PHILADELPHIA – Beginning Friday April 11th, the blocks within Philadelphia’s Gayborhood will be filled with Leather, Lust and Learning.
The annual Leather Leadership Conference is coming to town! Whether you are a seasoned Leather Veteran, a TNG member or somewhere in between as an Event, Munch or Group Organizer this conference is for you.
FACES OF FREEDOM
Come join us in the City of Leatherly Love as we join together for a weekend filled with: Education, Entertainment, the Carter/Johnson Leather Library, amazing art exhibits, awards, book signings, a Fireside Chat with Doug O’Keefe, the Leather Archives and Museum, bootblacking intensive, a special DIY track, and so much more.
We are currently finalizing our classes for the conference so keep an eye out on our website and social media as we update.
Keynote speaker Jaco Lourens will be joining us from Cape Town South Africa. Jaco was the first Mr South Africa Leather in 2009/2010 and current leader of their club, SA Leather. He is also the producer of the Mr and for the first time Ms South Africa Leather contest taking place in December of 2014. He will be speaking about his communities “Long Walk to Freedom”.
Our opening ceremonies and keynote address will take place on the Friday night at Club Voyeur, home to Philadelphia Leather Pride Night. We have very special guest Emcees coming in and an amazing line up of speakers and entertainment featuring the Liberty City Kings and pop icon Dilana. Dilana was one of the finalists for the rock star television show Rock Star Supernova. www.dilanarocks.com
Unlike other conferences we are encouraging our attendees to get out of the hotel and into our city. Utilizing the DoubleTree by Hilton Philadelphia, located in the heart of our Gayborhood we were able to secure rates of $149 a night (unheard of in CC Philadelphia) and have the majority of classes in the conference center of the hotel. Located just 1/2 a block away is the William Way Community Center. Inside the center we will have registration, the LA&M exhibit, art exhibits, our hospitality suite, pre-coference intensives, vending, and the Carter/Johnson Library complete with Mama Vi and boy robi. The library will play host to round table and panel discussions, book signings and the closing ceremonies.
There are dozens and dozens of restaurants within walking distance and the nightlife is right at your fingertips. Our historic leather bar, The Bike Stop is only 3 blocks away from the hotel while our opening ceremonies are only 1 block away. If you like history the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall are only 10 blocks away as well. If you enjoy the theater it is closing weekend of Phantom of the Opera which will be playing directly across the street from the DoubleTree Hotel at the Academy of Arts.
When our host hotel sells out we already have two overflow hotels. The first is the Latham Hotel Center City Philadelphia located by the historic Rittenhouse Square just a few blocks away from the Double Tree.
www.lathamhotelphiladephia.com we were able to secure the $149 a night rate there as well. Our second overflow hotel is the Independent Hotel, www.theindependenthotel.com with a rate of $189 a night. Links to all hotels and special rates can be found on our website under registration. All rates are good for 2 days before and 2 days after the weekend.
Current sponsors are Philadelphia Leather Pride, NDDs, CLAW, the MsC, the Crucible, the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau (yes our city is sponsoring us!) and the Keystone boys of Leather with more sponsors to follow!!!
Join us in Philadelphia April 1-13, 2014…. come for the conference and stay for our History.
Facebook Event Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1405511423026174
