From: Diva Las Vegas organizers (dlvorg@geekbabe.com)
Date: Wed Jan 07 2009 - 07:44:29 CST
In this mailing:
Org List
New year - moving right along
Laundry list
Nora writes
New volunteers
Check-in hostesses and greeters
Vote results
Concerns on the motion
Raw votes
Working schedule
Administrivia
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Org List:
This is the DLV 2009 Organizational Mailing List (dlvorg@geekbabe.com)
Replies to this message will be forwarded to the DLVORG list and not
the DLV-Announce or DLV-Discuss list.
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New year - moving right along:
OMG, gang! The flood gates are open! This year's DLV is most
definitely gonna be a goodie!
If you've been concerned about a poor turnout for this year's
DLV due to the economy, the late timeframe, whatever, it looks
like you don't have anything to worry about at all!
For those who haven't caught wind, we've had an absolutely
phenomenal response to returnee re-registration!
Returnee re-registration has been open since last weekend and
the response has been brisk, more so than last year! We now
have 87 signed up, and these are all returnees so far, and we
know that over 90% of them will actually show.
This year we hit that 80 mark about two days into the returnee
registration period, compared to last year when we hit 80 about
10 days into it.
One thing is very certain, unless things STOP abruptly, DLV
2009 will most definitely reach the critical mass needed to
be a vibrant and successful event, in spite of the economy.
Things are not nearly as bleak as predicted by some of the
sensationalistic dystopian doomsayers last fall.
Speaking of registration data, if any volunteers have a "need
to know" the registration information, write in for access
information.
. . . . .
Long mailing this week, sorry about the length. Many things are
happening.
It is now time to concentrate on filling in the holes, dotting
the Is and crossing the Ts, working out the details in order
to make DLV 2009 a success.
Some very important principles that I want to see followed
this year include:
1. Keeping things fresh. New activities never done before and
new twists to old favorites.
2. Hospitality and inclusion, particularly when it comes to
newcomers, first-time returnees, long-absence returnees, and
those who do not have that small circle of friends with whom
they hang out perpetually.
IMAO, we did very well last year regarding hospitality, and
I want to see this continue in an upward direction.
3. Keeping things affordable. If practical, I would like to
see at least one reasonably-priced option in every timeslot.
This is particularly important this year!
4. Attention to detail. In particular, we need to be sure
that nobody who shows up at the posted place at the posted
time is stuck standing there alone hoping that others will
show up. We did have a couple of these "missed connections"
last year.
5. More involvement by new volunteers (see below) and
longtimers who have not yet coordinated any activities.
More equitable sharing of the load among the entire
volunteer force.
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Laundry list:
Aiko did not do this for the years she was Project Manager, but
I'm sure others remember this dreaded ongoing item far too well. :)
For those who may be new, for the years I do the Project Manager
thing I keep what some call the "Laundry List" of items that need
attention.
Yes, some used to refer to this as the "Nag List". :)
These are things that need our attention and are not going away
until we address them one way or another.
This will be ongoing, front and center in most ORG mailings, and
the most pressing items will almost always appear first. The list
is typically long in January and shrinks as things are taken care
of.
Now, if you're a new volunteer, or even a veteran volunteer who
hasn't stepped forward this year, please look over this list and
make note of anything that you would like to help out with.
Remember, those who act sooner have the most options. As the
event approaches, we may be contacting people directly to fill
vacant jobs.
If you've volunteered to coordinate something and need others
to assist you, please write in and say so. We have a couple
of assistant job vacancies noted below already.
And, if you see something which I have overlooked, please send
in a note!
. . .
And now, the list:
* Final evening. Time to make some more definite plans.
Do we want to work a costume party and/or fashion show theme
in with this? Other theme? No theme?
There were several comments and suggestions for a more formal
or dress-up thing. Do we want to adopt this theme for the final
evening's affair?
Venue for this? We've had some discussion, but we need to start
zeroing in on the particulars. This item (final evening) is the
responsibility of everybody, yes, including you.
We need, at minimum at this time, meaningful discussion on this
activity.
Also see Nora's item on the Bahama Breeze below.
. . .
* SO activity?
I know we have at least one SO on the list here, and several
others whose SOs will be present. A SO activity did not happen
in 2008, but when it has happened, it's been reported as well
worthwhile.
IMAO, it should be a SO who takes the lead on this one. Volunteers?
. . .
* Murder Mystery interactive?
Holly, any further thoughts on this?
. . .
* Pre-DLV services at MCC.
Tootsye, are you covering this?
. . .
* Monday opening night dinner and Welcome Celebration.
We need to get plans made for this, especially since the
venue for it will affect plans for other activities.
Do we want to do Blue Ox for the Welcome Celebration again?
Other suggestions?
. . .
* Pity Party?
Mindy? Is this a "go" for this coming year?
Since we've now broken up the show/limo combo, what evening do
you want this? Tuesday will be a multi-track evening with at
least one show option. Limo will be Wednesday with a dinner
before. Friday is also a multi-track evening. I can envision
the Pity Party fitting in any of these evenings.
. . .
* Speaking of the Limo Tour, we need two additional volunteers
to assist. This would be a very good one for new volunteers, to
get your feet wet doing things and to get voting status.
If you wish to volunteer, please reply to this mailing.
. . .
* Vendor open houses.
Studio Lites is covered. Glamour Boutique just volunteered to
do their thing Thursday of DLV week.
We need those who are in contact with Harmony Nail Spa (and any
other vendors who may want to do an Open House for us) to get in
touch and confirm that they wish to hold an Open House session,
and, of course, schedule times for these. I would strongly suggest
no two vendor activities occurring on the same day. Monday and
Thursday are taken.
. . .
* Ginger, Lori, Mary Beth, others.
Lunch locations? What we have on the schedule below are strictly
place holders. Please confirm days you wish to hostess and
locations.
Others: We have five lunches and we're open to having those who
have not hostessed these take a turn at it. This will meet the
requirement for voting status. Again, those who act first have
the most options!
Hostessing a lunch is low-maintenance. You pick a place, usually
a buffet, and agree to be there to welcome the others, organize
seating, etc. You also get "Lunch With {your name}" on the final
schedule. :)
. . .
* Dinner options for Friday.
Nora and Kimberly Kael have both volunteered to host(ess) dining
on Friday, but we need one or two more options. Kimberly has
picked an upscale option at Roy's. (Nora? Any decision on yours?)
If you hostess one of these, it's really up to you as to where,
what scale, what type of cuisine, how you do it, etc.
. . .
* Dancing option for Friday.
This is a fairly easy one. Pick a place (Krave has been used in
recent years, Gipsy has been used in the past) and agree to be
there. It's your choice as to venue.
There was also talk about doing a mainstream dancing venue,
in addition to or in place of Gipsy/Krave. All this takes is
to have somebody volunteer to coordinate it.
Whether mainstream or alternative, I would suggest that you NOT
commit to doing bottle service on behalf of the group unless you
have the cash in hand from the others! :) One volunteer got burned
well into three figures on this last year!
. . .
* Gaming option for Friday.
Very easy one. Pick a place and agree to be there. Just welcome
the others, hang out, have fun. This is probably the easiest
ticket to voting status there is! Volunteers?
. . .
* Other options for Friday evening? Ditto for Tuesday.
We're open for new ideas here.
. . .
* Social event (SBS substitute) for Saturday noon?
Ginger, I understand that you have adjusted your schedule and
will be with us on Saturday. Is this correct? If so, are you
handling this one?
. . .
* Costume party?
Is this to be rolled into the final evening, or a stand-alone
activity of some sort. Combined with the Pity Party? Costume party
fans? Time to make plans!
. . .
* Fashion show?
Ditto. Rosada? Any ideas or movement on this? Rolled into one of
the other activities? A stand-alone activity?
. . .
* Biggest Loser contest?
Gina? My recollection says that there would be some kind of
recognition for the winner/loser of this.
. . .
* "Little Girl Party" or something like that?
Sarona, anything happening with this? Tuesday is a multi-track
evening and I might suggest that for a timeslot. Friday might
also work.
. . .
* Boat tour.
Diane would like some assistance on this. Volunteering to help
will meet the requirements for voting status.
Also, please let me know if you want to have a breakfast or lunch
in conjunction with this.
. . .
* Pin project?
Kumiko? Is this a "go" for this year? Is this to be rolled into
the NSD activity as before, or will it be stand-alone?
. . .
* Photos?
Kimberly, any more thoughts about this? When? Where? How?
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Nora writes:
>I will be out of town through 1/12 without Internet access. When I
>return I would like to finalize a date with the Bahama Breeze if we
>decide to go there.
Ladies, we need to defecate or abdicate on this one very soon, as
Nora needs to know if we're gonna be using BB for one of our larger
gatherings.
Everybody, do we want to use Bahama Breeze for our ending gathering
this year? If not, please suggest alternative venues for the ending
bash.
IMAO, this might be a good year to use BB for either a smaller or
larger dining venue for either Tuesday or Friday and seek out
another option for the ending bash. Of course, I'm not everyone. :)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
New volunteers:
One thing I would like to see this year is a greater involvement
by the new volunteers, those who have answered the call but have
not so far actively participated in the nuts and bolts.
Here are some suggestions for those who want to get involved
but do not know where to start.
The easiest way to get involved is to volunteer to assist the
primary coordinator(s) with one of the major activities. Being
an assistant or co-coordinator, even in a relatively minor
role, qualifies you for voting status.
To do this, look over the schedule below and see what there is
which you would like to help with. Write in and volunteer to
assist with that activity.
Now, if you would rather do your own thing ...
There are a number of relatively low-maintanance options for
you if you want to plan your own activity, those which will
not require negotiating with vendors, advance collection of
money, etc. Here are some suggestions, all of which are
currently open:
1. Volunteer to hostess a daily lunch. Most days are still
open for an alternate hostess. Also, the daily lunch is
usually not limited to a single track. We've sometimes
had a second reasonably-priced lunch option when the primary
lunch was at an expensive location. If, for example, the
primary lunch is at Bellagio ($$$$), I would suggest somebody
do a second-track at a more reasonably-priced venue. We
have done this before on occasion.
2. Volunteer to hostess an Eating Out Night option on Tuesday.
This is one of the easiest ones to do. It can be incredibly
simple if you want it to be. All you need to do is select a
venue and agree to be there. For a minimalist approach, just
count the number of heads that show up and get table(s) for
that number. You can easily break up the group and use
available tables. If you want to get elaborate and do the
reservation thing, we'll help you with sign-up lists and such.
3. Daytime recreational and touristy things. Is there something
you want to do which others would like to do as well? Things
like the Atomic Museum, Liberace Museum, various exhibits at
the hotels and casinos are examples of what you can do.
For many years we had daytime side trips to nearby parks and
attractions, Red Rock Canyon, Valley Of Fire, Lake Mead,
Hoover Dam, Death Valley, etc. These haven't happened in the
last few years and the only reason is that nobody has planned
any of them. They are easy to plan and implement.
4. Alternate-track evening activities, large or small.
The only timeslots which are designated as single-track, meaning
those not open to multiple options, are Monday evening from
Happy Hour through the Welcome Celebration and Saturday evening,
prior to the break-up of our ending bash.
If you want to volunteer for something, but don't know what
to do, write in, we'll find a place for you. :)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Check-in hostesses and greeters:
Tootsye, you have first refusal rights for the lead position
on the check-in team if you want it? Are you up for this again
this year?
Historically, the biggest rush to check in occurs at the first
major evening activity, which for DLV 2009 will be Monday. We
try to get as many as we can checked in prior to Monday evening,
just to lighten the load, but Monday evening will be the big
crunch time for check-in. Those not checking in Monday will
kind of trickle in throughout the week.
Again, if additional help is needed with check-in, we plan to
offer the position(s) to those who have volunteered as greeters.
Speaking of greeters ...
My observation and feedback from the others indicated that the
greeters were not particularly busy last year, but I do think
this is something we should do again this year. This will be
especially important at the first few activities, such as the
Welcome Celebration (which is tentatively retitled the "Welcome
Meet And Greet" this year) and other early activities.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Vote results:
Votes are in on our motion regarding the standing rules recently
discussed.
See additional note below.
For: 7
Against: 4
Abstain: 2
Last vote was received Friday, 6:55am MST and polls were closed
Sunday, 6:55am MST. One duplicate vote was received but not
counted. One late vote was received.
This is one motion which I really hope will never be put into
action.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Concerns on the motion:
Two organizers have written in expressing concern that this
discussion occurred over a time which was previously announced
as a "slow season" and thus it may not have received the
attention it warranted.
In light of these concerns, let's re-open the floor for
discussion with the following caveats:
1. This discussion will be a set of separate mailings, as to
not distract from the planning of DLV 2009, which needs to be
our primary focus. Although the rules set forth in the motion
did pass a valid vote, those participating in the discussion
are free to enter a motion to rescind or modify as they see
fit.
This discussion will commence as a special mailing within
the next few days.
2. The chair reserves the right to suspend discussion on
this issue should it appear to in any way distract from the
planning of DLV 2009.
I hope this is acceptable to all concerned.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Raw votes:
In no particular order.
Message-Id: <200812311403.mBVE3cka036127@
> FOR (yes, aye), in favor of the motion.
Message-ID: <518713.72823.qm@
FOR
Message-Id: <20081231.063047.5384.0@
YES
Message-Id: <20081231090837.cb57cd7cba748d2aea61c3a59ddf5805.8905152099.wbe@
Against
Message-ID: <d38.3e41add6.368cf2b7@
FOR (yes, aye), in favor of the motion.
Message-ID: <946167.12732.qm@
For Yes Aye
Message-ID: <946167.12732.qm@
For Yes Aye
(Duplicate, not counted.)
Message-ID: <495C5489.8020606@
Yes, in favor of the Motion. {name}
Message-ID: <495C2B2A.7050008@
ABSTAIN
Message-Id: <8CB39C56079F41F-D98-ACC@
FOR
Message-ID: <202630.38155.qm@
No.
Message-ID: <C5822661.99C5%
AGAINST (no, nay), opposed to the motion.
Message-Id: <19AB8415-458E-4F47-851C-BC0847E8BDAF@
ABSTAIN
Message-ID: <COL105-W91149CD7AB19348CA7B53C7E20@
NO
Message-ID: <668458.75164.qm@
ABSTAIN, actively cast no vote on the motion.
(Late, not counted)
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Working schedule:
Diva Las Vegas 2009 schedule
Tentative and subject to change
All times Pacific Daylight Time
Monday, May 11:
11:00am: Studio Lites Open House (Studio Lites) - mv
1:00pm: Lunch With Ginger (Palace Station Buffet) - ms
2:30pm: Roundtable Discussion (TBA) - sv
6:00pm: Happy Hour (TBA)
7:00pm: Dinner (TBA)
8:00pm: Welcome Meet and Greet (TBA)
9:45pm: Rock Star Karaoke (House Of Blues, Mandalay Bay) - ms
Tuesday, May 12:
8:00am: Diva Las Vegas Invitational Golf (Desert Rose) - ms
1:00pm: Lunch With Ginger (Orleans buffet) - ms
6:00pm: Happy Hour (various)
7:00pm: Eating Out Night (various)
7:00pm: Milanos option (Milanos) - ms
7:00pm: Buffet option (TBA) - ms
7:00pm: Nora's choice (TBA) - ms
9:00pm: Activity options (various)
9:00pm: Pub Crawl (various) - sv
9:00pm: Night At The Movies (TBA) - ms
9:30pm: Theater Night (Venetian) - ms
Wednesday, May 13:
10:00am: Art Tour, morning session (tba) - ms
1:00pm: Lunch With Ginger (Bellagio buffet) - ms
2:00pm: Art Tour, afternoon session (tba) - ms
6:00pm: Happy Hour (TBA)
7:00pm: Dinner (Trevi) - ms
9:00pm: Limousine Tour (Caesars) - ms
Thursday, May 14:
2:00am: Charles Bar (Bellagio) - ms
11:00am: Glamour Boutique Open House (Glamour Boutique) - sv
1:00pm: Lunch With Ginger (Gold Coast buffet) - ms
3:00pm: High Tea (Four Seasons) - ms
5:00pm: Night Of The Soiled Doves (CR) - mv
6:00pm: Local Happy Hour (Bellagio - Petrossian Bar) - ms
7:00pm: Local dinner (Bellagio) - ms
Friday, May 15:
9:00am: Pistol/rifle shooting (Desert Lakes) - ms
12:00n: Lake Mead Boat Tour (Lake Mead) - sv
1:00pm: Lunch With Ginger (Sahara buffet) - ms
6:00pm: Happy Hour (TBA)
7:00pm: Dining options (various)
7:00pm: Affordable option (TBA) - ms
7:00pm: Alternative option (TBA) - sv
7:00pm: Interactive option (TBA) - mv
7:00pm: Do your own thing option (You tell me)
7:00pm: Nora's choice (TBA) - ms
7:00pm: Upscale option (Roy's) - ms
9:00pm: Activity options (various)
9:00pm: Dancing option (Krave) - sv
9:00pm: Gaming option (TBA) - ms
9:00pm: Socializing option (TBA) - sv
9:00pm: Murder Mystery option (TBA) - mv
9:00pm: Do your own thing option (You tell me)
Saturday, May 16:
6:00pm: Happy Hour (TBA)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Administrivia:
This is the Diva Las Vegas 2009 organizational list.
One address for all items regarding this list, additions, removals,
changes, submissions, questions, etc.:
dlvorg@geekbabe.com <--- NOTE: all lower case
Diva Las Vegas 2009
May 11 - 16, 2009
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
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