UK's top gay business leaders look to the future at star-studded London meeting

UK's top gay business leaders look to the future at star-studded London meeting



The leaders and entrepreneurs of Britain's pink economy from the industrial, business, financial, service and creative sectors of the gay industry held their first meeting of 2011 at a prestigious London hotel to discuss ways of taking the best advantage of the post recession economy and to boost the pink pound.

They were joined at the glittering event in the Hotel Verta1, Battersea Wharf, part of von Essen Hotels2, by an array of gay or gay-friendly celebrities and served drinks and canapés by the hunky boys of Globestar Management's Pearls and Pecs in their uniform of G-strings, aprons, boots, socks, and pearls.

Among the 150 guests was singer-songwriter David Jordan who said: "It was an honour to be invited to such a prestigious venue, by a community I feel is completely undervalued by the UK market. It was a fabulous event and an honour to be part of something that is such a significant part of developing the future of equal rights and gay community. I met many creative minds that inspired my music, in a feeling a strength, beauty and battling all odds."

The event was hosted by the Hotel Verta's general manager, Andrew Thomason, and was organised by Jean-Francois Dor, of the Gay Professional Network3, and film producer Matthew John, of Olympus Productions. The Hotel Verta, at London's Vertical Gateway, provided the guests with stunning night views across the River Thames and London as a backdrop to their discussions.

Also present was soul singer Nate James who is one of the world's most successful independent recording artists. He said: "Equal rights is something that is very important to me. As an artist I believe I find inspiration from life experience and diverse cultures. The gay community has been very good to me, nurturing my creative talent and opening my eyes. But above all, the gay community has great strength as the pink pound and the community rely on the strength of themselves."

This was the first time the Gay Professional Network, which organises regular seminars and workshops and which seeks to help LGBT businesses cope with the economic recession, had met at the Hotel Verta. Commenting on what he saw as the outstanding success of the evening, Andrew Thomason said: "Right from the launch we wanted our hotel to be different. Not just different but better. We're a sensational hotel situated at London's Vertical Gateway: The London Heliport. That really is something unique. And that's why everything we do has to go above and beyond what is expected."

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Notes for Editors


1. The Hotel Verta is at Bridge Wharf, Bridges Court Road, Battersea, London SW11 3 BE. Phone: 020 7801 3500 Email: info@hotelverta.co.uk Website: www.hotelverta.com
2. von Essen Hotels, based at von Essen House, Roman Way, Bath Business Park, Bath BA2 8SG, consists of luxury hotels throughout the UK and France. Email: info@vonessenhotels.co.uk Website: www.vonessenhotels.co.uk
3. The Gay Professional Network provides a forum for gay business leaders to network and make both meaningful business and social contacts. Website: http://gaypronet.ning.com


Picture Editors

Please feel free to use that attached images from the event and please credit:
Mark Weeks Photography www.markweeks.com

Hotel Verta, Von Essen Hotels

Street Dance 3D Premier

perfect woman movie, olympus productions, matthew john olympus productions, von essen, thornbury castle, marcus schekeneberg, angelica bridges

Perfect Woman Movie, Olympus Productions, Lucy Hassan, Marcus Schenkenberg, Matthew John Olympus Productions

WOBURN SAFARI PARK SUPPORTS GOHELP MONGOLIA CHARITY RALLY. (matthew john, olympus productions, sally griffths, charity events)

WOBURN SAFARI PARK

SUPPORTS

GOHELP MONGOLIA CHARITY RALLY.

On 10 July 2010 at 10.00am, 40 teams set off on this ambitious journey from Woburn Safari Park, near Milton Keynes, on the official launch of the 2010 Mongolia Charity Rally. The journey entails a 10,000 mile drive taking six weeks and gruelling terrain which includes five mountain ranges, two deserts and the vast Eurasian steppes along the way, finally ending at Mongolian capital Ulaanbaatar. The Mongolia Charity Rally is co-ordinated by Go Help, a UK registered charity, run entirely by volunteers.

The 2010 Mongolia Charity Rally’s aim of raising £100,000 for a variety of worthy causes in Mongolia is well on target with £50,000 already raised so far. This year funds will be used to assist vulnerable nomadic herding families who have lost much or all of their livestock as a result of last Winter’s severe weather which affected much of Mongolia.

Since the first Mongolia Charity Rally in 2008, Go Help has raised over £250,000 for good causes in Mongolia. Past and current projects include a new centre for street children and a Rehabilitation and Education Centre for Children with disabilities. To date, over 50 vehicles including fully fitted emergency ambulances have been donated.

Notes:

1. The 2010 Mongolia Charity Rally involves teams driving from Central London to the Mongolian capital Ulaanbaatar by any route possible The length of the drive is approximately 10,000 miles, and takes around six weeks. Teams are required to raise a minimum of £1,500 to support Go Help projects in Mongolia, but can also raise funds for a second charity of their choice if they wish. All vehicles that make it to the finishing line are auctioned to raise money for Go Help projects or are donated to suitable hospitals, orphanages, NGOs and other similar organisations.

2. The Mongolia Charity Rally’s fundraising focus for 2010 is Dzud Relief, supporting vulnerable nomadic herding families who have lost their only source of income through exceptionally severe winter weather (or ‘dzud’). The 2009-10 dzud killed 1.7 million head of livestock and left tens of thousands of families facing food shortages. The first Mongolia Charity Rally took place in 2008. Since then over £250,000 has been raised to date, and over 50 vehicles donated to worthy causes in Mongolia.

3. Go Help has worked particularly closely with Save the Children, supporting major project including the National Rehabilitation and Education Centre for Children with Disabilities in Ulaanbaatar in 2008 and a Kazakh-language education programme for minority children in the far west of Mongolia in 2009. In April 2010, Go Help donated £50,000 to Save the Children to provide support to vulnerable children through Save the Children’s drop in centre for street children.

4. Go Help is a UK charity which has as its core mission raising funds from charity events, specifically charity rallies. In addition to the Mongolia Charity Rally, Go Help also manages the Roof of the World rally, and the Mad Tuk Tuk Challenge was launched in April 2010. Go Help is the only operator of non-profit making charity rallies in the UK, and all the money raised by the teams goes directly to the chosen charities.

GO HELP CHARITY

MONGOLIO RALLY 2010-07-11 WOBURN SAFARI PARK

MATTHEW JOHN OLYMPUS PRODUCTIONS.