Bospar’s Cannes Lions Afterparty ‘Club Courage,’ honoring brands’ support of LGBTQIA+

PRWeek’s Steve Barrett joins with Cannes’ Drag Queen Holly White

SAN FRANCISCO – JUNE 5, 2023 – Bospar, the “Politely Pushy” Tech PR + Marketing Agency, announced the launch of the first-ever LGBTQIA+ popup nightclub for attendees of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. The afterparty starts at 9 p.m. CET on Wednesday, June 21, just after the PR Lions are awarded. That’s when L’Experience Bar, just steps away from the Palais on 14 Rue Bivouac Napoleon, becomes “Club Courage.” Bospar will host PRWeek’s Steve Barrett, and Cannes’ Drag Queen Holly White will perform and D.J.

“The tech disruptors Bospar represents inspired us to fulfill a need,” said Bospar Principal Curtis Sparrer. “There wasn’t a nightclub for LGBTQIA+ attendees of Cannes Lions, so we built one based on our experience with San Francisco Pride and Oakland’s Fluid510 nightclub. This comes at a time when brands supporting the LGBTQIA+ community are under siege, and there’s a need for corporate courage.” 

“If brands genuinely believe in diversity and inclusion, and supporting the LGBTQIA+ community, they have to be prepared to stand by their stance and strategy from a product, marketing and communications point of view,” said Steve Barrett, vice president, editorial director, PRWeek & Campaign US. “If you’re not authentic about it, then you shouldn’t be aligning with issues like this in the first place. Authentic allyship involves consistent support and advocacy throughout the year, not just during Pride Month. And it doesn’t involve jumping ship when the waters get rocky.”

“It’s important to stand up for brands that stand up for us,” said Michael Sanchez who goes by the name “Holly White” when he transforms into Cannes’ most famous drag queen. “One of the reasons I wanted to partner with Bospar is their experience in helping brands navigate moments like this. For example, they saved San Francisco Pride. They won outstanding corporate branding from PRWeek. Now they’re helping brands navigate the complicated media landscape as the right-wing tries to silence LGBTQIA+ voices.”

Bospar will buy the first round of drinks for the first 100 attendees who register here: https://bospar.com/cannes  

One attendee will walk away with a limited-edition bottle of Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame 2012 by Yayoi Kusama.

Watch the latest Politely Pushy Podcast featuring Curtis Sparrer and Michael Sanchez.

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About Bospar

Bospar is the award-winning “politely pushy” tech and health public relations and marketing agency. The firm, which launched in 2015, provides clients with national support thanks to its distributed agency model. Bospar’s staff includes marketing and PR experts and veteran journalists from top-tier tech and business media. The agency’s strategic and creative thinkers excel in earned and social media, analyst and investor relations, content creation and placement, and public affairs. Leaders from brands – including Alkermes, Standigm, Marqeta, Snowflake and Unisys – trust Bospar to drive category leadership for disruptive technologies and solutions.

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