So Who Puts Together Mr. International Rubber?
MIR is an entirely volunteer based organization. MIR is planned and executed by a staff of dedicated un-paid volunteers who donate hundreds of hours of their time and effort year round to ensure that the annual event runs smoothly and ensure that all aspects of the weekend are executed seamlessly. In addition to the dedicated volunteer leadership, dozens of individuals volunteer a portion of their weekend to staff the event in exchange for reduced or free weekend packages on the weekend of the event. These volunteers get the opportunity to meet all the wonderful kinky folk who attend MIR from around the world. To volunteer for the weekend contact our volunteer coordinator. If you have a talent that may be of service to the volunteer leadership and year-long planning process, email the weekend coordinator and include a resume of your applicable skills and experience.
But Who Owns MIR?
The Mr. International Rubber Contest and Weekend are owned by MIR Contest, NPO - an Illinois Non-Profit Organization. MIR is designed to enable the weekend to stand on its own, independent of any venue or sponsoring organizations. All proceeds from the event are reinvested back into the event, donated to a charitable organization, or used to help fund the Sly Hands Travel Fund.
So Why A Contest?
The Mr. International Rubber contest has many years of history under its boots. The contest is the centerpiece of the weekend and acts as the catalyst to gather like-minded fetishists in one city for an annual rubbery weekend of fun. If you have never attended our contest you are missing out on the fun! Speeches are a rarity from our contest stage. Our contest categories are designed as lighthearted and fun entertainment pieces. We do not expect our winner or our contestants to end world hunger in their rubber gear. We do expect our contestants to hold your attention and entertain you during their time on stage, while representing the larger rubber community in a variety of settings and situations after the contest. Rubber gear is sexy, erotic and fun. We promise you something sexy, something erotic, and a whole lot of fun during our contest. You will laugh. You will be entertained. And you will be glad you attended our contest. You have our word on that.
What Makes Your Weekend Different From Other Events?
While we take the production and planning of our weekend very seriously, we strive to ensure that each and every event at Mr. International Rubber is fun and allows you the opportunity to expand your circle of kinky friends. Our weekend is all about providing an opportunity for rubberists of all ages, orientations, gender expressions, nationalities, income and experience levels to get together, explore new adventures and most of all - to have fun. Our goal is to create opportunities for you to meet new people at multiple points during the weekend. We guarantee that you will meet someone new at MIR. It’s inevitable!
How Has MIR Grown The International Rubber Community?
Our past titleholders and contestants have each made their contribution to the growth of the rubber community in their won unique ways. Many have hosted events in their own community. Others have created their own local or regional clubs, and several have started their own feeder contests to help support Mr. International Rubber. Over the many years that Mr. International Rubber has existed, we have seen a significant growth in the rubber community and clubs that support the rubber community. The majority of those rubber specific clubs have a direct connection to the Mr. International Rubber contest and organization in some direct way.
Why Hold Your Events At The Center On Halsted And Not A Bar?
The Center on Halsted is the LGBTQ Center for the City of Chicago. While most cities fight to get their LGBTQ Center to include the kink and fetish community, the Center on Halsted has opened their door to the entire LGBTQ community - and Mr. International Rubber is a core component of that outreach effort. For almost 13 years MIR was held exclusively in a single, small, dark, fetish related bar. 72 hours, each year, for 13 years, in the same small dark bar. It was good while it lasted, but it created logistical issues and greatly limited the growth of the event. At the Center on Halsted, Mr. International Rubber is given free reign of the entire third floor of the building including a gymnasium; art gallery; locker room; outdoor patio space; black box theater complete with a full suite of lighting, sound and audio-visual equipment; dressing rooms for contestants and entertainers; and lobby/pre-function space. Additionally, meetings rooms on the second floor serve both contestant interviews and host kink and fetish related workshops throughout the weekend. Finally, the first floor features a Whole Foods Market providing organic and healthy foods to keep you powered and fed throughout the entire weekend. All this in a fully accessible, LEED Certified building! Come explore the Center on Halsted, during MIR or any time of the year and discover an LGBTQ organization that truly understands that we are all in this together!
So What Are You Waiting For?
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