Host our IGLYO AMC or Activist Academy in 2024

Can you host?

Will you host one of our flagship events in 2024 and help us celebrate 40 years of IGLYO?

What better way to end the year than by giving you not one, but two events to look forward to in 2024: Our Annual Members’ Conference, a.k.a. the largest gathering for young LGBTQI activists, and the in-person Activist Academy, IGLYO’s flagship capacity building programme.

To start preparing, we are currently looking for IGLYO Member Organisations to host either our AMC 2024 or our Activist Academy 2024 in their home country, and thereby help us to organise the two tentpole events of the IGLYO calendar.

Please read the full call below and apply to be a host for the AMC 2024 or the Activist Academy 2024 by Friday 26 January at noon CET.

What is the AMC 2024?

The IGLYO Annual Members’ Conference (AMC) is IGLYO’s flagship annual gathering of representatives from its Member Organisations, and one of the largest gatherings of young LGBTQI activists in the world. In 2024, the AMC will be even more important as it will host the celebration of IGLYO’s 40th anniversary, including an exhibition and other special activities.

The AMC is a key moment for our Member Organisations to meet new faces through engaging networking and social activities, take part in insightful workshops led by other Members, learn about IGLYO’s current structure and activities, cast their vote on statutory issues, and elect new Board Members. In other words, it is an opportunity for our Members to contribute to setting the direction for the future of IGLYO while developing their own network and set of skills.

Practically speaking, each Member Organisation is asked to send one representative to the AMC, with all expenses covered by IGLYO (travel, accommodation, food). The AMC is held every year, usually around September/October, and we always team up with a Member Organisation to host the AMC in a different country every time. Feel free to have a look at our AMC 2023 in Podgorica, Montenegro, to see what it concretely looks like!

What is the Activist Academy 2024?

IGLYO’s Activist Academy is a skills-based training programme for young people between 18 and 30 at the beginning of their activist careers who are passionate about activism, advocacy and learning, and have a strong interest in LGBTQI rights.

Every year, we hold both an in-person and an online edition of the Activist Academy. The goal is to jumpstart younger activists into skill-demanding and leadership roles within LGBTQI organisations. In 2024, we are very excited to bring the in-person Activist Academy back for its sixth edition and welcome young LGBTQI activists from around the world for an unforgettable week of learning, planning, and growing!

For a look at the Activist Academy you can check out our Activist Academy Tallinn 2023.

What does IGLYO expect from a host organisation?

Hosting a flagship IGLYO event can be a big responsibility, which requires enough time and resources. But worry not: Hosting an IGLYO event is a collaborative process all along which IGLYO will guide you through every step to ensure that the event is a success. Below is a short overview of which tasks pertain to the host organisation, and which pertain to IGLYO.

Host Organisation’s Role

Hosting a major IGLYO event means handling all the on-site organisation and logistics of the event, which includes tasks such as securing venues, organising catering, contributing to shaping the event programme, identifying activities for the social programme, ensuring the accessibility of the event, and regularly liaising with IGLYO on the organisation of the event through emails — and online meetings twice a month for the AMC.

Besides these organisational tasks, the host organisation has the chance to contribute to shaping the event programme, to propose local experts, and to create a link with the local queer community.

Please note that IGLYO has the financial resources to fully fund the event if necessary. However, hosts are encouraged to work with IGLYO to identify other possible funding sources to support the event, so that more money can be directed at supporting additional participation costs for Members.

IGLYO’s role

Throughout the process, IGLYO’s Board and Staff will assist the organising team and will be in charge of preparing the event’s contents (e.g. publishing calls, inviting speakers, putting up the final programme, etc.) and participants logistics (e.g. handling registrations, booking accommodations and flights, etc.). All communications about the event will be centralised on IGLYO’s website and channels, and IGLYO is responsible for the dissemination of the event to its Members.

For the AMC, the IGLYO Board and Staff will also visit the host organisation a few months prior to the event for an on-site in-person preparatory meeting.

How would your organisation benefit?

With great responsibility comes great reward! Hosting an IGLYO event will provide your organisation with a unique opportunity to:

Increase the visibility of your organisation and activities on the international scale amongst the IGLYO membership, partner organisations, youth activists, etc;
Raise awareness about current issues related to LGBTQI (youth) rights in your country;
Showcase your work and activities, and share best practices;
Broaden your international network of LGBTQI youth activists.
Additionally, you will be greatly helping IGLYO, while benefiting from the professional experience of our 40-year-old international network.

Who can apply to be a host?

The call for host organisations is open to any Member Organisation which:

Was already an IGLYO Member in 2023 (i.e. you must become a Member approved by the board by the end of the previous year to be eligible to host an event in 2024)
Has the capacity to welcome the participants of the event, and can identify a venue in their city where the event could potentially take place. The audience could range from 60 to 90 people for the AMC, and 20-35 people for the Activist Academy from a wide range of Council of Europe countries and beyond;
Is able to either:
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- Host the AMC around September/October 2024 if applying to host the AMC;
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- Host the Activist Academy in summer 2024 (preferably in the second half of June 2024) if applying to host the Activist Academy.

Has enough time and resources to organise the event;
Commits to regularly liaise with IGLYO via email (and meet twice a month online for the AMC), and to assign one person to be the contact point for IGLYO in their organisation;
If possible, has the ability and resources to identify potential additional funding for the event;
Bears experience hosting conferences/large meetings and has an understanding of the planning it requires;
Has never hosted an IGLYO AMC if applying to host AMC 2024 and has never hosted an Activist Academy if applying to host the Activist Academy 2024;
Is able to work in English.

How to apply?

Ready to host one of our flagship events in 2024? You just have to fill out this short application form by Friday 26 January at noon CET. Selected Host Organisations will be contacted in the second half of February 2023.