500 days before the Opening Ceremonies!
With 500 days to go before the Opening Ceremonies, Montréal 2006’s website is currently receiving an average of 150,000 visits per week and registrations had reached 3,895 as of 28 February 2005. Several new countries have been added to the list of registrants, such as Greece, Lebanon and Morocco, bringing international representation for the Outgames to 85 countries.

Don't wait! Register now! >>

World Registration Day in Mexico
On 16 April 2005, Montréal 2006 will be holding a special Registration day in Mexico. In collaboration with the Québec government’s Québec House (La Délégation générale du Québec), along with CAMP magazine and Eradio in Mexico, this activity will be supported by the LGBT community in Mexico.

México especial
El 21 de Abril, Montréal 2006 tendrá un DÍA ESPECIAL de MATRÍCULA en la CIUDAD de MÉXICO. Con la colaboración excelente de la Delegación General de Québec en México, este día promete ser un éxito.

Two New Sports: Handball and Cross-country

Numerous teams and athletes have persuaded us to add two new sports to the 33 existing disciplines in the Outgames programme. We have already been assured of about one hundred registrants in these two new sports, even before they have been added to the registration roster.

Handball competitions will be held at Maisonneuve College, located just a short walk down the street from the Olympic Stadium. This new site will be added to the Parc Olympique Zone. Many European teams have expressed their enthusiasm and intention to register for this sport.

Cross-country running competitions (short- and long-distance) will take place in Maisonneuve Park, an a rolling 118-hectare (approx. 300-acre) oasis of green space just across Sherbrooke Street from the Olympic Park, bordered by the Montréal Botanical Garden on its west side. The park has been the site of many Québec and Canadian championship events.

The Parc Olympique Zone will now be the site of 8 sports (Dancesport, Swimming, Figure Skating, Handball, Volleyball, Synchronised Swimming, Powerlifting and Aerobics), in addition to the Opening and Closing ceremonies. The will also be an open-air activity centre and a terrace for friends to meet and enjoy Montréal’s balmy summer days during the week of the Outgames.

Odyssée 2005: the Montréal Multi-Sport Tournament
Montréal sport clubs, in collaboration with Équipe-Montréal, invite you to take part in their Odyssée 2005 Multi-Sport Tournament, which will be held over the long Easter weekend on March 25, 26, 27 and 28, 2005. It will be an action-packed and fun-filled weekend and a unique opportunity to experience the warmth and joie de vivre for which Montrealers are world-renowned.

The sport programme will offer the following sports:
Badminton | Basketball | Hockey
Olympic Wrestling | Volleyball

A variety of social activities will also be on the menu for the 700 expected participants. Odyssée 2005 participants will get 10% off the Regular Registration Fee.

To register or to obtain further information, visit www.tournoiodyssee.com or call Éric at (514) 252 5858 ext. 6120.

Manchester
Montréal 2006 Marketing-Communications Director, Tom Czerniecki, made a whirlwind tour of the UK in February. In Manchester alone, about one hundred athletes registered for the Outgames during his stay and more are expected to register over the next few months.

The agreement with one of our Official Travel Partners, Man Around, now offers British, Spanish and Italian participants already registered a reduction of $75 CAD per person when they book their trip to Canada for the Outgames with Man Around in the UK, Italy or Spain. Man Around has also just announced that it will sponsor a women’s soccer team from Manchester for the Outgames.

Brazil
Following Montréal 2006’s tour of Brazil in January, Judge Maria Berenice Diaz and Doctor Bruno Molinari have accepted the invitation to become ambassadors for “The Right to Be Different” International Conference on LGBT rights. Both Judge Diaz and Professor Molinari are well-known in Brazil for the positions they have taken in favour of LGBT rights. GLOBO national television also broadcast a report on Montréal 2006 as part of its national sports news. As well, meetings were held with many LGBT sports teams that are now organising to be able to participate in the Outgames.

The World Social Forum at Porto Alegre, with its many discussions and conferences turned out to be an excellent occasion for Montréal 2006 to expand its network of contacts with delegates from Peru, El Salvador, Chile, Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua, Guinea and Nigeria.

ITB Berlin
Montréal 2006 was in Berlin for the ITB (International Tourismus Borse) travel expo, one of the largest tourism trade shows in Europe, which was held from 11 to 15 March 2005. Tourisme Montréal and Montréal 2006 shared an information and registration booth during the show. While in Germany, Montréal 2006 took the opportunity to meet with numerous LGBT sport leaders.

New Media Agreements
Montréal 2006 and the Internet marketing site Out in America have just finalised a partnership agreement. Out in America has a network of 179 websites in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Mexico.

As well, Bent Magazine in the UK, GCN Magazine in Ireland and Panbladet in Denmark have also joined Montréal 2006 in media agreements.

Also in March, media agreements were concluded with BOI Magazine Chicago, Curve Magazine in the US, Chicago Free Press, GoGuide USA, Baltimore Outloud USA, The Gay & Lesbian Review in New York, Window Media, , the Washington Blade, New York Blade, Southern Voice, David Magazine, Express South Florida, the Houston Voice, and Genre Magazine.

Lesbian & Gay Country Western Dancers on Fort Lauderdale
Over 300 dancers from across the U.S., Canada and Europe will converge on Fort Lauderdale next Easter weekend – 24-27 March 2005 – for the Spring Break Hoedown, the Semi-Annual Convention of the International Association of Gay/Lesbian Country Western Dance Clubs (IAGLCWDC).

The event is hosted by Southern Country South Florida, the area’s oldest and largest organization dedicated to promoting country-western dance in the gay and lesbian community.

One of the convention’s highlights will be the competition on Saturday, 26 March, when some of the organization’s very best take to the floor. IAGLCWDC has led the way for years in the world of same-sex country-western dancing, which will be included as medal events for the very first time in the upcoming 1st  World Outgames in Montréal.

US Women's Tour with the 1st World Outgames
Robin Tyler, member of the Scientific Committee of the International Conference initiated an organized tour for women. All are invited to join the US Women's Tour to the 1st World Outgames. Find out more about this travel package through Robin Tyler Tours at www.robintylertours.com.

The Official Travel Partner of the 1st World Outgamesin the United States is Above and Beyond Tours.

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