The Lesbian Ball was held at the Pullman last month The organisers of Auckland’s Lesbian Ball are delighted with the success of its return and say thanks to all the support it will be back in 2013. “The overwhelming majority of the feedback we've received has been incredibly positive and without exception everyone's delighted with the return of the Auckland lesbian ball,” says Karen Knight, one of the organisers and member of the Gay Auckland Business Association Trust, which underwrote the event. “We would have liked to have sold more tickets this year but we have proved the demand exists, and GABA has agreed to add the event to its permanent schedule - so watch out 2013 - I don't know how we'll top 2012, but we will,” she promises. The new team brought the Ball back after it disappeared from the annual Auckland event calendar, when the Lesbian Support Organisation (LESO) decided it had done its dash. Knight is expressing thanks to everyone who attended the Ball at the Pullman Hotel on 7 July, and GABA for having confidence in the initiative. “La Balle was an outrageous success, thanks to the dedication and professional skills of the team, and the generous sponsorship of FirstScene, D.Vice, and the Women's Book Shop. “We were overwhelmed by the ecstatic response from everyone there and the dozens of email thanks received since. Mega-talented all woman band The Mermaids played up a storm that had the dance floor packed all night, and they were a visual delight! “We're also incredibly grateful to amazing world-class lesbian comedian Urzila Carlson who generously donated her time to MC the event and keep the night rolling,” Knight says. “We were delighted with the rousing response to the classy burlesque entertainment and the girls certainly added another dimension of fun.” Knight says there are lots of women's events in the market at a range of price points to cater for everyone's taste and budget. “Now there's been a clear demonstration that women want a top quality option too, so La Balle will remain a stylish event at a high-quality venue with world-class entertainment. Our objective will be to set the ticket price at the break-even point so that La Balle is sustainable, and any modest profit would be channelled back to the GABA Charitable Trust.”
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Friday, 3rd August 2012 - 10:14am