Life Ball
Encyclopedia
The Life Ball in Vienna
is the biggest charity event
in Europe supporting people with HIV
or AIDS
. The event is organized by the non-profit organization AIDS LIFE, which was founded in 1992 by Gery Keszler and Torgom Petrosian.
AIDS LIFE supports non-profit aid organizations for people who are HIV-positive or have AIDS. The team entrusted with the allocation of funds thoroughly examines each petition to make sure that it is a worthy cause. Moreover, it is an explicit goal of AIDS LIFE to inform the public about the risks of HIV/AIDS and to raise awareness for this disease.
To ensure that the meaning of this major event is not forgotten, the opening ceremony on Vienna’s city hall square includes moments of silence and speeches by international stars and partners, which focus on raising awareness for AIDS.
Since the establishment of this society highlight, which has become a real tradition, numerous celebrities (designers, actors, musicians, politicians and models) show their personal commitment to the issue with breathtaking live performances and send a strong signal of solidarity. They make use of their popularity and position as role models for a good cause.
The number of tickets for the Life Ball is limited to 3,780. To maintain the unique and extravagant style of the event, different ticket categories have been available for some years: a fixed number of tickets called “Style Tickets” are available at half price and are for those who meet the dress code of the Life Ball Style Bible. The costumes should correspond to the theme of the Ball. These are also the only guests – besides the stars – who are allowed to walk down the red carpet, which leads from Ringstrasse boulevard across city hall square to the main stage in front of Vienna’s city hall. In the run-up to the 2008 Ball, Gery Keszler voiced the wish that guests try to be less provocative and more creative. “As Chris Lohner put it: A penis is not yet a costume.” Guests can apply for Style Tickets on the Style Bible webpage. Guests in normal evening attire pay the full ticket price. In 2001, a ticket sales system in which interested parties register in a raffle for tickets via text message was introduced. Usually, as many as 60,000 ticket registrations are received within the two-day sales period. The lucky ticket winners in both categories are selected randomly from all applications. A small number of tickets is issued through various campaigns (e.g. Life Ball Warm Up, eBay
auctions, types of raffles where the ticket win is hidden in condom packages that are sold in selected bars and restaurants, a.s.o.) International guests can book Life Ball Packages including plane tickets and hotel as well as table bookings, which cost 4 to 5-figure euro amounts. In 2009, early table bookings slowed down due to the new Austrian anti-corruption act that entered into force in 2008.
Until the Life Ball 2008, the opening gala, which features a wide variety of music, from operetta to pop, and national as well as international stars, and the fashion show on the huge Red Ribbon
stage, could be viewed free of charge on city hall square, which fits 45,000 people. In 2009, access to the first part of the opening ceremony was limited to those who had tickets to the Ball itself and there was also a certain number of tickets for a viewers’ stand that was especially set up for this purpose. Guests can dance in the various patios and rooms of the city hall and enjoy the offerings of the many bars and buffets. Some of the international stars perform on stages on the Ball premises.
This glamorous charity event is known far beyond the Austrian borders today. By now, over 60 TV stations and a total of 500 national and international media representatives cover the event each year. In case of repeated accreditation, the organizers check whether the topic of AIDS was also addressed in the coverage to avoid that only stars and celebrities are mentioned. Austrian public broadcaster ORF
1 has been covering the opening show live since 2007 as part of a “theme night” followed by interviews with famous guests after the opening, attracting around 400,000 viewers each year. Since 2007, the opening show has also been broadcast on 3sat
with a time delay. In 2008, Austrian channel Puls 4
also had a live broadcast of the Ball after ORF's live broadcast. The new German TV station TIMM
covered the event in 2009 in a 4-hour non-stop program, for which the ORF signal was used in part.
Organizer and founder Gery Keszler is the “face” and engine of the Life Ball. It is also mainly his achievement that fashion representatives and celebrities of the entertainment industry such as Elton John
, Catherine Deneuve
, Liza Minnelli
, Sharon Stone
, Dita von Teese
, Anastacia
, Heidi Klum
, Naomi Campbell
and Jenna Jameson
attend the opening show. Some play an active role in the event’s program, others just enjoy the party and celebrate. Gery Keszler chose the Vienna city hall as venue because he found it had great symbolic value. He felt that it should be part of the Viennese ball tradition, but be more provocative and glamorous. He was given the opportunity to present his project to then mayor Helmut Zilk
. Zilk was convinced of the positive effect of such an event and gave it a try. He agreed to let Keszler have the festival hall in the Vienna city hall and supported him despite all opposition. Zilk’s stance was remarkable as support for this cause was not something that could be taken for granted at that time. There were also doubts as to whether the event would be a success. For Keszler it was exciting and nerve-wrecking until the opening, because the first guests arrived rather late.
The first Life Ball took place on May 29, 1993. In addition to the Vienna city administration, the event had only two sponsors. The ATS 1,100,000 (EUR 79,940) raised by the first Ball were donated to the non-profit organization
AIDS LIFE, which was founded by Gery Keszler and Torgom Petrosian in 1992, to support other organizations helping people who are HIV-positive or have AIDS. Ever since the first Life Ball, a fashion show, then presented by Thierry Mugler
, has become a key feature of the event. In the second year, at the Life Ball on May 28, 1994, the money raised through donations, sponsoring and ticket sales was doubled. The first two Balls were covered by TV stations in Austria and Germany. The third Ball on May 6, 1995, already attracted interest from French and Spanish broadcasters as well as MTV
. In the subsequent years, the number of guests attending the opening show and the Ball as well as the number of journalists, radio stations, print media articles and sponsors rose steadily. This also increased the funds raised by the Life Ball to be donated to AIDS projects and research. In 1999, the Vienna city hall was renovated and the Ball took place in the Hofburg palace.
A cornerstone was accomplished at the 8th Life Ball on May 13, 2000: it was the first time the funds raised broke the ATS 10,000,000 (EUR 726,728) barrier. It was also the first Ball at which the opening show took place on the city hall square and was publicly accessible. The next year, for the first time projects in Africa (cf. HIV/AIDS in Africa) were supported through a cooperation with the Elton John Aids Foundation
(EJAF) – Elton John was himself a regular guest at the event from 2001 to 2005 and also held the opening speeches. The 13th Life Ball on May 21, 2005, for the first time exceeded the EUR 1 million mark with a total of EUR 1,017,600 generated by ticket sales, catering, auctions, raffle, stamp and record sales and the contributions of various donors and sponsors. Half of the proceeds are donated to international projects. Since 2006, the American Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR
), which was founded by Elizabeth Taylor
and whose current president is Sharon Stone
, has been a cooperation partner of the Life Ball. The main focus in 2006 was on the fight of HIV and AIDS in babies and toddlers.
Compared to today, the Life Ball started as a small event from the gay community. In contrast to other events attended by Keszler back then, it was never intended to be an event only for the gay scene or jet-setters. It combines Viennese ball tradition with fancy-costume queer balls. Some of the gay community supported the project greatly, especially when it was still in its infancy, e.g. Café Berg (since its opening).[9] However, the Ball has attracted a majority of heterosexual guests for some time now, and also many companies make a contribution. To avoid the potential worst case – that gay people do not get tickets to an event which had its origins in the gay scene – the lesbian and gay community has had a ticket quota for some years. Even though the Life Ball has not been a mere “gay” event for some time, just as much as AIDS is no longer a “gay” epidemic, it still has this reputation. The attribute “gay” has, however, not been detrimental to revenue. When not discussed in the equal rights context, “gays are considered creative and fun – and are said to throw better parties,” which is a money-making cliché. Moreover, trend expert Bernhard Heinzlmaier adds that “it is considered hip to move in a gay environment. It indicates an open and modern set of mind.” In addition to the charity aspect, the “gay hipness” surrounding the heterosexual guests is therefore another reason for donations. The homosexuals in Austria alone would not be a big enough crowd to get companies to make such generous donations.
At least two celebrity couples met at the event: Austrian professional swimmer Markus Rogan
and then Miss Austria Christine Reiler
met at the 2007 Ball in which they both participated in the fashion show as models. At the Life Ball 2008, they celebrated their one-year anniversary and graced the runway in a partner-look outfit. The same night, also TV presenter Nazan Eckes
, who lives in Cologne, and the Düsseldorf-based Austrian model, art student and son of politician Andreas Kohl, Julian Kohl, met.
From 2000 to 2007, a wedding chapel for couples of any sexual orientation
with famous “show priests” was hosted together with Austrian TV channel ATV to point out the unequal treatment of heterosexual and homosexual couples.
On the occasion of the XVIII International AIDS Conference
that is beginning one day after the big event in Vienna, this year’s Life Ball will be very special. On the 17th of July Europe’s biggest AIDS charity event not only takes place in the Vienna City Hall and on City Hall Square, but also at the Burgtheater
(the former imperial court theatre) and the Parliament
.
The “concept of the three houses” unites three extraordinary events and important organizations; the amfAR
gala in the Parliament, the Elton John AIDS Foundation
at the Red Ribbon Cotillion in the Burgtheater, and the William J. Clinton Foundation at the traditional Life Ball in the Vienna City Hall. With the support of many different personalities these three events together set a clear signal for tolerance and solidarity.
Access to the Life Ball is extremely limited. Each year, thousands of requests for Life Ball Tickets are received and few are granted to this exclusive experience. Recently, Life Ball opened their doors to international guests who want to attend the Life Ball. A few international travel representatives have been selected to exclusively represent a region in offering travel packages to the Life Ball.
Life Ball Express” train with a special party carriage and shuttle buses that brought them to Vienna’s city hall, and also the specially modified “Life Ball Party Plane” premiered in 2008, flying in guests and media representatives from New York
to Vienna, already setting the right mood for the Ball. The dance club Volksgarten, located not far from the Ball venue, hosts the Life Ball Party and the after hour in the early hours of the morning for all those who did not get tickets to the Ball itself. The money from these campaigns also goes to the Life Ball. Also, there is a “Diners Club
Life Ball” credit card carrying the Red Ribbon design, which automatically transfers 0.5% of each transaction to AIDS LIFE.
’s picture, followed by Naomi Campbell
in 2006. In that year, also a limited edition of stamps featuring Naomi Campbell in comic style was sold on eBay
. German supermodel Nadja Auermann
was the face of the 2007 Life Ball stamps.
Since 2006, the Life Ball Fanfare, composed by Bela Fischer, has been played at the beginning of the opening show.
Each year, one or more famous fashion designers are responsible for the event’s fashion show. Professional models on the catwalk (such as Marcus Schenkenberg
, Alek Wek
, Nadja Auermann
, Heidi Klum
, Eva Padberg
, Naomi Campbell
) appear alongside stars and celebrities (e.g. Udo Kier
, Olivia Jones, Til Schweiger
, Kylie Minogue
, Cyndi Lauper
, Dolly Buster
, Austrian Health Minister Andrea Kdolsky).
Fashion designers since the inception of the Life Ball:
_bill_clinton,_fran_drescher_and_elke_winkens.jpg)
The annual award of the Crystal of Hope during the Ball’s opening ceremony has become a fixed item on the program. The EUR 100,000 decoration has been presented by a celebrity or head of an AIDS organization to honor achievements in the field of HIV/AIDS research since 2005.
The Red Ribbon-shaped award is a tribute to extraordinary commitments in the fight against AIDS or outstanding AIDS projects of international partner organizations of AIDS Life.
Since 1995, when Paris Premiere and a Spanish TV station joined the media crowd, the Life Ball has been broadcasted on a pan-European level. In 1999, American TV stations (besides MTV) made the broadcast intercontinental. Internet TV started reporting on the event in 2001. Since 2002, stricter accreditation criteria have been applied and the number of media representatives has been limited to 500 due to capacity restrictions. In 2004, the first South African TV teams reported live from the Ball.
Except for one Sunday in 2002, the Ball has always taken place on a Saturday. And apart from a short stint at Hofburg palace in 1999 due to renovations, the venue of the Ball has always been Vienna’s city hall. Since 2000, the opening ceremony and the fashion show have taken place on the square in front of the city hall. The opening speech has been held by international celebrities since 2001.
On May 24, 2007, two days before the Life Ball, a formal dinner with Bill Clinton
which was also attended by Austrian President Heinz Fischer
and then Austrian Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer
was held in the Great Gallery of Schönbrunn
Palace. With the support of major Austrian companies, the total amount of donations could be raised even further. After dinner, guests enjoyed the Concert for Europe played by the Vienna Philharmonic in the palace’s park and a check worth USD 1 million was presented to Clinton for the HIV/AIDS initiative (CHAI) of his William J. Clinton Foundation. The same program was planned for 2008 but had to be canceled because Clinton was busy with the US primaries.
Since 2008, nine full-time employees of the Life Ball have worked on the acquisition of donations in money and kind and coordinated all volunteers and participants over the course of a year. There are almost 1,000 partners and staff for catering alone.[10] A special audit of finances from 1994 to 2008 by auditing firm Hübner & Hübner in 2009 confirmed Life Ball’s proper financial conduct. At a press conference, Andreas Röthlin also made it clear that “as opposed to many other charitable organizations, AIDS LIFE is very efficiently managed, also and especially with regard to expenses.” At this occasion, AIDS LIFE also received the “Österreichisches Spendengütesiegel” (Reg. Nr. 05685), a quality seal for NPOs awarded by the Austrian auditors’ chamber, valid as of August 24, 2009.
– Der Standard
, May 21, 2006
“Some political gay rights activists and “fundamentalists” are skeptical about the way the idea and the ball are turned into a lifestyle and are diluted, but nobody speaks up to voice criticism.” Gery Keszler is well aware of the delicate balancing act between the fun factor, which in turn attracts people and companies, creates publicity and, eventually, collects as much in donations as possible, and the message to be conveyed. For instance, only journalists who have reported not only about celebrities but also about HIV and AIDS are accredited again. Sometimes it is criticized+ that by now also certain conservative and/or right-wing politicians show up as guests or announce to attend the Ball. Keszler believes that a ball against discrimination should not discriminate against anyone. If these people manage to secure a ticket and believe they would enjoy the event, they will certainly not be stopped from attending it. And Keszler regards their potential plan of ganging up and making “all well” again as naïve.
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
is the biggest charity event
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
in Europe supporting people with HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
or AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
. The event is organized by the non-profit organization AIDS LIFE, which was founded in 1992 by Gery Keszler and Torgom Petrosian.
AIDS LIFE supports non-profit aid organizations for people who are HIV-positive or have AIDS. The team entrusted with the allocation of funds thoroughly examines each petition to make sure that it is a worthy cause. Moreover, it is an explicit goal of AIDS LIFE to inform the public about the risks of HIV/AIDS and to raise awareness for this disease.
The Event
The Life Ball – one of the biggest and most spectacular annual charity events in the world – has attracted strong international interest and great public attention. The main priority of this extraordinary Ball is, however, not only the exuberant celebration of the party people or spectacular live acts, but especially the fight against AIDS.To ensure that the meaning of this major event is not forgotten, the opening ceremony on Vienna’s city hall square includes moments of silence and speeches by international stars and partners, which focus on raising awareness for AIDS.
Since the establishment of this society highlight, which has become a real tradition, numerous celebrities (designers, actors, musicians, politicians and models) show their personal commitment to the issue with breathtaking live performances and send a strong signal of solidarity. They make use of their popularity and position as role models for a good cause.
The number of tickets for the Life Ball is limited to 3,780. To maintain the unique and extravagant style of the event, different ticket categories have been available for some years: a fixed number of tickets called “Style Tickets” are available at half price and are for those who meet the dress code of the Life Ball Style Bible. The costumes should correspond to the theme of the Ball. These are also the only guests – besides the stars – who are allowed to walk down the red carpet, which leads from Ringstrasse boulevard across city hall square to the main stage in front of Vienna’s city hall. In the run-up to the 2008 Ball, Gery Keszler voiced the wish that guests try to be less provocative and more creative. “As Chris Lohner put it: A penis is not yet a costume.” Guests can apply for Style Tickets on the Style Bible webpage. Guests in normal evening attire pay the full ticket price. In 2001, a ticket sales system in which interested parties register in a raffle for tickets via text message was introduced. Usually, as many as 60,000 ticket registrations are received within the two-day sales period. The lucky ticket winners in both categories are selected randomly from all applications. A small number of tickets is issued through various campaigns (e.g. Life Ball Warm Up, eBay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
auctions, types of raffles where the ticket win is hidden in condom packages that are sold in selected bars and restaurants, a.s.o.) International guests can book Life Ball Packages including plane tickets and hotel as well as table bookings, which cost 4 to 5-figure euro amounts. In 2009, early table bookings slowed down due to the new Austrian anti-corruption act that entered into force in 2008.
Until the Life Ball 2008, the opening gala, which features a wide variety of music, from operetta to pop, and national as well as international stars, and the fashion show on the huge Red Ribbon
Red ribbon
The red ribbon, as an awareness ribbon colored red, has several different meanings in different contexts. Foremost, it is the symbol of solidarity of people living with HIV/AIDS.-Awareness symbol:...
stage, could be viewed free of charge on city hall square, which fits 45,000 people. In 2009, access to the first part of the opening ceremony was limited to those who had tickets to the Ball itself and there was also a certain number of tickets for a viewers’ stand that was especially set up for this purpose. Guests can dance in the various patios and rooms of the city hall and enjoy the offerings of the many bars and buffets. Some of the international stars perform on stages on the Ball premises.
This glamorous charity event is known far beyond the Austrian borders today. By now, over 60 TV stations and a total of 500 national and international media representatives cover the event each year. In case of repeated accreditation, the organizers check whether the topic of AIDS was also addressed in the coverage to avoid that only stars and celebrities are mentioned. Austrian public broadcaster ORF
ORF
ORF may refer to:* ORF , the Austrian public service broadcaster.* Open reading frame, a portion of the genome.* The IATA airport code for Norfolk International Airport in Norfolk, Virginia.* ORF format , Olympus raw image file format....
1 has been covering the opening show live since 2007 as part of a “theme night” followed by interviews with famous guests after the opening, attracting around 400,000 viewers each year. Since 2007, the opening show has also been broadcast on 3sat
3sat
3sat is the name of a public, advertising-free, television network in Central Europe. The programming is in German and is broadcast primarily within Germany, Austria and Switzerland .3sat was established for cultural...
with a time delay. In 2008, Austrian channel Puls 4
Puls 4
Puls 4 is a terrestrial television channel in Austria. As its name implies, it is the fourth Austrian-wide full-service television channel, behind ORF eins, ORF 2, and ATV.-History:...
also had a live broadcast of the Ball after ORF's live broadcast. The new German TV station TIMM
TIMM
TIMM is a German language free-to-air cable and satellite service from Germany targeting gay male audiences. It was first launched on November 1, 2008. It was also available over a live stream....
covered the event in 2009 in a 4-hour non-stop program, for which the ORF signal was used in part.
History
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
, Catherine Deneuve
Catherine Deneuve
Catherine Deneuve is a French actress. She gained recognition for her portrayal of aloof and mysterious beauties in films such as Repulsion and Belle de jour . Deneuve was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress in 1993 for her performance in Indochine; she also won César Awards for that...
, Liza Minnelli
Liza Minnelli
Liza May Minnelli is an American actress and singer. She is the daughter of singer and actress Judy Garland and film director Vincente Minnelli....
, Sharon Stone
Sharon Stone
Sharon Vonne Stone is an American actress, film producer, and former fashion model. She achieved international recognition for her role in the erotic thriller Basic Instinct...
, Dita von Teese
Dita Von Teese
Dita Von Teese is an American burlesque dancer, model, costume designer, author and actress.-Early life:...
, Anastacia
Anastacia
Anastacia is an American singer-songwriter. Anastacia has been highly successful in Europe, Asia, South Africa and South America, but has had only minor success in her native United States...
, Heidi Klum
Heidi Klum
Heidi Samuel , better known by her birth name Heidi Klum, is a German model, actress, television host, businesswoman, fashion designer, television producer, and occasional singer. In 2008 she became an American citizen while maintaining her native German citizenship...
, Naomi Campbell
Naomi Campbell
Naomi Campbell is a British model. Scouted at the age of 15, she established herself among the top three most recognisable and in-demand models of the late 1980s and early 1990s, and she was one of six models of her generation declared "supermodels" by the fashion world...
and Jenna Jameson
Jenna Jameson
Jenna Jameson is an American entrepreneur and former pornographic actress, who has been called the world's most famous adult-entertainment performer and "The Queen of Porn."...
attend the opening show. Some play an active role in the event’s program, others just enjoy the party and celebrate. Gery Keszler chose the Vienna city hall as venue because he found it had great symbolic value. He felt that it should be part of the Viennese ball tradition, but be more provocative and glamorous. He was given the opportunity to present his project to then mayor Helmut Zilk
Helmut Zilk
Helmut Zilk was an Austrian journalist and politician in the Austrian Social Democratic Party.- Biography :...
. Zilk was convinced of the positive effect of such an event and gave it a try. He agreed to let Keszler have the festival hall in the Vienna city hall and supported him despite all opposition. Zilk’s stance was remarkable as support for this cause was not something that could be taken for granted at that time. There were also doubts as to whether the event would be a success. For Keszler it was exciting and nerve-wrecking until the opening, because the first guests arrived rather late.
The first Life Ball took place on May 29, 1993. In addition to the Vienna city administration, the event had only two sponsors. The ATS 1,100,000 (EUR 79,940) raised by the first Ball were donated to the non-profit organization
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
AIDS LIFE, which was founded by Gery Keszler and Torgom Petrosian in 1992, to support other organizations helping people who are HIV-positive or have AIDS. Ever since the first Life Ball, a fashion show, then presented by Thierry Mugler
Thierry Mugler
Thierry Mugler is a French fashion designer and creator of several perfumes.-Childhood:Mugler was born in Strasbourg, France on 21 December 1948. His passion led him to focus more on drawing than on school and at the age of 9, he began to study classical dance...
, has become a key feature of the event. In the second year, at the Life Ball on May 28, 1994, the money raised through donations, sponsoring and ticket sales was doubled. The first two Balls were covered by TV stations in Austria and Germany. The third Ball on May 6, 1995, already attracted interest from French and Spanish broadcasters as well as MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
. In the subsequent years, the number of guests attending the opening show and the Ball as well as the number of journalists, radio stations, print media articles and sponsors rose steadily. This also increased the funds raised by the Life Ball to be donated to AIDS projects and research. In 1999, the Vienna city hall was renovated and the Ball took place in the Hofburg palace.
A cornerstone was accomplished at the 8th Life Ball on May 13, 2000: it was the first time the funds raised broke the ATS 10,000,000 (EUR 726,728) barrier. It was also the first Ball at which the opening show took place on the city hall square and was publicly accessible. The next year, for the first time projects in Africa (cf. HIV/AIDS in Africa) were supported through a cooperation with the Elton John Aids Foundation
Elton John AIDS Foundation
Elton John AIDS Foundation is one of the world's leading nonprofit organizations that was established by Sir Elton John in 1992 in the US * and 1993 in the UK * supporting innovative HIV/AIDS prevention, education programs, direct care and support services to people living with HIV/AIDS.EJAF has...
(EJAF) – Elton John was himself a regular guest at the event from 2001 to 2005 and also held the opening speeches. The 13th Life Ball on May 21, 2005, for the first time exceeded the EUR 1 million mark with a total of EUR 1,017,600 generated by ticket sales, catering, auctions, raffle, stamp and record sales and the contributions of various donors and sponsors. Half of the proceeds are donated to international projects. Since 2006, the American Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR
AmfAR
amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to the support of AIDS research, HIV prevention, treatment education, and the advocacy of sound AIDS-related public policy.-History:...
), which was founded by Elizabeth Taylor
Elizabeth Taylor
Dame Elizabeth Rosemond "Liz" Taylor, DBE was a British-American actress. From her early years as a child star with MGM, she became one of the great screen actresses of Hollywood's Golden Age...
and whose current president is Sharon Stone
Sharon Stone
Sharon Vonne Stone is an American actress, film producer, and former fashion model. She achieved international recognition for her role in the erotic thriller Basic Instinct...
, has been a cooperation partner of the Life Ball. The main focus in 2006 was on the fight of HIV and AIDS in babies and toddlers.
Compared to today, the Life Ball started as a small event from the gay community. In contrast to other events attended by Keszler back then, it was never intended to be an event only for the gay scene or jet-setters. It combines Viennese ball tradition with fancy-costume queer balls. Some of the gay community supported the project greatly, especially when it was still in its infancy, e.g. Café Berg (since its opening).[9] However, the Ball has attracted a majority of heterosexual guests for some time now, and also many companies make a contribution. To avoid the potential worst case – that gay people do not get tickets to an event which had its origins in the gay scene – the lesbian and gay community has had a ticket quota for some years. Even though the Life Ball has not been a mere “gay” event for some time, just as much as AIDS is no longer a “gay” epidemic, it still has this reputation. The attribute “gay” has, however, not been detrimental to revenue. When not discussed in the equal rights context, “gays are considered creative and fun – and are said to throw better parties,” which is a money-making cliché. Moreover, trend expert Bernhard Heinzlmaier adds that “it is considered hip to move in a gay environment. It indicates an open and modern set of mind.” In addition to the charity aspect, the “gay hipness” surrounding the heterosexual guests is therefore another reason for donations. The homosexuals in Austria alone would not be a big enough crowd to get companies to make such generous donations.
At least two celebrity couples met at the event: Austrian professional swimmer Markus Rogan
Markus Rogan
Markus Antonius Rogan is an Austrian swimmer, who won two silver medals at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece and a gold medal for 200 m backstroke at the 2008 World Championships in Manchester...
and then Miss Austria Christine Reiler
Christine Reiler
Christine Reiler is a beauty queen who represented Austria in Miss World 2007 in Sanya, China, and she became one of the top 16 semifinalists. Reiler is studying Medicine and would like to join Médecins sans Frontières and work in the Third World.In private, she had a relationship with Austrian...
met at the 2007 Ball in which they both participated in the fashion show as models. At the Life Ball 2008, they celebrated their one-year anniversary and graced the runway in a partner-look outfit. The same night, also TV presenter Nazan Eckes
Nazan Eckes
Nazan Eckes is a German television personality of Turkish descent at the German television channel RTL.-Professional career:...
, who lives in Cologne, and the Düsseldorf-based Austrian model, art student and son of politician Andreas Kohl, Julian Kohl, met.
From 2000 to 2007, a wedding chapel for couples of any sexual orientation
Sexual orientation
Sexual orientation describes a pattern of emotional, romantic, or sexual attractions to the opposite sex, the same sex, both, or neither, and the genders that accompany them. By the convention of organized researchers, these attractions are subsumed under heterosexuality, homosexuality,...
with famous “show priests” was hosted together with Austrian TV channel ATV to point out the unequal treatment of heterosexual and homosexual couples.
On the occasion of the XVIII International AIDS Conference
International AIDS Conference
The International AIDS Society is the custodian of the International AIDS Conference, the largest regular conference on any health or development issue. These conferences provide a forum for the interaction of science, community and leadership, and are claimed to strengthen an evidence-based...
that is beginning one day after the big event in Vienna, this year’s Life Ball will be very special. On the 17th of July Europe’s biggest AIDS charity event not only takes place in the Vienna City Hall and on City Hall Square, but also at the Burgtheater
Burgtheater
The Burgtheater , originally known as K.K. Theater an der Burg, then until 1918 as the K.K. Hofburgtheater, is the Austrian National Theatre in Vienna and one of the most important German language theatres in the world.The Burgtheater was created in 1741 and has become known as "die Burg" by the...
(the former imperial court theatre) and the Parliament
Parliament of Austria
In the Parliament of Austria is vested the legislative power of the Republic of Austria. The institution consists of two chambers,* the National Council and* the Federal Council ....
.
The “concept of the three houses” unites three extraordinary events and important organizations; the amfAR
AmfAR
amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to the support of AIDS research, HIV prevention, treatment education, and the advocacy of sound AIDS-related public policy.-History:...
gala in the Parliament, the Elton John AIDS Foundation
Elton John AIDS Foundation
Elton John AIDS Foundation is one of the world's leading nonprofit organizations that was established by Sir Elton John in 1992 in the US * and 1993 in the UK * supporting innovative HIV/AIDS prevention, education programs, direct care and support services to people living with HIV/AIDS.EJAF has...
at the Red Ribbon Cotillion in the Burgtheater, and the William J. Clinton Foundation at the traditional Life Ball in the Vienna City Hall. With the support of many different personalities these three events together set a clear signal for tolerance and solidarity.
Access to the Life Ball is extremely limited. Each year, thousands of requests for Life Ball Tickets are received and few are granted to this exclusive experience. Recently, Life Ball opened their doors to international guests who want to attend the Life Ball. A few international travel representatives have been selected to exclusively represent a region in offering travel packages to the Life Ball.
Campaigns
The event is usually accompanied by a number of campaigns. In 2006, guests from western Austria could for the first time make use of a dedicated “Ö3O3
O3 may refer to:*O3, the molecular formula for ozone*O3, the 1993 debut album by the techno band Sunscreem*O3: A Trilogy, a concept album trilogy by progressive metal band Dominici...
Life Ball Express” train with a special party carriage and shuttle buses that brought them to Vienna’s city hall, and also the specially modified “Life Ball Party Plane” premiered in 2008, flying in guests and media representatives from New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
to Vienna, already setting the right mood for the Ball. The dance club Volksgarten, located not far from the Ball venue, hosts the Life Ball Party and the after hour in the early hours of the morning for all those who did not get tickets to the Ball itself. The money from these campaigns also goes to the Life Ball. Also, there is a “Diners Club
Diners Club
Diners Club International, founded as Diners Club, is a charge card company formed in 1950 by Frank X. McNamara, Ralph Schneider and Matty Simmons...
Life Ball” credit card carrying the Red Ribbon design, which automatically transfers 0.5% of each transaction to AIDS LIFE.
Special issue stamps
Limited edition stamps on the occasion of the Life Ball have been issued for a number of years now. The 2005 stamp bore Heidi KlumHeidi Klum
Heidi Samuel , better known by her birth name Heidi Klum, is a German model, actress, television host, businesswoman, fashion designer, television producer, and occasional singer. In 2008 she became an American citizen while maintaining her native German citizenship...
’s picture, followed by Naomi Campbell
Naomi Campbell
Naomi Campbell is a British model. Scouted at the age of 15, she established herself among the top three most recognisable and in-demand models of the late 1980s and early 1990s, and she was one of six models of her generation declared "supermodels" by the fashion world...
in 2006. In that year, also a limited edition of stamps featuring Naomi Campbell in comic style was sold on eBay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
. German supermodel Nadja Auermann
Nadja Auermann
Nadja Auermann is a German model and actress. Fashion designer Valentino once commented on her physical resemblance to Marlene Dietrich. A New York Times fashion columnist, Guy Trebay, wrote of her "ice maiden visage and pole vaulter's legs".-Biography:Auermann arrived in Paris in 1990, signing...
was the face of the 2007 Life Ball stamps.
Life Ball Song
The performance of the Life Ball Song marks the official opening of the Ball.- 2002: Live for the moment performed by Hot Pants Road Club, Dorretta Carter, Rounder Girls, Eddie Cole, Cedric Lee Bradley, Christian Kolonovits and the Ambassade Orchester Wien
- 2003: High Life performed by GiannaGiannaGianna is a female Italian given name, a form of Giovanna, see "John " for the origin.For people known by this name name see -Variations:*Giana*Gia*Giovanna*Janeshe is the angel from the heavens above...
, Loud 9, Sandra PiresSandra PiresSandra Pires Tavares is a beach volleyball player from Brazil, who won the gold medal in the inaugural women's beach volleyball tournament at the 1996 Summer Olympics, partnering Jackie Silva....
and Family Bizz - 2004: Immer lauter (louder and louder) performed by Nina HagenNina HagenNina Hagen is a German singer and actress.-Early years:Hagen was born as Catharina Hagen in the former East Berlin, East Germany, the daughter of Hans Hagen , a scriptwriter, and Eva-Maria Hagen, an actress and singer...
- 2005: instead of the traditional song, the Ballet of the Vienna State Opera, choirs, singers and DJs performed an overture for the opening of the Ball in front of Vienna’s city hall.
- 2006: Everything can change performed by Rebekka Bakken
- 2007: Get A Life – Get Alive, performed by Austrian casting show StarmaniaStarmaniaStarmania is a French/Québécois rock opera written in 1976 with music by Michel Berger and lyrics by Luc Plamondon. Some of its songs have passed into mainstream Francophone pop culture.-Genesis:...
contestant Eric PapilayaEric PapilayaEric Papilaya is a singer from Austria who represented his home country in the Eurovision Song Contest 2007 in Helsinki, Finland. He performed the song "Get A Life - Get Alive", but eliminated in semi-finals. Before he participated in Starmania, where he reached a top-5 position...
, was also Austria’s contribution to the Eurovision Song ContestEurovision Song ContestThe Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...
. - 2008: The Life performed by transgenderTransgenderTransgender is a general term applied to a variety of individuals, behaviors, and groups involving tendencies to vary from culturally conventional gender roles....
icon Amanda LeporeAmanda LeporeAmanda Lepore is an American model, nightclub hostess, fashion icon, performance artist, and transgender icon. She has appeared in advertising for numerous companies, including M.A.C. cosmetics, Mego Jeans, The Blonds, Swatch, CAMP Cosmetics, and Heatherette, which has used her likeness on...
, club host, show host and singer Mel Merio and Chicks on SpeedChicks on SpeedChicks on Speed is a multi-national musical ensemble, formed in Munich in 1997, when members Melissa Logan, Kiki Moorse and Alex Murray-Leslie met at the Academy of Fine Arts.... - 2009: I Bring You Love performed by Cindy Gomez together with composer David A. Steward
- 2011 Ask the Universe performed by Cheyenne JacksonCheyenne JacksonCheyenne Jackson is an American actor and singer. He started in regional theater when he moved to Seattle, and after moving to New York City, made his 2002 Broadway theatre debut understudying both male leads in the Tony Award-winning musical Thoroughly Modern Millie...
Since 2006, the Life Ball Fanfare, composed by Bela Fischer, has been played at the beginning of the opening show.
Fashion show
Marcus Schenkenberg
Marcus Lodewijk Schenkenberg van Mierop better known as Marcus Schenkenberg, , is a Swedish model of Dutch and Indonesian descent. He was born in Solna and has dual citizenship of both Sweden and the Netherlands...
, Alek Wek
Alek Wek
Alek Wek is a Sudanese British model who first appeared on the catwalks at the age of 18 in 1995, sparking a career lasting to date. She is from the Dinka ethnic group in South Sudan, but in 1991 she and some family members fled to Britain to escape the civil war in Sudan...
, Nadja Auermann
Nadja Auermann
Nadja Auermann is a German model and actress. Fashion designer Valentino once commented on her physical resemblance to Marlene Dietrich. A New York Times fashion columnist, Guy Trebay, wrote of her "ice maiden visage and pole vaulter's legs".-Biography:Auermann arrived in Paris in 1990, signing...
, Heidi Klum
Heidi Klum
Heidi Samuel , better known by her birth name Heidi Klum, is a German model, actress, television host, businesswoman, fashion designer, television producer, and occasional singer. In 2008 she became an American citizen while maintaining her native German citizenship...
, Eva Padberg
Eva Padberg
Eva Padberg is a German fashion model, singer, and actress.Padberg was born in Bad Frankenhausen and grew up in Rottleben, Germany. In 1995, she applied for Bravos Boy & Girl contest; she made it among the best ten models and gained the opportunity to do a test shooting for Louisa Models in Munich...
, Naomi Campbell
Naomi Campbell
Naomi Campbell is a British model. Scouted at the age of 15, she established herself among the top three most recognisable and in-demand models of the late 1980s and early 1990s, and she was one of six models of her generation declared "supermodels" by the fashion world...
) appear alongside stars and celebrities (e.g. Udo Kier
Udo Kier
Udo Kier is a German actor, known primarily for his work in horror and exploitation movies.-Early life:...
, Olivia Jones, Til Schweiger
Til Schweiger
Tilman Valentin "Til" Schweiger is a German actor, director, and producer.He is one of Germany’s most successful filmmakers. Since 1968, when the FFA started counting, no other German actor has drawn more people to the cinemas. He runs his own production company, Barefoot Films, in Berlin.-Early...
, Kylie Minogue
Kylie Minogue
Kylie Ann Minogue, OBE - often known simply as Kylie - is an Australian singer, recording artist, songwriter, and actress. After beginning her career as a child actress on Australian television, she achieved recognition through her role in the television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing...
, Cyndi Lauper
Cyndi Lauper
Cynthia Ann Stephanie "Cyndi" Lauper is an American singer, songwriter, actress and LGBT rights activist. She achieved success in the mid-1980s with the release of the album She's So Unusual and became the first female singer to have four top-five singles released from one album...
, Dolly Buster
Dolly Buster
Dolly Buster, official Nora Baumberger , is a film producer and director, actress, author, and a former porn star....
, Austrian Health Minister Andrea Kdolsky).
Fashion designers since the inception of the Life Ball:
- 1993 - Thierry MuglerThierry MuglerThierry Mugler is a French fashion designer and creator of several perfumes.-Childhood:Mugler was born in Strasbourg, France on 21 December 1948. His passion led him to focus more on drawing than on school and at the age of 9, he began to study classical dance...
- 1994 - John GallianoJohn GallianoJohn Charles Galliano CBE, RDI is a Gibraltan-born British fashion designer who was best known as head designer of French haute couture houses Givenchy and Christian Dior , and his own self titled fashion house.-Family:He was born in Gibraltar to a Gibraltarian father, Juan Galliano, and a...
- 1995 - Jean-Paul GaultierJean-Paul GaultierJean Paul Gaultier , born 24 April 1952 in Arcueil, Val-de-Marne, France) is a French haute couture fashion designer. Gaultier was the creative director of Hermès from 2003 to 2010. In the past, he has hosted the television series Eurotrash....
- 1996 - Paco RabannePaco RabanneFrancisco "Paco" Rabaneda Cuervo, more commonly known as Paco Rabanne is a Franco-Spanish fashion designer. He fled Spain for France with his mother when the Spanish Civil War broke out...
- 1997 - Vivienne WestwoodVivienne WestwoodDame Vivienne Westwood, DBE, RDI is a British fashion designer and businesswoman, largely responsible for bringing modern punk and new wave fashions into the mainstream.-Early life:...
- 1998 - Jean-Charles de CastelbajacJean-Charles de Castelbajac1949: Born on November 28th in Casablanca, son of Louis and Jeanne-Blanche de Castelbajac1968: First collection for Ko and Co, company created at Limoges by his mother Jeanne-Blanche de Castelbajac1969: First show...
- 1999 - Christian LacroixChristian LacroixChristian Marie Marc Lacroix is a French fashion designer. The name may also refer to the company he founded.-Early life:Lacroix was born in Arles, Bouches-du-Rhône in southern France. At a young age he began sketching historical costumes and fashions. Lacroix graduated from high school in 1969...
, Philip TreacyPhilip TreacyPhilip Treacy OBE is an Irish milliner.Born in Ahascragh,in the West of Ireland, he lived with his parents, seven brothers and sister across the road from the village church...
, Vivienne WestwoodVivienne WestwoodDame Vivienne Westwood, DBE, RDI is a British fashion designer and businesswoman, largely responsible for bringing modern punk and new wave fashions into the mainstream.-Early life:...
, Jeremy ScottJeremy ScottJeremy Scott is an American fashion designer born in Kansas City, Missouri. He attended the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, for fashion design...
, Paco RabannePaco RabanneFrancisco "Paco" Rabaneda Cuervo, more commonly known as Paco Rabanne is a Franco-Spanish fashion designer. He fled Spain for France with his mother when the Spanish Civil War broke out...
and Julien Macdonald - 2000 - Walter Van BeirendonckWalter Van BeirendonckWalter Van Beirendonck is a Belgian fashion designer. He graduated in 1980 from the Royal Arts Academy in Antwerp. Together with Dirk Van Saene, Dries van Noten, Ann Demeulemeester, Marina Yee and Dirk Bikkembergs they became known as the Antwerp Six.Since 1983, he issues his own collections...
, Olivier TheyskensOlivier TheyskensOlivier Theyskens is a fashion designer who has worked with several major houses, including Rochas, Nina Ricci, and Theory.- Biography :Olivier Theyskens was born to a Belgian chemical engineer and a French homemaker...
, Seredin & Vasiliev, Shirtology and Benoit Méléard - 2001 - Roberto CavalliRoberto CavalliRoberto Cavalli is an Italian fashion designer from Florence.-Biography:Roberto Cavalli was born in Florence, Tuscany. His grandfather, Giuseppe Rossi, was a member of the Macchiaioli Movement, whose work is exhibited in the Uffizi Gallery. Cavalli decided to enroll at the local Art Institute,...
- 2002 - MoschinoMoschinoMoschino is an Italian fashion design house and manufacturer of women's, men's and children's fashion.-History:The brand was originally created in 1983 by the late Franco Moschino...
- 2003 - MissoniMissoniMissoni is an Italian fashion house based in Varese. It is famous for its unique knitwear, made from a variety of fabrics in colourful patterns. The company was founded by Ottavio and Rosita Missoni in 1953.-Brands:...
- 2004 - Gianfranco FerréGianfranco FerrèGianfranco Ferré was a fashion designer also known as "the architect of fashion" for his background and his original attitude toward creating fashion design....
- 2005 - Donatella VersaceDonatella VersaceDonatella Versace is an Italian fashion designer and current Vice-President of the Versace Group, as well as chief designer. She owns 20 percent of the entire stock market assets of Versace. Her brother, Santo Versace, owns 30 percent...
- 2006 - Renzo RossoRenzo RossoRenzo Rosso is an Italian fashion entrepreneur. Referred to as the "Jeans Genius" by Suzy Menkes, he is the founder and President of fashion brand Diesel...
(DieselDiesel (clothing company)Diesel S.p.A. is an Italian design company. It is best known for luxury, pret-a-porter clothing aimed at the young adult market. The company is owned by its founder Renzo Rosso, and is based in Breganze in northern Italy.-History:...
) - 2007 - HeatheretteHeatheretteHeatherette is a fashion company and design house run by and former Club Kid Richie Rich, located in New York City. Heatherette came out with a bang in 1999 when they began collaborating on t-shirts and leather goods as a hobby on their living room floor...
- 2008 - Agent ProvocateurAgent ProvocateurAgent Provocateur is the fifth studio album by American/British rock band Foreigner, released in 1984. A concept album, the songs tell the story of a spy who sees life through both the inside and the outside. The album was the band's first and only number one album in the UK, and it reached the top...
- 2009 - Patricia FieldPatricia FieldPatricia Field is an American costume designer, stylist and fashion designer.-Life and career:Field was born in 1941 in New York City to Greek and Armenian parents, who emigrated from Lesvos, Greece. She was raised in Astoria, Queens and has claimed credit for inventing the modern legging for...
presents The Blonds - 2010 - Calvin KleinCalvin KleinCalvin Richard Klein is an American fashion designer who launched the company that would later become Calvin Klein Inc. in 1968. In addition to clothing, Klein has also given his name to a range of perfumes, watches, and jewelry....
, Kenneth ColeKenneth Cole (designer)Kenneth Cole is an American clothing designer. Born in Brooklyn, New York, his father, Charles Cole, owned the El Greco shoe manufacturing company. Before learning the family business and starting his own company in 1982, Cole studied law at Emory University.- Birth of a shoe company :Kenneth Cole...
, Diane von FürstenbergDiane von FürstenbergDiane von Fürstenberg, formerly Princess Diane of Fürstenberg , is a Belgian-American fashion designer best known for her iconic wrap dress. She initially rose to prominence when she married into the German princely House of Fürstenberg, as the wife of Prince Egon of Fürstenberg... - 2011 - Dsquared
Life Ball Crystal of Hope
The Red Ribbon-shaped award is a tribute to extraordinary commitments in the fight against AIDS or outstanding AIDS projects of international partner organizations of AIDS Life.
- 2005: Treat Asia Project by the American Foundation for AIDS Research (amfARAmfARamfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to the support of AIDS research, HIV prevention, treatment education, and the advocacy of sound AIDS-related public policy.-History:...
) – presented by MinnelliMinnelliMinnelli is an Italian surname and may refer to:* Vincente Minnelli, film director* Liza Minnelli, actress and singer* Ludwig Minelli, suicide advocate... - 2006: SAMBA project by Médecins Sans FrontièresMédecins Sans Frontières' , or Doctors Without Borders, is a secular humanitarian-aid non-governmental organization best known for its projects in war-torn regions and developing countries facing endemic diseases. Its headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland...
– presented by Catherine DeneuveCatherine DeneuveCatherine Deneuve is a French actress. She gained recognition for her portrayal of aloof and mysterious beauties in films such as Repulsion and Belle de jour . Deneuve was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress in 1993 for her performance in Indochine; she also won César Awards for that... - 2007: Youth2Youth Project Uganda by the German Foundation for World PopulationGerman Foundation for World PopulationThe German Foundation for World Population is an international non-governmental organisation addressing Sexual & Reproductive Health and population dynamics...
– presented by Vivienne WestwoodVivienne WestwoodDame Vivienne Westwood, DBE, RDI is a British fashion designer and businesswoman, largely responsible for bringing modern punk and new wave fashions into the mainstream.-Early life:... - 2008: Yier Nigma (choose life), a Kenyan project for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV by international humanitarian organization CARE – presented by Kim CattrallKim CattrallKim Victoria Cattrall is an English actress. She is known for her role as Samantha Jones in the HBO comedy/romance series Sex and the City, and for her leading roles in the 1980s films Police Academy, Big Trouble in Little China, Mannequin, and Porky's...
- 2009: Trevor Peter, for his year-long efforts for the Clinton Foundation’s Access Programs, within which he cooperated with governments in Africa and the Caribbean to introduce HIV tests for diagnosing the population and for checking the effectiveness of medication – presented by Fran DrescherFran DrescherFrancine Joy "Fran" Drescher is an American film and television actress, comedian, screenwriter, director, producer, author, singer, talk show host, political lobbyist and health activist...
and Bill ClintonBill ClintonWilliam Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation... - 2010: The Ukrainian NGO The Way Home (http://www.wayhome.org.ua/) and its founder Sergey Kostin, for helping street children, many of which are HIV positive, in Odessa, Ukraine. The award was presented by Nastassja KinskiNastassja KinskiNastassja Kinski is a German-born American-based actress who has appeared in more than 60 films. Her starring roles include her Golden Globe Award-winning portrayal of the title character in Tess and her roles in two erotic films , as well as parts in Wim Wenders' films The Wrong Move; Paris,...
. - 2011: The Andrey Rylkov Foundation for Health and Social Justice (http://rylkov-fond.org/) and its co-founder Anya Sarang for advocating for the protection of human rightsHuman rightsHuman rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
of drug users and other vulnerable populations in the Russian Federation. The award was presented by Brooke ShieldsBrooke ShieldsBrooke Christa Shields is an American actress and model. Some of her better-known movies include Pretty Baby and The Blue Lagoon, as well as TV shows such as Suddenly Susan, That '70s Show and Lipstick Jungle....
.
Facts & themes
- Press = total number of accredited news and media journalists
- Radio = number of radio stations among press
- TV = number of TV stations among press, including internet TV programs
| No | Year | Date | Slogan | Opening speech | Press | Radio | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1993 | May 29 | - | - | 150 | - | AUT & GER |
| 2 | 1994 | May 28 | - | - | 260 | - | AUT & GER |
| 3 | 1995 | May 6 | - | - | 380 | - | 11 |
| 4 | 1996 | May 11 | - | - | 430 | 7 | 15 |
| 5 | 1997 | May 10 | - | - | 450 | 6 | 20 |
| 6 | 1998 | May 9 | - | - | 530 | 22 | 20 |
| 7 | 1999 | June 26 | - | - | 530 | 17 | 30 |
| 8 | 2000 | May 13 | - | - | 600 | 30 | 35 |
| 9 | 2001 | June 16 | - | Elton John Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor... |
~ 700 | 22 | 40 |
| 10 | 2002 | May 19 | A decade for Life, a decade against AIDS. | Elton John | ~ 600 | 22 | 39 |
| 11 | 2003 | May 24 | Don’t look back in anger, or forward in fear, but around in awareness.' | Neil Tennant Neil Tennant Neil Francis Tennant is an English musician, singer and songwriter, who, with bandmate Chris Lowe, makes up the successful electronic dance music duo Pet Shop Boys.-Childhood:... Elton John |
500 | 16 | 44 |
| 12 | 2004 | May 14 | Agreeing to hope, gives life every chance. | Elton John Luc Montagnier Luc Montagnier Luc Antoine Montagnier is a French virologist and joint recipient with Françoise Barré-Sinoussi and Harald zur Hausen of the 2008 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, for his discovery of the human immunodeficiency virus... |
500 | 16 | 63 |
| 13 | 2005 | May 21 | Vienna Rocks! Let Hope Infect the Virus. | Elton John | 500 | 14 | 64 |
| 14 | 2006 | May 20 | A Choir of Love against an Army of Ignorance. (operetta) | Sharon Stone Sharon Stone Sharon Vonne Stone is an American actress, film producer, and former fashion model. She achieved international recognition for her role in the erotic thriller Basic Instinct... |
500 | 11 | 62 |
| 15 | 2007 | May 26 | Once upon a time (there was a princess called hope) (fairy tale) | Sharon Stone | 500 | 13 | 65 |
| 16 | 2008 | May 17 | Love is infinite. Life is universal. (Landing on planet Life Ball) (aliens, utopia) | Sharon Stone | 500 | 60 | |
| 17 | 2009 | May 16 | Let Love flow! '(Four elements - water; beginning of life, „baroque Baroque The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music... water castle“) |
Eva Longoria Eva Longoria Eva Jacqueline Longoria is an American actress, best known for portraying Gabrielle Solis on the ABC television series Desperate Housewives... |
500 | 60 | |
| 18 | 2010 | July 17 | Sow the seeds of Solidarity! (Four elements - earth; nutrition) (Opening event for the International Aids Conference in Vienna from 18 to 23 July) |
Whoopi Goldberg Whoopi Goldberg Whoopi Goldberg is an American comedian, actress, singer-songwriter, political activist, author and talk show host.Goldberg made her film debut in The Color Purple playing Celie, a mistreated black woman in the Deep South. She received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress and won... , Bill Clinton Bill Clinton William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation... , David Furnish David Furnish David James Furnish is a Canadian/British filmmaker, former advertising executive, and now a film director and producer most known for his documentary Elton John: Tantrums & Tiaras... |
500 | ||
| 19 | 2011 | May 21 | (Four elements - air) | ||||
| 20 | 2012 | (Four elements - fire) | |||||
Since 1995, when Paris Premiere and a Spanish TV station joined the media crowd, the Life Ball has been broadcasted on a pan-European level. In 1999, American TV stations (besides MTV) made the broadcast intercontinental. Internet TV started reporting on the event in 2001. Since 2002, stricter accreditation criteria have been applied and the number of media representatives has been limited to 500 due to capacity restrictions. In 2004, the first South African TV teams reported live from the Ball.
Except for one Sunday in 2002, the Ball has always taken place on a Saturday. And apart from a short stint at Hofburg palace in 1999 due to renovations, the venue of the Ball has always been Vienna’s city hall. Since 2000, the opening ceremony and the fashion show have taken place on the square in front of the city hall. The opening speech has been held by international celebrities since 2001.
Amount donated
While not the only one, the Life Ball is certainly the most important source of income for AIDS LIFE. Ever since the first Ball, margins from annual proceeds and from the total sum of subsidized projects have been profitably invested to be able to finance national projects for another year should the Life Ball have to be canceled one year. As proceeds are impossible to forecast, the organization does not finance infrastructure costs of the projects it supports, such as rent, personnel expenses, operating costs and the like. A failure of AIDS LIFE to produce financial support must not result in the cancellation of a project.| Year | Sponsors | Net proceeds in EUR | Donations to projects in EUR | Supported international projects |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Life Ball | national | international | |||
| 1993 | 3 | 63.193,98 | 41.685,14 - | - | - |
| 1994 | 167.365,31 | 111.763,65 | - | - | |
| 1995 | 240.149,12 | 143.448,77 | - | - | |
| 1996 | 130 | 335.598,50 | 289.026,98 | - | - |
| 1997 | 140 | 323.789,07 | 224.575,07 | - | - |
| 1998 | 135 | 516.731,42 | 317.103,29 | - | - |
| 1999 | 150 | 691.084,00 | 325.276,25 | 25.944,20 | Austrian charity Nachbar in Not ”Austrian Village” in Turkey |
| 2000 | 185 | 684.942,00 | 398.493,64 | - | - |
| 2001 | 190 | 558.392,33 | 347.735,02 | 420.875,42 | Elton John AIDS Foundation |
| 2002 | 179 | 750.470,00 | 473.238,27 | 272.000,00 | Elton John AIDS Foundation |
| 2003 | 199 | 739.472,83 | 434.067,44 | 374.145,85 | Elton John AIDS Foundation |
| 2004 | 184 | 938.621,04 | 497.183,65 | 406.283,94 | Elton John AIDS Foundation |
| 2005 | 215 | 1.089.705,81 | 452.696,43 | 607.005,42 | Crystal of Hope Elton John AIDS Foundation amfAR |
| 2006 | 217 | 1.076.547,86 | 486.638,88 | 685.988,42 | Crystal of Hope Impilo Südafrika amfAR (TREAT Asia Projekt) |
| 2007 | 280 | 1.821.139,53 | 522.759,59 | 1.343.687,71 | Crystal of Hope amfAR (TREAT Asia Projekt) Clinton Foundation HIV/AIDS (CHAI) |
| 2008 | 188 | 1.845.028,06 | 490.551,24 | 655.000,00 | Crystal of Hope amfAR (TREAT Asia Projekt) German AIDS Foundation (DREAM Mozambique) |
| 2009 | 1.640.181,66 | ||||
On May 24, 2007, two days before the Life Ball, a formal dinner with Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
which was also attended by Austrian President Heinz Fischer
Heinz Fischer
Heinz Fischer GColIH is the President of Austria. He took office on 8 July 2004 and was re-elected for a second and last term on 25 April 2010. Before he took office, Fischer was a member of the Social Democratic Party of Austria...
and then Austrian Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer
Alfred Gusenbauer
Alfred Gusenbauer is an Austrian career politician who until 2008 spent his entire professional life as an employee of the Social Democratic Party of Austria or as a parliamentary representative. He headed the SPÖ from 2000 to 2008, and served as Chancellor of Austria from January 2007 to...
was held in the Great Gallery of Schönbrunn
Schönbrunn
Schönbrunn may refer to:*Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, Austria*Schönbrunn , a municipality in Rhein-Neckar , Baden-Württemberg, Germany*Schönbrunn , a village in the Fichtelgebirge mountains in Bavaria, Germany...
Palace. With the support of major Austrian companies, the total amount of donations could be raised even further. After dinner, guests enjoyed the Concert for Europe played by the Vienna Philharmonic in the palace’s park and a check worth USD 1 million was presented to Clinton for the HIV/AIDS initiative (CHAI) of his William J. Clinton Foundation. The same program was planned for 2008 but had to be canceled because Clinton was busy with the US primaries.
Since 2008, nine full-time employees of the Life Ball have worked on the acquisition of donations in money and kind and coordinated all volunteers and participants over the course of a year. There are almost 1,000 partners and staff for catering alone.[10] A special audit of finances from 1994 to 2008 by auditing firm Hübner & Hübner in 2009 confirmed Life Ball’s proper financial conduct. At a press conference, Andreas Röthlin also made it clear that “as opposed to many other charitable organizations, AIDS LIFE is very efficiently managed, also and especially with regard to expenses.” At this occasion, AIDS LIFE also received the “Österreichisches Spendengütesiegel” (Reg. Nr. 05685), a quality seal for NPOs awarded by the Austrian auditors’ chamber, valid as of August 24, 2009.
Awards
- 1997: Austrian tourism prize (Austrian Federal Economic Chamber)
- 1997: Event Award GOLD - category “Event Marketing” (Eventwerkstatt: Austrian Event Award)
- 1999: ÖKI Fundraising & Social Marketing Prize GOLD
- 2000: special award by then Austrian Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Labour for the commercial spot series of the Austrian State Prize, for the 1999 spot “Life Ball 99”
- 2003: Gery Keszler: Communicator of the Year 2002 (public relations association Austria)
- 2003: Flair de Parfum (Austrian Federal Economic Chamber – retail in perfume products)
- 2004: Event Award GOLD - category “Public Event” (Eventwerkstatt: Austrian Event Award)
- 2005: Project Management Institute – “Project Excellence & Innovation” for humanitarian commitment
- 2006: Gery Keszler: Gold Decoration of the City of Vienna
- 2006: Event Award GOLD - category “Public Event” (Eventwerkstatt: Austrian Event Award)
- 2008: Gery Keszler: Gold Decoration for Services Rendered to the Republic of Austria
Criticism
“Because Gery Keszler’s 14th AIDS charity night was indeed great. But: that does not mean anything, as it is an intrinsic characteristic of the Life Ball to be super. In all spheres: the Life Ball is beyond criticism. Reporting about it means cheering, which is, to an extent, justified.”– Der Standard
Der Standard
Der Standard is an Austrian national daily newspaper which is published in Vienna . It was founded by Oscar Bronner as a financial newspaper and the first edition was published on 1988-10-19...
, May 21, 2006
“Some political gay rights activists and “fundamentalists” are skeptical about the way the idea and the ball are turned into a lifestyle and are diluted, but nobody speaks up to voice criticism.” Gery Keszler is well aware of the delicate balancing act between the fun factor, which in turn attracts people and companies, creates publicity and, eventually, collects as much in donations as possible, and the message to be conveyed. For instance, only journalists who have reported not only about celebrities but also about HIV and AIDS are accredited again. Sometimes it is criticized+ that by now also certain conservative and/or right-wing politicians show up as guests or announce to attend the Ball. Keszler believes that a ball against discrimination should not discriminate against anyone. If these people manage to secure a ticket and believe they would enjoy the event, they will certainly not be stopped from attending it. And Keszler regards their potential plan of ganging up and making “all well” again as naïve.
External links
- Life Ball Website
- Gregor Auenhammer: Rettet den Life Ball!, derstandard.at, May 12, 2009
- Thomas Rottenberg: Ein Szene-Event geht in die Breite, derstandard.at, May 15, 2009
- 10 Fragen: Life Ball Etikette mit Antworten von Thomas Schäfer-Elmayer und Mutter Daphne von O.S.P.I Berlin („Style-Police“)
- Life Ball 2006-2009 Stadtmagazin Wien-konkret
- Life Ball fashion show 2006 – Backstage
- Videos: Life Ball 2009