The promoter of one of this year’s biggest Pride parties that was cancelled says the event was called off due to clashes with another of its own events Aug 2-3.
Big Roger Events and Sunil Sinha promoted Global Pride Main Event.
Sinha sent out a news release explaining that the Global event originally scheduled from 9:30 pm to 4 am was cancelled after the United party, carded to run from 3 am to 10 am sold out. Big Roger and Sinha also promoted that event.
The release says people were torn between attending the two events as it would divide friends. It also says the two parties’ names promote inclusiveness and that with one eliminated, the community could celebrate together.
By email, Sinha told Xtra West he is out of the country and unavailable to answer questions by phone.
“We only cancelled one event which we feel helped create a better Pride and people still had other parties that they could go to,” Sinha says in response to emailed questions. “As well, we opened our last event two hours earlier, so that people would have an event to attend to no matter what.
“We did check with people, and felt this was the best decision,” Sinha says. The Global event was billed as a fundraiser for Friends for Life and the Pride Society.
Pride Society president Ken Coolen says the cancellation had no impact on the organization as Big Roger was a Pride sponsor and paid up front for its involvement this year.
What sponsors do with their events after that is up to them, Coolen says.
In July 2008, two charitable organizations serving people who are HIV-positive reported they were still waiting to receive monies from the proceeds of dance events put on for Pride 2007 by an event company whose directors, including Sinha, were in the midst of a financial dispute.
A year after the fact, A Loving Spoonful and McLaren Housing Society had not received donations that Boys Nite Out (BNO) promised “based on a percentage of profit of their dance events.”
That event was organized by Sinha and Eduardo Esperon now of Big Roger Events, as well as Jean-Yves Pigeon and Laurie Lamarche.
Refunds for the $55 Global tickets can be obtained at the point of purchase or by mailing the tickets, along with your full name, address, contact number and where your purchased your tickets to Big Roger Events, 379 – 1027 Davie St, Vancouver, BC V6E 4L2.
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