Argentinian nightlife venues to implement Ask for Angela protocol against sexual assault

Announcement made public amid Argentinian nightlife joins the International Nightlife Association

The International Nightlife Association has been guiding on safety and sexual assault since 2017

(BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA) February 2, 2023

It's a pleasure for the International Nightlife Association (INA) to announce the entry of the Argentinian Nightlife Federation (Federación de Entidades de Discotecas de la República de Argentina FEDRA) into the INA. The incorporation of the Federation also comes with the implementation of the Ask for Angela protocol in nightlife venues in Argentina adhering to FEDRA and implementing safety and quality nightlife seals.

This announcement was made by the President of the FEDRA Rodolfo Roque Di Pinto who stated, “The nightlife companies that are a part of our national federation will be able to implement international safety and quality distinctions and be directly linked to the INA. We consider becoming a member of the INA a great opportunity and allows for our venues to exchange experiences and share formulas that allow addressing the problems of the sector and stimulate its prioritization through networking on; the professionalization of tourist leisure, business responsibilities in the face of legal obligations, tariffs and copyrights and artists, innovation and new trends.”

The International Nightlife Association has been around for over 10 years and has been excelling and giving prestige to the industry by launching safety and quality seals like the Triple Excellence in Nightlife including safety, acoustic, and service seals since 2015.

Ask for Angela was born in the UK in 2016 and was adopted by the INA in 2017

Ask for Angela is a campaign that originated in 2016 in Lincolnshire (England) used by nightlife venues to keep people safe from sexual assault by using a codeword to identify when they are in danger or are in an uncomfortable situation. The "Ask Angela" campaign is named in remembrance of Angela Crompton, a woman who was abused and killed in 2012, and also inspired by the meaning of the name which is "messenger of God" or “angel” (guardian or protector).

In 2017, the International Nightlife Association decided to adopt the campaign and included it as one of the current requirements to achieve the International Nightlife Safety Checked seal. The protocol has been evolved since then by the International Nightlife Association introducing all kinds of sexual harassment and assault prevention measures to fight drink spiking and injection spiking among other threats. Additionally, the venues’ demands to implement such protocols are increasing more and more daily.

José Luis Benitez, President of the International Nightlife Associaton and spokesperson for the Ibiza Nightlife Association (Ocio de Ibiza) said, “We have been working very hard these last years and we are very proud of it. More clubs and countries are increasingly interested in implementing this protocol. In Ibiza, we train an average of 300 nightlife workers every year and also introduce all kinds of new material. All members of staff are fundamental to fighting this threat, and our sector is very committed to eradicating it from our spaces.”

Ask for Angela has since expanded to many different countries such as Spain, Colombia, Belgium, Australia, South Africa, the USA, and now also Argentina

Nightclubs in Argentina will implement safety and quality seals

FEDRA has also expressed its total adherence to INA’s hallmarks and safety and quality protocols; in particular, the International Nightlife Safety Checked (INSC) seal which includes the Ask for Angela protocol but also the main existing distinction of quality and excellence in the nightlife sector, the Triple Excellence in Nightlife, which will be at the disposal of the Argentinian clubs who want to implement it.

FEDRA was established in 1995 with the main goal of putting Argentina’s nightlife industry's ideas in common and joining forces to fight for their rights and make their voices heard.

Camilo Ospina Guzmán, Vice President of the International Nightlife Association for LATAM and President of the Colombian Nightlife Association (Asobares) has celebrated the adherence of FEDRA to the International Nightlife Association and its safety and quality protocols stating that "We are proud to have the FEDRA among us, since the bigger we are and the more countries we have a presence in LATAM and the rest of the world, the stronger our industry will be. We introduced the Ask for Angela campaign in Colombia a few years ago through the INA and believe that the more countries that adhere to it, the more unified and worldwide the code will be recognized and applied.”