From: Diva Las Vegas organizers (dlvorg@geekbabe.com)
Date: Mon Mar 28 2011 - 07:34:38 CDT
In this mailing:
Org List
This mailing
Welcome Celebration logistics
Open house
Group photo
Admirer interest
Pre-DLV
Check-in locations
Contact information
Working schedule
Administrivia
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Org List:
This is the DLV 2011 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.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
This mailing:
Quick Monday morning touch-base ...
The Large Final Mailing goes out Wednesday, assuming no major
issues between then and now.
This means that any additions and changes, however minor, NEED
TO BE IN BY TUESDAY EVENING! Last call!
Specifically, details of a couple items discussed in this mailing
need to be in Tuesday evening. Hard-stop cut-off!
. . . . .
Since the last activity sign-up mailings have been done, these
numbers are very close to final. Most of the activity sign-ups
we've seen are the newest registrants and changes, and very
few of those marked for cancellation for no response.
Reconfirmed : 167
Registered : 0
First notice : 1
Second notice : 0
Canc. pending : 1
Total registrations: 167
Total SO: 35
Total signup: 202
Total projection: 159
We cancelled 17 registrations today for non-response, a lower
number than we had to in either 2009 or 2010.
Semi-final total turnout projection is somewhere between
159 and 202, most likely in the first or second quartile.
A total turnout of 200 is not out of the question, but
somewhat unlikely.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Welcome Celebration logistics:
Just a few notes here regarding what will be one of our most
important activities.
Final plans appear to be very solid for the evening, with a
schedule along this line:
6:00pm: Happy Hour start time, food service begins.
7:00pm: Dinner (posted) start time, food service and QST continues.
8:00pm: Welcome Celebration (posted) start, food and QST continues.
8:30pm: Group photo (posted time).
After: Food and cocktail service continues for those who remain.
We'll have the full menu available to us, but this comes to us
at a price, and that price is the speed of dinner seating and
serving at the peak times. We will not be able to have all who
want to eat seated and served at the same time.
Cynthia and I (Annie) and possibly others will be handling the
wait list for seating during the peak arrival times. We've
assured the Artisan staff that WE (DLV) and not THEM, will be
"first call" to field any complaints of slow seating or slow
service during the peak times.
We've announced in the final schedule that immediate seating
for dinner may not be available to those who are late or whose
who arrive at peak arrival times.
We're asking all volunteers to do what you can to help us run
a smooth Welcome Celebration evening.
Here's where we can use your help ...
First of all, volunteers can help by arriving a bit early and
getting their dinner orders placed promptly. Food service
will be available prior to the Happy Hour start time. As you
know, our crowd tends to be "fashionably late" so we expect
the peak arrivals to be in the 7:00pm to 7:30 range. As many
dinners as we can "front-load" into the process means fewer
that need to be served during the peak time.
If you hear any grumbing about slow seating or slow service
please help us in dealing with them. Please try to explain
that we're getting nice individually-prepared meals in a
nice restaurant and not mass-produced banquet fare, and
that it was conspicuously noted that things may be slow
at peak times.
If anyone gets upset or nasty about it, please hand them off
to me or Cynthia. We'll deal with it.
We do have greeters lined up for the evening, but in the heat
of battle, it's possible that somebody will be overlooked.
Please, everyone, be on the lookout for anyone who is
obviously new and in need of some contact. Please welcome
the individuals warmly and hand them off to the greeters or
check-in hostesses as appropriate.
Likewise, if you notice anyone who is standing or sitting
alone, or otherwise not enjoying the affair, please take
some action, whether it's (hopefully) introducing yourself
to the individual and therefore getting him or her involved
in the Quality Social Time, or letting Annie or Cynthia or
the greeters know that there's somebody who needs some
personal attention.
If you observe a "walk-away" about to happen, please take
action! Likewise, if you see somebody whose body language
says they are about to bolt for the door, please intervene.
And all, please, circulate! Work the crowd, get to know the
others, particularly newcomers.
Again, BIG THANKS to Cynthia and Marisa for taking the lead
on our two Welcome Celebration options.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Open house:
Jill writes:
I hope this note finds you with a little time for resting with all
that is beginning to happen.
Because of the lack of eating and the early time for dance lessions
Sabrina and I are intend to have a open house for the people who
are going dancing on Thursday night.
The location will be at our hotel room in the IP. We will have
snacks and maybe some wine.
No big event and we dont need it on the event schedule. It is
just something we wanted to do.
However, we dont want to cause confusion either.Our intention
is to mention it ahead of time as an invitation to those who are
going dancing and to dance lessons.
But we want to open it up to anyone who wants to attend.
So first we would like to invite those dancing. I would do
this in a note as soon as I hear from you. Then at the welcome
dinner announce that anyone who would like may drop by.
We will not have a room number before then anyway.
Any comment would be appreciated.
I dont see this as a conflict with any scheduled event or
directives from DLV. Just giving some of those who are
interested in "a opportunity to stop by the house", and visit
a while. We could also arrange car rides at that time for those
going to dance.
. . . . . . . . . .
Thanks, Jill.
I think this is workable with some caveats here ...
We've done things like this in the past, with a late notice,
and had reasonable success if we get the details solid and
posted in the appropriate places.
In particular, I think this will help your turnout by having
a well-known rendezvous point and not requiring those who are
not familiar with the area to drive to Charlies by themselves.
First of all, something like this needs to go on the schedule.
Why?
Because if it is not on the schedule, some who want to do it
will not get the word and will get left out!
Here's what we'll need:
1. A particular title. "Dance Open House" or something like
that.
2. A posted start time.
3. A means of contact, in this case one or more cell phone
numbers.
WE'LL NEED THESE BY TUESDAY EVENING AT THE VERY LATEST.
Here's what we can do to announce and promote this:
1. Post it on the main and summary schedules. This is the
most important for getting the word out. As soon as you give
us a title for the activity and the start time, we can get it
added.
2. Include it in the Late Notices in the Large Final Mailing.
3. Conspicuous announcements in the Discussion Forum. This
will be your job. Please include the exact time and the means
of contact. If you don't want to post your cell number in the
Discussion Forum, say "... phone number will appear on the main
schedule in the Large Final Mailing" or words to that effect.
As to real-time announcements at the Welcome Celebration
or any other gatherings, we don't know if these will be
practical. At the Welcome Celebration, we don't know if we will
have a microphone at all, and if we do we don't know if it will
cover all areas which we will be using, and it may be the case
that we do not want to introduce a discontinuity by interrupting
the socializing for announcements. Things like this will need to
be played by ear at the time.
If you wish to promote it at the Welcome Celebration, I suggest
you circulate and bring the topic up with those present.
One thing we would ask you specifically NOT to do is to print
out any hand-outs or flyers. (Same goes for all activities.)
When this has been done in the past, they have not been very
effective at driving bodies to the activities, and most of
them get discarded as litter where they are handed out.
As long as you get us a title, start time, and contact number
by Tuesday evening, I think this will work.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Group photo:
Since we really didn't have any idea of a good setting for this,
I asked the GM of the Artisan for suggestions of where to pose
ca. 100 people. His immediate response was "the pool!"
At his suggestion, I looked on the web site and the pool area is
very attractive with a white fountain type thing at the end and
daybeds and such located around the perimiter. The GM has said
that they've had groups of up to 200 or so do such things at the
pool.
I'm envisioning posing the group toward the fountain end,
spilling over to one of the sides. I don't know if any daybeds
will be there that late in the evening, but those may offer
a variation in setting, where we could seat some of the people
and not have the whole group standing in one semicircle.
As for the timing for this, I think it's still best if we leave
the time posted at 8:30pm, but be flexible and "read the crowd"
as to when it's actually best to do it. I figure no earlier
than the posted 8:30pm and no later than 9:15pm, depending on
how things are going.
The staging of the group photo, and its associated need for
a "move" to the pool area will introduce a huge discontinuity
into the flow of things that evening. As I'm sure everyone
knows, discontinuities at social activities, particularly after
the activity has "peaked", is taken by many as a cue to depart.
. . . . .
Here's where we'll need everyone's help.
The group photo is seen by all as a Good Thing, but also seen
as a pain in the @$$ when it happens, and there's always some
push-back and reluctance to move to the photo area right then
nd there.
As the 8:30 hour approaches, please watch the crowd and look
for any obvious signs that people are getting ready to depart.
Please let Annie and/or Cynthia know immediately if you see
this. If we have signs of any mass departure, we'll stop
things then and there and do the photo. If the crowd is still
actively socializing, we'll hold off for a while.
When we make the announcement to pose, we'll need a number of
volunteers to help guide the people out to the pool area (herd
the cats) :) :) quickly and orderly. I (Annie) will stop by
and look at things this Friday and scout out the best path
from the restaurant/bar area to the pool. Please encourage
all to take a few minutes and pose.
When we get the group out, please actively help assemble and
pose them against the white fountain thing, spilling over
to the sides if necessary.
When the shoot is over, please help us "herd the cats" back
in to the bar/restaurant areas. Please encourage all to go
back in, as opposed to immediately hitting the valet area
to pick up vehicles. We will need to avoid a "crunch" at
this time for valet pick-ups. If a good portion of the gang
departs at once, we can overload the parking staff, and
have delays and a lot of griping.
Everyone's help in making things go smoother will be truly
appreciated by all. :)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Admirer interest:
Just a heads up here, to share with you what we've been seeing
over the past week or so.
We're seeing far more admirer interest in this year's DLV than
we've seen in years past. I don't know if this is connected with
Sarah's report of admirer queries to EHM, but I have a feeling
that the word has gotten out on such things as admirer message
boards and chat facilities.
We've had an increase in the number of hits on our admirer page
over the past week or so, and I've been watching referrals to
it, but there's nothing in particular. Referrals which are of
any significance have been e-mail referrals, mostly Yahoo and
Gmail, some Hotmail/MSN/Live/whatever and Google and other
searches. Some of the search terms have not been very
complimentary. :( :(
Some of the queries which have come in do indicate that some
of these admirers have NO CLUE as to what DLV really is, and
we had to kill a series of "free room available" posts on the
Discussion Forum which used personal ad lingo. Yes, it appears
that some of these admirers are of the "HNG" variety.
We haven't had any really pushy HNG type admirers at DLV yet.
(We did have one at Pinkfest a few years back, but nobody
seemed to be very interested in leaving the group and taking
off with him.) I hope we don't have any this year, but we do
need to be prepared in case it happens.
We've always welcomed admirers. All of those I remember at DLV
have been perfect gentlemen (and ladies) and I would sure want
things to stay that way!
What we want everyone to do is to be on the lookout for any
admirers who may appear to be exceeding the comfort level of
our attendees, particularly those who are new or have little
or no experience with admirers. Unwanted physical contact
and "latching on" are two signs which frequently indicate
this.
Otherwise, please welcome admirers warmly, as you would with
any other attendees.
My personal first few experiences with admirers were NEGATIVE
and uncomfortable so I know where the attendees are coming from!
If you should see any case of this, please feel free to intervene
and if you're uncomfortable doing so, please let the primary
Coordinator of the activity at hand know of the situation
or get one of the senior volunteers in the loop.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Pre-DLV:
Marisa writes:
I stopped in at Firefly last night to see how busy they are on
Saturdays and they had a wedding party in the banquet room, which
would have made it a problem for a group our size to get a place
to sit.
The overflow/banquet room isn't reserved next saturday yet since
it's very expensive on saturdays, so we should'nt have a problem
getting a space in there.
But what if?
Gordon Biersch was full also. What happened to the bad economy in
Vegas?
. . . . . . . . . .
What if?
I sure don't know!
We may have to play it by ear.
We're under a deadline, so if we're going to change the setting
of the Pre-DLV gathering, it needs to happen by Tuesday evening
at the very latest. If the Firefly is in the Large Final Mailing,
I guarantee that people will show up there on Saturday no matter
how hard we try to un-do it.
As to the bad economy, it's improving, but the recovery has been
slower among the local Las Vegas scene than nationwide. The past
few times I've been in town, it's been busy on Friday and on
Saturday, and I suspect that most of the Restaurant Row business
is from visitors.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Check-in locations:
Katie writes (quoted)
>I hate to ask this question again but I am at a loss to know
>what to do. Maybe you have replied to this already and I have
>misplaced it I am sorry if this sounds frivolous but I don't
>want to miss out on any event because I did't register and
>lost a spot.
For most activities, you don't need to worry about being
removed from the list for not checking in.
>Please can you post the names of those who I can check in with
>and / or the locations where they will be. From what I have read
>in the logs that Annie and Ginger are the only official check in
>people.
Ginger and I (Annie) will take care of the two check-in kits,
but we may hand them off to others at times.
>Is it all that necessary that I need to check in? I will be
>assisting on 2 events.
It's very important that you check in, but not imperative that
you check in at any particular time or before your first DLV
activity.
For everyone's info, let's go over the (non-inclusive) set of
activities at which check-in will be available:
. . . . . . . . . .
Saturday, April 2:
Pre-DLV gathering.
. . . . .
Sunday, April 3:
What: Caesars Happy Hour
What: Caesars Buffet Dinner
What: Alternative Common Gathering
What: Classic Rock N Roll with Bob and Susan
. . . . .
Monday, April 4:
What: Studio Lites Open House, 11:00am - 12:00n
What: Lunch With Ginger
What: Happy Hour
What: Dinner
What: Welcome Celebration
. . . . .
Tuesday, April 5:
What: Lunch With Ginger
What: Erotic Heritage Museum
. . . . .
Wednesday, April 6:
What: Harmony Nail Spa Gourmet Wine Day, 11:00am - 12:00n
What: Lunch With Ginger
. . . . .
Thursday, April 7:
What: Volunteer and Prospective Volunteer Social
. . . . .
What: Lunch With Ginger
What: Happy Hour
What: Dinner
What: Farewell Celebration
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Contact information:
If anybody needs the contact information (e-mail, and this year
for most of the attendees, cell phone numbers) for those signed
up for the activities you are hosting, please say so. These are
very easy to produce and since virtually all of the sign-ups are
in, they will be complete except for maybe a few stragglers.
Rosada writes (quoted):
>Do I need the contact information for the three events I'm hosting?
I don't know, you tell me. :) :) :)
>What's all that about? Is that the list of names for the people
>who are attending those events?
You should already have the link to the running sign-up lists,
but these contact lists include e-mail addresses and, if they
provided it, phone numbers.
If you or anybody needs it, yell. It's easier to produce these
prior to DLV than when the event is in progress, so if you
think you will need them, please say so in advance.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Working schedule:
Diva Las Vegas 2011 schedule
Tentative and subject to change
All times Pacific Daylight Time
Sunday, April 3:
11:00am: Religious Services (Metropolitan Community Church) - sv
1:00pm: SO and Partners Champagne Brunch (Stratosphere) - ms
6:00pm: Happy Hour options (various)
6:00pm: Caesars Happy Hour (Caesars) - ms
6:00pm: Paris Happy Hour (Paris) - ms
6:00pm: PT's Happy Hour (PT's Pub Sahara) - ms
6:00pm: Margaritaville Happy Hour (Margaritaville Flamingo) - ms
7:00pm: Dining options (various)
7:00pm: Caesars Buffet Dinner (Caesars) - ms
7:00pm: Mon Ami Gabi dinner (Mon Ami Gabi) - ms
7:00pm: PT's Dinner (PT's Pub Sahara) - ms
7:00pm: Margaritaville Dinner (Margaritaville Flamingo) - ms
8:30pm: After-dinner options (various)
8:30pm: Mainstream Common Gathering (PT's) - ms
8:30pm: Alternative Common Gathering (Crewsn) - sv
9:00pm: Classic Rock N Roll with Bob and Susan (Crewsn) - sv
Monday, April 4:
8:00am: Air Tours (Henderson Executive Airport) - ms
11:00am: Studio Lites Open House (Studio Lites) - sv
1:00pm: Lunch With Ginger (Stratosphere Buffet) - ms
2:00pm: MAC Makeovers (MAC Town Square) - ms
3:30pm: Beginner Open House (Private suite) - sv
6:00pm: Happy Hour (Artisan) - mv
7:00pm: Dinner (Artisan) - mv
8:00pm: Welcome Celebration (Artisan) - mv
8:30pm: Group Photo (Artisan) - mv
10:00pm: Beauty Bar Karaoke (Beauty Bar) - ms
Tuesday, April 5:
9:00am: Some Like It Hot at Shiloh (Shiloh Horse Ranch) - ms
11:00am: Glamour Boutique Open House (Glamour Boutique) - sv
1:00pm: Lunch With Ginger (LV Hilton Buffet) - ms
2:00pm: Neon Boneyard Tour (Neon Museum) - ms
3:00pm: Beginner Open House (Private suite) - sv
5:00pm: Happy Hour (Chapala's) - ms
5:00pm: Happy Hour (Firefly Paradise) - ms
6:00pm: Mexican Dining (Chapala's) - ms
6:00pm: Firefly Dinner (Firefly Paradise) - ms
7:00pm: Terry Fator Show (Mirage) - ms
7:00pm: Dinner At Home (Private suite) - sv
8:00pm: Erotic Heritage Museum (Erotic Heritage Museum) - mv
9:00pm: Pajama Party (Private suite) - sv
Wednesday, April 6:
8:00am: DLV Invitational Golf (Desert Rose) - ms
9:30am: Bare Escentuals Makeovers (Bare Escentuals) - mv
11:00am: Harmony Nail Spa Gourmet Wine Day (Harmony Nail Spa) - sv
1:00pm: Lunch With Ginger (Harrahs Buffet) - ms
3:00pm: Madame Tussauds Wax Museum (Madame Tussauds, Venetian) - ms
3:00pm: Beginner Open House (Private suite) - sv
5:30pm: Crossdressers.com Social (PF Changs) - ms
6:00pm: PF Changs (crossdressers.com) Dinner (PF Changs Planet Hollywood) - ms
6:00pm: Happy Hour options (various)
6:00pm: Buffalo Happy Hour (The Buffalo) - sv
6:00pm: Palms Happy Hour (Palms Casino Bar) - ms
6:00pm: Spotlight Happy Hour (Spotlight Lounge) - sv
7:00pm: Eating Out Night (various)
7:00pm: Milano's option (Milano's) - mv
7:00pm: Palms Bistro Buffet option (Palms) - ms
7:00pm: Namaste Indian option (Namaste Indian Cuisine) - ms
8:00pm: Mainstream-Alternative Night (various)
8:00pm: IMAX Movie Night (Brendan Palms IMAX) - ms
8:00pm: Fremont Street Experience (Fremont Street) - ms
8:30pm: Alternative Bar Crawl (Buffalo) - sv
9:00pm: Sassy To Classy Nite - Talent Show (Crewsn) - sv
9:30pm: Frank Marino Divas Show (Imperial Palace) - ms
11:59pm: Late Night Clubbing (Krave) - sv
Thursday, April 7:
9:00am: Mount Charleston Excursion (Mount Charleston) - ms
9:00am: MAC Makeovers (MAC Town Square) - ms
12:00n: Volunteer and Prospective Volunteer Social (Artisan) - ms
6:00pm: Pre-Limo Happy Hour (Trevi) - ms
6:00pm: Pre-Fab Happy Hour (McMullan's) - ms
7:00pm: Pre-Limo Dinner (Trevi) - ms
7:00pm: Pre-Fab Dinner (McMullan's) - ms
7:00pm: Dance Lessons (Charlie's) - sv
8:00pm: The Fab (Beatles Tribute) (Brendan's Irish Pub, Orleans Casino) - ms
9:00pm: Limousine Tour (Caesars) - ms
9:00pm: Dancing at Charlie's (Charlie's) - sv
Friday, April 8:
2:00am: Charles Bar (Bellagio) - ms
9:00am: Pistol-Rifle Shooting (Discount Firearms) - ms
1:00pm: Lunch With Ginger (Paris Buffet) - ms
2:00pm: High Tea (Four Seasons) - ms
3:00pm: Makeover sessions (session 1) (Macy's FSM) - ms
3:45pm: Makeover sessions (session 2) (Macy's FSM) - ms
4:30pm: Makeover sessions (session 3) (Macy's FSM) - ms
6:00pm: Happy Hour (Bahama Breeze) - mv
7:00pm: Dinner (Bahama Breeze) - mv
8:30pm: Farewell Celebration (Bahama Breeze) - mv
9:30pm: Dancing at Paris (Paris) - ms
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Administrivia:
This is the Diva Las Vegas 2011 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 2011
April 3 - 8, 2011
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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