Leatherpride Belgium

By Dennis De Roover

Experience at the forefront during Leatherpride Belgium

“We are trying to improve the visitor experience every year!”

From 17 to 22 February 2016, Leatherpride Belgium will take place in Antwerp for the seventh time. In just a few years, the event has become a fixture on the European fetish calendar. How does Leatherpride Belgium give visitors a weekend of special experiences? And how do they always manage to innovate and respond to the wishes of an international public? We asked the Leatherpride organizer Jeroen Van Lievenoogen.

How did you originally come up with the idea for Leatherpride Belgium?

I was working at The Boots when the idea for Leatherpride Belgium originated. Like many, I went to Amsterdam Leatherpride and Folsom Europe. I found it incomprehensible that Antwerp had no leather event when we had a super club like The Boots. At that time, Amsterdam and Berlin did not have such a venue.
I come from Limburg, but I took on the chauvinism for Antwerp which its residents are famous for. The will to promote Antwerp made me decide to start Leatherpride Belgium. Firstly we began with a startup budget from The Boots, then gained the support of several businesses, including Mister B.

What happened during the first edition?

There was one main party in Club Petrol on the Saturday, and activities in various fetish shops and bars. The number of visitors was immediately motivating. At the main party there were 500 to 600 revelers. Of course, that is not a big crowd, but for a fetish event in Antwerp it was an unprecedented turnout. Visitors responded very positively. I noticed right away that there was potential in the event.

How has the organization evolved since the first event?

After the second edition, I decided to take the organization and promotion of Leatherpride into my own hands. When you organize such an event, you sit with many people around the table, but they do not always agree when decisions must be made. The event needed more structure.
The starting point for Leatherpride Belgium is the visitor. For example, people who come to an event don’t like to hear that there will be several large discos competing against each other. I ensure a smooth program where visitors can follow a thread. Visitors can miss one activity, but easily join the next.
I want the Leatherpride Belgium program to be tight. So I will only add activities which fit into the progress of the event. If someone organizes a party at the same time as a scheduled major activity, I intentionally do not include it in the program. When a space becomes available in the schedule, I decide who or what fills that space.

What do you do to attract participants to Leatherpride Belgium?

One of the strengths of Leatherpride Belgium is our strong collaboration with community associations. There is a good balance between commercial parties and the activities in which the associations are closely involved. When an organizer is just watching the pennies, he might conclude that the associations cost more money than they contribute. But this is a short-sighted vision.
Associations bring a lot of human and cultural capital. I think it’s important that we support them through Leatherpride Belgium. Take for example Mr Gay Leather Belgium at Darklands. We provide them with a great setting which they can use for their election. We provide professional fireworks and lighting. The organizers of the election don’t have to pay for it either. Nowhere else in Europe does a Mr Leather election have such a large audience.
Associations can promote themselves as we also provide them with a free stand. As a commercial organization, we have an interest in ensuring that these clubs are booming. At the Darklands indoor gay festival, associations are central. Many masters and slaves obviously play at home. You do not get them to an event with just one party, because at home they can probably play better than at a party. It is important to offer them activities such as workshops and the location.

How do you provide enough variety in such a weekend?

You make quite a distinction between the day and evening program. In the evening, visitors basically come every day for the same thing. But you make it attractive to them by programming several DJs, changing the decor or varying the arrangement of the darkroom.
During the day we provide a variety of events on both Saturday and Sunday. On the Saturday we have shows such as the Mr Leather Belgium contest, while on Sunday there is the X-Awards and Mr Puppy contest. By adding brunch and promotions, we make Sunday attractive and different to Saturday.

How do you publicize the program?

From the first edition, we printed a program booklet, which of course we also disseminated online. For the first edition, the program appeared three months before the event. From the second edition we started to distribute the book in September, when Folsom Europe occurs. Now we ensure that the program is finished five to six months before the event.
When an edition of Leatherpride finishes, we immediately start to plan the next event. That’s because companies and promoters often indicate that they want to participate the following year during Leatherpride. I like to be able to go to them shortly after with the new program and capitalize on their enthusiasm.

How do you reach an international audience?

The internet and social media play a major role. Copies of the Leatherpride magazine are easy to distribute, but the importance of social media grows every year. Luckily I have a good distribution network through Cerebral Magazine. We also advertise Leatherpride Belgium internationally. As an event, it is gaining in notoriety. That also increases the attraction for foreign visitors. The public we attract has gradually become much more international.

How do differ from other events with respect to accommodation?

Leatherpride Belgium offers host hotels. In the 2016 edition we will offer five hotels, ranging from comfort to luxurious rooms. For the visitors, it is nice when a hotel is almost entirely booked out by Leatherpride participants. They know that they will not be considered weird.
We make sure all hotel staff are aware of the event taking place. The hotel staff are very jovial, and some hotels have participated for several years. Leatherpride Belgium can also agree a fixed rate because we block-book rooms in advance. So we keep the hotel rooms affordable, even if visitors make their plans later. It is a situation where everyone wins: the visitors, Leatherpride, and the hotels.
We also provide free shuttle buses from the hotels to the main venues. For Leatherpride Belgium 2016 we have doubled the capacity of the shuttle service.

Several people claimed last year that Leatherpride Belgium is better than Berlin. What does that say to you?

Somebody, who did not know who I was, mentioned this to me during the Rage party last year. It is very rewarding to hear, but it is a difficult equation.
Berlin and Antwerp have totally different concepts and products. Berlin is mainly driven by the community and is dissolute and sleazy. Antwerp has a more mature emphasis and supports the community in every way possible. The production is bigger and the visitor is approached as a customer, to be pampered with services and facilities.
Nevertheless, I am proud to be compared to Berlin because that city is a reference in Europe in terms of fetish events. Its model has been followed in other European cities. So to compare Leatherpride Belgium to Berlin, at the same level or slightly higher, it is a true compliment!

Do you actively seek the opinion of your visitors on the event?

Last year we conducted a survey about Leatherpride Belgium via our mailing list. Through the website we also urged people to take part in the survey. The biggest mistake you can make as an organizer is to think you know everything and you do not need feedback. It is especially important to get that feedback so you know what needs to be improved.
Because of visitor feedback we have installed clear signs to indicate where the shuttle bus stops at the hotels and at the event itself. That makes it much easier for people to find the bus. We have also ensured that drink vouchers are valid throughout the weekend, and not just for one event. We also heard that visitors wanted a space where they could sit down and relax during the party so we created one. The food supplied during Darklands has also been adjusted based on comments.
We try to improve the experience for the visitor every year. I don’t necessarily want Leatherpride Belgium to be the biggest event, but I do want it to be known for quality. Similarly, we want to create an unforgettable feast of fetish for visitors during the next edition!
Quote:
“It irritates me when party organizers post pictures of queues at the door. Don’t take pictures of the queues, do something about them!”