Category Archives: Events

What I learned from Collectives, Burningman, Rogue Raves, and The Fetish Fair Fleamarket by @bendyogagirl

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his is the first post in what will be a 3-4 part series of pontifications on the different relationships at events (producer-presenter, presenter-producer, presenter-attendee, attendee-presenter, producer-volunteer, etc..) and my opinions about ways to create harmony, good sportsmanship and happy events.

For those of you who don’t know, I’m one of a handful of people who are the primary drivers of this little event, which attracts approximately 3000 people annually.  I say one of a handful or primary drivers in so far as there is a core group of 10-15 of us who manage everything from the relationship with the hotel, to booking presenters, to scheduling the hundreds of volunteers who make the event run, to bringing in vendors, to managing the finances, insurance, contracts, logistics, special events, etc.  The Fetish Fair Fleamarket (TM) is a major event.

Graydancer – Educator & Founder of the GRUE [Interview]

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Originally posted on BeASexEducator.com

How long have you been teaching

That’s kind of a loaded question – I’ve been teaching in some capacity or other for pretty much since childhood, from Sunday school to Marine Corps Practical Knowledge to music lessons to dance & technology workshops at the University Level. But I started working in the Kink field around 2002-2003, first just as a volunteer at various conferences and then gradually as a presenter.

 

When did you start to identify as an educator? Was it the same time, or was it later?

I honestly don’t remember my first “presentation”, but I remember very clearly the moment when I walked out of an “Intro to Kink” workshop thinking “I could do that…”

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Trolls, Creeps and Other Volunteers by AliceIn Aerie

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In every organization or party there’s always that small minority of individuals who, if you had your way, would not be on the invitation list. They are not appealing in appearance and/or personality. On top of everything else, not only are they always around but often they are on staff.

The kink scene of our fantasies is always filled with beautiful people, yourself included. Then there is reality. While there are some beautiful people, the majority of kinky folks are just… folks. They are people of average looks and abilities, many of whom would look more at home at a game of Dungeons and Dragons than a BDSM dungeon. When your mom told you that you were special, you were – to her. To the rest of us you are just one of the crowd. That crowd also includes the below average, and more importantly, those who really give their all because they care.

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On Paying Presenters by Bendyogagirl

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This is the text to my latest blog post, which can be found here. The blog has more links in it than this text…

Thanks to the amazing Mollena Williams, and the incredible Andrea Zanin, I’ve had some very good reading this week around presenting, being paid to present, and some event revenue models. If you haven’t read their posts, and you are a producer and/or presenter in sex positive contexts, (or considering becoming one) please do so. There’s also some interesting dialogue here, if you’re on Fetlife. Topologists’ words are actually what has catalyzed me writing about this, because his observation that the cost of kink events would have to be exponentially higher in order to pay presenters is, in my opinion, spot on.

This post is probably going to be a little long – I’ll be writing about presenting and producing…

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Groups or Events Putting a Call Out For Educators [Communication]

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This is reposted from the BDSM Public Workshop Presenters & Organizers group on Fetlife, written by Kassie

Please, when you put out a need for presenters, please have the following information in your solicitation:

1) Name of the organization and then the acronym
2) The website of the organization
3) the dates you are in need
4) If it is a free event for members, if there is a cost associated to members
5) If you are covering travel expenses and putting presenters from out of town up.
6) the kind of event – is this a weekend long educational program, a regional ‘conference’ or a organization in need of presenters. The kind of event it is can sometimes be helpful to people who might be interested in visiting your group for educational purposes.

That is really the bare minimum information that should be posted when you put out a call for people to come to your group.