People are gathering in Syracuse this week for the first Empire State of Pride conference.

Co-producer of Empire State of Pride Kevin Bailey said the event is meant to help people learn how to better organize pride events in their community, and it’s meant for people from anywhere in the state.

What You Need To Know

  • A statewide conference will be held Nov. 8 at SKY Armory in Syracuse for pride organizers

  • Speakers will discuss topics like marketing, fundraising and working with parks departments

  • The registration deadline is Nov. 4, and the cost is $199

Speakers will be sharing best practices from marketing to fundraising to working with parks departments.

Some first-time organizers might not know how to secure essentials for marches, like a permit, law enforcement presence and potentially paying overtime for officers. He said it can be helpful to work with organizations like local tourism bureaus to get the word out about an event, and it’s possible there’s a community foundation nearby that can help fund activities.

Bailey said across New York, officials are seeing an increase in pride events in smaller towns and villages.

“It’s become something that's [a] hyper-local celebration of LGBT identities,” said Bailey. “A lot of folks are doing this maybe for the first time, but we are hoping to create an environment in which they can learn a lot, and they don't have to recreate the wheel.”

The first Empire State of Pride conference is this Friday at SKY Armory. The registration deadline is today.