Ready, set…..GO!Registrations are now open for the 2nd AsiaPacific Outgames, and there is already a steady flow of registrations and enquiries for sports events and the human rights conference.
Five separate registration launch events were held on the weekend of June 12 from Brisbane down to Christchurch NZ, and Outgames team members on the stall at Brisbane Pride Fair in Queensland reported strong interest. The pricing for all the sports events has been announced, and they start from NZ$45.
Even for the sports competitions which run over three days and use large venues, none of the earlybird fees is over NZ$100. “This is great value for an event drawing international competitors,” Outgames co-chair David Hindley says. “For sports such as tennis, our fee is cheaper than if you were to book at the tennis venue yourself to play over 3 days. And the fees are especially good value if you’re paying in Australian dollars!”
The earlybird fees (available to the end of October, all in NZ$) are: badminton, $95, bridge $50, dancesport $90, diving $60, golf $80, hockey $60, lawn bowls $50, mountain biking $75, netball $60, running $45, softball $60, squash $65, swimming $90, ten pin bowling $95, tennis $90, volleyball $60.
There is also a base registration fee of $59 which sports and conference participants pay, and which covers things like registration costs, but also includes entry to the Opening Ceremony at the capital’s harbourside Te Papa museum. “The Opening Ceremony is when participants from all the countries meet for the first time,” David Hindley says. “It will be a spectacular event. And for the first time at an Outgames event anywhere in the world, there will be some food provided for everyone as part of the welcome.”
You don’t have to sign up for a sports event or the conference to take part in the Opening Ceremony – you just need to sign up for the base registration fee. That also gives you other benefits during the Outgames week.
Signing up when earlybird fees apply will give you savings of up to $80 in total.
The conference has its own earlybird fee structure. The conference earlybird period goes through to the end of November, as the full conference programme and speaker list will be published later in the year.
Participation for all levels
Many of the sports have different levels of competition, from a high level down to a social level. In most cases there are no minimum requirements around ability to enter. “We have provided a wide variety of events, from mountain biking and squash to golf and bridge,” David Hindley says, “and also a lot of team sports.”
The Outgames will be held from Saturday 12 to Saturday 19 March 2011 in Wellington, New Zealand. Information is on the website www.wellingtonoutgames.com