The PoDE Blog

Get on The Sofa!

adam.bold@pointsofdifference.com — Tue, 15 May 2012 04:42:00 GMT

Ladies, looking for news and events, or just a place to meet? Then get on ‘the sofa’.

Join the ladies on Pinksofa, Australia’s number one on-line meeting place for lesbians.

As proud sponsors of this years Frosty Fruits Ski Trip, you can also join in the conversation in their special event forums. Maybe you will find a ski-buddy or even a snow-bunny!

You can jump to the events forum page here, look for the topic "Join the Pink Sofa Chalet at Frosty Fruits gay&lesbian SKI WEEK, AUGUST, VIC"

Check out our sponsor Pink Sofa's success stories:

*** If you haven't yet subscribed to Pink Sofa, Pink Sofa are offering you a massive 6 month FREE membership when you join for 6 months and use the code "May12". Offer valid until the end of May. ***

Tags: Sponsors,Pink Sofa,Offers,Ladies,Women

Grab the Trip Pass - Revised Dates and Offers for Frosty Fruits Ski Trip

adam.bold@pointsofdifference.com — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 23:00:00 GMT

Copy of our mailer sent out to folks interested in the Frosty Fruits Ski Trip, includes updates on date, rates etc

Media Release: Come out to the highest Gay and Lesbian adventure in Australia!

adam.bold@pointsofdifference.com — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 02:30:00 GMT

(Media Release issued today)

Join the buzz at Australia’s longest running commercial Gay and Lesbian ski event, the annual Frosty Fruits Ski Trip, returning again to the love of Hotham Alpine Resort in Victoria. It’s great gay fun in the Alpine air and rainbow snow!

This is a fully hosted trip with stunning on-mountain accommodation, great runs, easy access and a full program of activities and events, both sporting and social.

The resort is easily accessed via air, car or coach. Hotham is the highest alpine resort in Australia with its own airport! Direct QantasLink flights from Sydney with connections from Brisbane, Hobart, Adelaide and Perth make this the easiest way to get on top. Fly in and ski OUT!

Drive direct yourself is always an option with the sealed Great Alpine Road your magic carpet to the snow.

Melbourne guests also have the luxurious option of the direct Frosty Fruits Ski Trip coach, departing from Southern Cross Station and swooshing you straight to the snow. Why drive when someone else can? Recline and relax!

Entertainment

It’s not just days packed with action, as the evenings also host a heap of social events and entertainment. A gourmet Welcome Lunch, Welcome Dinner and a special Welcome Après and Personal Shopping Faire greet guests on the first day. There are group breakfasts and lunches each day. A special “Sivilised Supper” fine dinning event at Dinner Plain; Pizza Night; Dinner Cabaret andFarewell Champagne Lunch.

This years event also boasts two new events, a day spa afternoon and the first“Frosty Fruits Ski Trip Film Night”, both held at the gorgeous Onsen Retreat + Spa, Dinner Plain, Australia's first indoor-outdoor retreat and spa with a Japanese inspired onsen.

This trip breaks the barrier not just in terms of quality and ease of access, but also height! The trip marks the highest ever drag event in Australia with the stellar performance of Drag Legend Dolly Diamond and her show, “There’s No Business Like Snow Business”.

Dolly is a cabaret performer of international standing and is well known to Victorian audiences having performed at Daylesford’s Chill Out Festival, numerous events in Melbourne and also the Coast Out Festival in NSW.

Dolly’s show forms the kick-off for the final night party as well, with “The Great Gaydar Disco Snowball” capping off the trip. Hosted at The General and featuring a specially imported Sydney DJ or two, with party production designed to lift the roof off the building, this night promises to be one they’ll talk about for years!

Accommodation and Access

Located right on the top of the mountain, Hotham Alpine Resort offers great ski-in/ski-out accommodation. Guests can slip out for first tracks at 7.30am from Wednesday to Sunday and ski all day if they desire. With rooms within easy reach, an afternoon nap, is always an option too!

Close by are restaurants, bars and cafes with the sweet aroma of coffee on the breeze.

Just getting started? The walk-on beginner slopes are a breeze. Looking for a challenge? Take your pick from the myriad of steep valley runs Hotham is renowned for; intermediate runs you can ski all day, tree runs, natural halfpipes, gullies and bowls, it's all there.

The ticket office, snowsports school, equipment hire outlets, shops, supermarkets and day spa are all just a short walk away - complete with stunning views.

Pricing

This year, the resort has frozen its ski activity prices, with the Great Alpine Price Freeze. Multi day lift ticket discounts plus reduced prices on selected accommodation mean this year’s trip offers even better value. Shared accommodation in the trips’ special chalets start at $99 per person per night (triple share), with both budget and premium options also available.

With Early Bird Registration available until May 6^th, the Frosty Fruits Ski Trip Pass (which includes access to all group activities and events) is just $757. Novice/Intermediate Packages, which include The Trip Pass, accommodation, ski hire, lift passes, clothing, lessons and breakfast, start around $379 per day (an Early Bird saving of around 20%). Payment plans are also available.

The highlight of the trip? Previous years guests have all commented about the great staff, the welcoming hosts, the organisation and the friendliness of everyone.

“Thanks for a wonderful time. All the time, attention to detail and passion which you put into these events is incredible. Job well done!”

Lesley, from Liverpool NSW, returning guest 2009/2010

Guest highlights from 2011 included:

"new friends!";
"primarily, skiing Mt Hotham, and socialising with other gay women,
as well as gay men...";
"the evening socials & the on snow accommodation..."; and
"the gay camaraderie throughout the trip...".

Come out and up for the best gay and lesbian snow vacation in Australia.
Ski, socialise, enjoy, relax and have fun!

The 4^th annual Frosty Fruits Ski Trip, August 19 to 24, 2012. Hotham Alpine Resort, Victoria.

Produced by Points of Difference Events.

For further information and images contact:

Adam Bold, Producer, Points of Difference Events,
adam.bold@pointsofdifference.com, 0412 358 249

Gina Woodward, Sales & Marketing Manager, Hotham Alpine Resort,
marketing@hotham.com.au, 03 5759 4464

For booking information contact 02 8394 9193 / 03 9016 9445 / 07 3102 4436

Visit pointsofdifference.com/FFST

Or call 1800 HOTHAM

More ...

Theatre Outings – What’s in the pipeline for 2012.

adam.bold@pointsofdifference.com — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 04:20:00 GMT

Traditionally we head to a few musical’s during the year, in 2012 in addition to some big shows (such as Love Never Dies) we are looking to increase our attendance (and support) of our local theatre companies. To that end, we are booking into a number of shows at the Ensemble Theatre, plus a few at Belvoir Theatre.

To help you plan your social calendar, here is a heads up of what we are planning to see this year, and when. Unless stated as confirmed, details are subject to change. Once event details are confirmed, they will be listed for sale in our on-line store.

So here's the buzz...

The Ensemble Schedule

When attending shows at Ensemble, the plan is experience their fantastic restaurant before the show (with great harbour views). We are booking into Friday night performances (generally around 8pm) with dinner from 6pm or so. This way, you can pop on a ferry or train to get across the harbour after Friday work drinks, and have a pleasant meal with your fellow PoDE patrons, before your cultural aperitif!

#1 When Dad Married Fury – Friday June 15 (Confirmed)

A searing black comedy from David Williamson set right on the religious and political fault lines of contemporary Australia.

Alan is rich. Very rich.

How he made his money is the subject of some debate, but as the main beneficiaries of his will, Ian and Ben aren’t going to question their father’s ethics too closely. Ben’s wife Laura, however, is a lefty with scruples, so Alan’s seventy-fifth birthday celebrations were never going to be conflict free.

When Alan introduces his new wife to the family, Fury proves to be a force to be reckoned with... after all she’s beautiful, American and – young...

“David Williamson’s done it again - I don’t know how he keeps writing these plays that are so timely, so about us. If you read his plays over the last 40-odd years you would get a history of Australia right there in the most entertaining way. When Dad Married Fury is hilarious, but it’s got a lot to say as well. It’s simply David at his best.” Director, Sandra Bates

“When a play is well written, it is an absolute joy to watch on stage...it really does restore your faith in Sydney’s theatre scene.”
SameSame (for Rhinestone Rex And Miss Monica)

Book now!

#2 Circle Mirror Transformation – Friday August 31 (Tentative)

Over the course of six weeks, five adults gather to explore themselves through the elusive and often hilarious medium of drama.

Some of them are there to become stars, others to follow a long-lost dream, and some just yearn for a connection with their fellow classmates. Through a series of exercises, their teacher Marty leads them deeper into the sharing of their own stories.

As the weeks pass, their real, offstage lives gradually infiltrate the classroom, revealing insights and transformations, both humorous and heartbreaking.

“What I love most about this play is that every time I read it, I find myself laughing out loud. It’s one of the most beautifully well written and humorous pieces of writing I have come across in a long time.” Director, Shannon Murphy

2010 Obie Award for Best New American Play and voted one of the top ten plays of 2009 by The New York Times, Time Out New York, and The New Yorker.

“Absorbing, unblinking and sharply funny.” NEW YORK TIMES

“Endearing and hysterically funny.” CURTAIN UP

“The best new play I’ve seen all year.” THAT SOUNDS COOL

#3 A Picasso – Friday October 19 (Tentative)

Jeffrey Hatcher’s A Picasso is part history lesson, part intriguing debate about art, politics, sexuality and love.

Paris, 1941. The heavy tread of Nazi jackboots on the streets outside. The underground bunker, where the celebrated painter, Pablo Picasso (Danny Adcock) has been detained.

Picasso is visited by Miss Fischer (Sharon Millerchip), an attractive officer from the German cultural ministry, and is faced with an impossible decision: in exchange for his life he must surrender one of his beloved works of art to the regime. A perilous game of cat and mouse ensues as Picasso attempts to outwit his dangerously beautiful opponent and save his masterpiece.

“A Picasso is about a very dynamic relationship with wonderful fiery characters. Picasso is as you’d imagine him to be: he’s arrogant, he’s wonderful, he’s cheeky, he’s witty, he’s a womanizer - but Miss Fischer meets him head to head. It’s sexy and funny, it has tangible humanity, it’s about art, history and regrets, but ultimately it’s about the relationship between these two fabulous characters.” Director Nikki Selby

#4 Managing Carmen – Friday December 14 or Friday January 18, 2013 (Tentative)

David Williamson’s brand new play is an uproariously funny comedy about football, identity and slingbacks.

Brent Lyall is a freakish young sporting talent. At the age of twenty three he is already captain of one of the most powerful football clubs in the land. Managed by the legendary Rohan Swift (Garry McDonald), Brent’s blossoming career, and the millions that come with it, seem assured.

But Brent has an explosive secret which is on the verge of becoming public. So Rohan hires the brilliant psychologist Jessica to find out what Brent is trying to hide...but soon wishes he hadn’t.

“It’s almost an echo of The Club, going back to that territory that David’s very, very good at and knows very well. It’s a very funny, very poetic, beautiful comedy. It’s about gender and sexual politics, but in the end it’s also about who we are, who we are perceived to be and what we really want people to think of us.“ Director Mark Kilmurry

The Belvoir Schedule

For Belvoir we are looking at two classic pieces of modern theatre, both incredibly well written and still poignant for our times.

Ticket sales for non-subscribers don’t go on sale until later in the year. We will be creating Facebook events and a wait list to help us budget for our booking requirements. We will be meeting with the Ticketing Manager later to secure the best performances for us.

Once we have dates and performance times secure, we will advise evening additionals, such as dinner or drinks prior/after.

Do join us!

#1 Death of a Salesman - playing June 23 to August 12(on sale from May 14).

By Arthur Miller, Director Simon Stone, With Colin Friels and Genevieve Lemon

Arguably the greatest play of the twentieth century, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman is about a man refusing to let go of the false dreams we were all once promised.

Willy Loman is feeling his age. He and his wife Linda are struggling to make their mortgage repayments. The company he works for is branching out in new directions and it looks like he’s about to be left behind. When his university drop-out son, Biff, moves back home after years of drifting, old tensions rise to the surface.

Returning to the corner stage after an absence of 30 years, Colin Friels tackles the role of a lifetime in Simon Stone’s take on this timeless masterpiece.

And for something slightly camper…

#2 Private Lives – playing September 29 to November 11 (on sale from June 18)

By Noël Coward, Director Ralph Myers, With Eloise Mignon and Toby Schmitz

The censors did their best to ban the play when Coward wrote it in 1930 (as a vehicle for himself) and it has been refusing to behave for 80 years now. Its wit is definitive, its plotting almost perfect, and its critique of modernity dazzling. The great theatrical adventurer Ralph Myers finally gives himself a directing gig and his task is almost ridiculously pleasurable: to direct Toby Schmitz in Private Lives.

Amanda has just married Victor and gone on her honeymoon. Elyot has just married Sybil and gone on his honeymoon. To the same hotel. Elyot and Amanda are about to find out all over again why they got divorced in the first place.

AMANDA: Darling, I believe you’re talking nonsense.

ELYOT: So is everyone else in the long run. Let’s be superficial and pity the poor Philosophers. Let’s blow trumpets and squeakers, and enjoy the party as much as we can, like very small, quite idiotic school-children. Let’s savour the delight of the moment. Come and kiss me, darling, before your body rots, and worms pop in and out of your eye sockets.

Due to the (relative) small size of the theatres, and their strong pre-sales, bookings are limited and the above performances are likely to sell out. So, if you are dead keen to join in the fun in Surry Hills or Kirribilli, drop us a line now and reserve your place. As always, feel free to call us direct on 02 8011 3298 if you have any questions, or require further details.

Don't forget to check out what's on sale now in our on-line store, or check back for updates.

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Tags: Belvoir Theatre,Ensemble Theatre,Outings,Theatre,Dinners

Special Vodka - Special Offer - Discount Voucher for Quality Swallows!

adam.bold@pointsofdifference.com — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 02:56:00 GMT

Fit for a Queen! What’s so special about Vodka Monopolowa? Taste, value and royalty.

Read on for your special discount voucher offer...

Tags: Vodka Monopolowa,Monopolowa Dry Gin,Discount,Voucher,NYE,Vine

CELEBRATION NYE2012 Share The Love with our PDF Flyer

adam.bold@pointsofdifference.com — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 06:13:00 GMT

To help spread the love and the word about our gorgeous gay NYE event, we have created a little flyer that you can email to your friends - or just print it off and stick on the fridge!

It's got all the basics on it, complete with clickable links to the venue page (to check out this years view) and last years images and video (to check out last year's view!).

Tickets are selling well at a constant rate, with representation from 8 different countries all flying in for the event - its a gorgeous global gay gathering!

Click here to download a copy of our groovy little flyer.

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Tags: CELEBRATION,flyers,downloads,NYE

What does a chopping board, vodka and a pair of scissors have in common?

adam.bold@pointsofdifference.com — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 07:15:00 GMT

What does a chopping board, vodka and a pair of scissors have in common?

They are all key ingredients for the next Sivilised Supper event being held this month.

October is a month all about food in Sydney after all, so Points of Difference Events have combined forces with the foodies favourite gourmet site CookAndKitchen.com.au, Monopolowa Vodka, Ziggy’s Barber Salon and regular presenting partner Gaydar.com.au.

Sivilised Supper Number 7: Cocktails & Cuts with CookAndKitchen.com.au is on Saturday October 22. Guests can rock up at 6pm and grab a quick trim or colour, before slipping into something more comfortable. A huge selection of gourmet canapés and substantial items will be served throughout the night, with hero ingredients sourced direct from the CookAndKitchen.com.au website. Their stylised logo is that of a chopping board.

Further enhancing the taste bud tingling, guests will be served with a special Monopolowa vodka cocktail, mixed with choice CookAndKitchen.com.au ingredients.

Beyond this welcoming beverage, the included bar will be open serving sparkling, wines and beers until its runs dry.

The event is being hosted in the funky and very cool Ziggy’s Barber Salon on Riley Street in Darlinghurst. Here guests can enjoy the eclectic furnishing and fixtures, permanent DJ booth and video projection wall.

To further stimulate your senses, aural massage will be provided by DJ Murray Hood, who is also the feature DJ for the CELEBRATION NYE2012 party.

Tickets are only $95 for PoDE members ($115 general) and include all food and beverages, with the event running from 6pm till 10pm.

Sivilised Suppers are run on the 3^rd week of each month and offer guests good food, good wine, good conversation, with new friends and great hosts

To read more about this cool event on it's Store page, jump here.

image of Ziggy's Barber Salon

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Tags: Sivilised Suppers,CookAndKitchen.com.au,Monopolowa Vodka,Ziggy's,Murray Hood

CELEBRATION NYE2012 Tickets Now On Sale - 25% Already Gone!

adam.bold@pointsofdifference.com — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 01:11:00 GMT

Tags: NYE,CELEBRATION,Fireworks,MCA,Party,Murray Hood

CELEBRATION NYE2012 Tickets On Sale Next Week.

adam.bold@pointsofdifference.com — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 23:50:00 GMT

Tags: NYE,CELEBRATION,Fireworks,MCA,Party,Murray Hood

Frosty Fruits Ski Trip Casual Event Tickets Now Available

adam.bold@pointsofdifference.com — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 06:13:00 GMT

Casual event tickets to this years range of Very Special Events are now available for sale in our store. Come and meet the Trippers!

Tags: Frosty Fruits Ski Trip,Casual Tickets,Sivilised Supper,Gaydar