiration for future EuroPride hosts. However it should be noted that EPOA is at its best financial situation ever due to We wish to record here our grateful reasonable and responsible spending. thanks to Amsterdam Gay Pride for this substantial achievement. Especially we want to thank Copenhagen Pride and Stockholm Pride Full accounts and future budget can be who have committed to donate found in the Appendix. Conference Other important strategic goals: EPOA’s AGM in 2015 was hosted by Ø We participated in an IDAHOBIT Amsterdam Gay Pride Foundation who forum in Copenhagen, Denmark arranged the programme along with the Ø We joined the Baltic Pride Human EPOA Board, reflecting the heritage and Rights Conference in Vilnius future of EPOA. We held a number of Ø We had meetings with Prides in events dedicated to the LGBT+ Bilbao, Benidorm, Belgium, community and Pride organisers. Valencia, Vienna, Montpellier and Tignes, London, Tel Aviv and with The AGM included two Board meetings, Baltic Pride six plenary sessions, six workshops, as Ø We attended the InterPride mid- well as numerous evening events. year board meeting in Montpellier Ø We promoted EPOA at events in We also worked together with Fierté Madrid, London, Berlin, and Cape Montpellier Pride in the organisation of Town the EPOA AGM during the AGM and Ø Be participated in the Balkan Pride World Conference of InterPride in conference in Thessaloniki October 2016.