The 2013 Northeast Regional Pride Conference will include several firsts. Not only is it the first time the conference — geared toward organizers of LGBT Pride events — will be held in New Hope, but it is also the first time it will be staged in a small town. The conference, themed “All Roads Lead to NERP,” will run March 8-10. The event has previously taken place in cities such as Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Rochester, but New Hope Celebrates Vice President Sharon Fronabarger said the small-town setting should change the tone of the conference. “Conferences usually take place in hotels that have conference centers. Although it is great, you are in a hotel the whole time,” she said. “One of the advantages of having the conference in a small town is we are able to take advantage of the small-town atmosphere and venues and give people a real flavor of what New Hope is.” NERP is staged by InterPride, an organization for Pride agencies that consists of 22 different regions across the world. Each year, every InterPride region hosts its own conference. “It’s a chance for organizations to get together, network, share best practices, attend workshops and have fun,” Fronabarger said. During each regional conference, member groups have the chance to put in a bid to host the conference two years down the line. Atlanta will host the NERP conference next year. Fronabarger said she hopes attendees learn about the diverse community in New Hope. “It is definitely LGBT and we all have to work together, but it is a family and that is the best way to describe what New Hope is,” she said. Fronabarger said the town’s Pride festival attracts about 10,000 people each year and brings in individuals from all different communities. New Hope hosts one of the first Pride events leading up to LGBT Pride Month in June. “Last year, we had folks from Heritage of Pride [from New York City] visit. They were looking at what we are doing and learning from us. You can learn from any size organizations, no matter the history, length of existence — they are learning from us. You learn there is not much difference between New York, Boston, Rochester and New Hope. We all have the same basic issues; we’re all nonprofits, looking for funding from all sources and trying to highlight the LGBT community in each geography.” According to Fronabarger, up to 80 individuals are scheduled to attend the conference. The event will feature a special screening of the movie “Trans,” which was released in 2012 about the transgender community. Fronabarger said New Hope resident, transgender surgeon and film participant Dr. Christine McGinn will be present for a question-and-answer session. Workshops will cover topics such as social media, planning, branding and multimedia. Admission fees range from $150 for InterPride members, $95 for guests and partners of InterPride members and $225 for general admission. For more information, visit www.newhopecelebrates.com .
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