[dlvorg] Date comments, opening comments, etc. ...

In this mailing:

Org List
Date selection
JoAnn's notes
Nomination
Some thoughts and crazy ideas
Date comments
Opener
Administrivia
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Org List:

This is the DLV 2012 Organizational Mailing List (dlvorg_at_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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Date selection:

Thanks to all for the comments regarding the dates for DLV 2012.
Let's keep the floor open for one more list cycle, and if nothing
earthshaking is received, open up the Call For Comments in a
general mailing to the Teeming Millions.

We'll plan to vote on the dates in early October.

In the meantime, please continue to discuss and brainstorm ...
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JoAnn's notes:

As Annie and Ginger stated below and for what I think we have consensus

-- Welcome Celebration is the Opening !!

However, yes, all good acts have a "warm up". So maybe the Sunday and
possibly the Saturday before the Welcome Celebration need to have a
"handle", just like we have called the Diva Week a Diva Gathering. So
suggestions for the "Pre-" are surely welcome. Keep in mind, nothing too
fancy.

Always looking for new ideas...

JoAnn
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Nomination:

Sara writes:

Assuming Kimberly Kael is not running again for the Administrative
Committee position, I would nominate myself. I would be honored to
have an opportunity to attempt to fill her shoes.
. . . . . . . . . .

Thanks, Sara.

I (Annie) will second your nomination. I think you would make a
very good candidate for the position.

Kimberly Kael has been inactive and has expressed no desire to
retain the position, so we can consider her position to be expired
and vacant as of this time.

Let's keep the nominations open for one more list cycle. If no
other nominations come in and no objections are heard, we can
declare the position filled by acclamation.
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Some thoughts and crazy ideas:

>From Marisa:

I visited the Artisan a month ago and Courtney (the dark haired, short,
cute waitress) suggested that the restaurant at their sister property at
rumorvegas.com (across from Hard Rock Hotel) could possibly accommodate
a large group better.

She said that there have been changes in management at the Artisan, so
the person that Cynthia so successfully consulted with is probably not
with the Artisan now.

But has DIVA out grown the large group dining experience?

I think that QST is falling short at large group dining events because
of the time it takes to serve everyone before people start leaving and
it's a big major hassle finding a venue that can work with us without
paying a big deposit or having a limited menu.

We have been very fortunate to have the garden room at BB the last
years. But what if we loose that during the week of DIVA? Can a
non-dining WC be a possiblity, with just mingling, drinks, snacks,
etc... in a high top table type of bar area?

Would a 5pm-7pm large group HH for QST, fit in before several nearby
dining options or a desert event following the several earlier dining
options (HH at 5pm, dine at 6pm).

On Paradise there is FF, Ruth Chris, and Satay (they have a large patio
for HH) within 100' of each other and across the road is BB and Gordon
Biersch.

There could be a number of options on FSE and a good large group photo
location there also. PH has PF Chang's and several restaurants in the
back close to the parking garage.

Could the EHM be a possible non-dining WC event or a midweek large group
photo event on a day that we have the maxium number of attendee's in
town? They seem to be very willing to work with us.

I nominate Sarah Charles to recieve an award for planning the EHM as the
"best new DIVA event" of 2011!
. . . . . . . . . .

Thanks Marisa.

I would like to commend you for thinking critically here ("to
question is the answer") and thinking outside the box (to use
the buzzword-compliant term). :)

Let's look at the Big Picture<tm> here and step back and examine
our goals and objectives for the Welcome Celebration.

One of the primary goals is to ATTRACT a maximum number of our
attendees, that is to entice them to make plans to attend and
follow through and show up.

A related goal is to KEEP THEM THERE, once they arrive, for a
period of at least 2-3 hours or so.

A resultant goal is to obtain an overall high level of enjoyment
and satisfaction among those who attend and participate.

Our Welcome Celebrations over the past few years have done a
great job of meeting those goals, as shown by the key performance
indicators (to use another buzzword-compliant term) of turnout
and enjoyment/comfort ratings on the surveys.

Such things as venue selection, availability of food and drink,
and position of the timeslot on the schedule are all means by
which we attain those stated goals.

The primary objective of the Welcome Celebration is Quality Social
Time. That's really about it. :)

Food is one of those things that attracts a crowd and keeps a
crowd. Having food available at the Welcome Celebration is very
helpful to those just coming out who may be shy to eat elsewhere.
If food is available, fewer attendees will eat before and get
distracted, never to arrive. Likewise, fewer will depart early
to eat elsewhere.

Yes, as our group grows and we get higher turnouts, both for the
event as a whole and for our larger gatherings in particular, we
do have increasing logistical challenges regarding food service
at our larger activities.

Would a Welcome Celebration without food service meet the goals
and objectives? I sure don't know. We've had Welcome Celebrations
in the past without food, but not in recent years when we've had
100+ turnouts at the WC.

Thoughts, gang?
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Date comments:

Rosada writes:

As for me and Dennis all three candidate dates are doable.

A. Week of March 25. Yes
B. Week of April 22. Yes
C. Week of April 29. Yes
. . . . .

Danielle writes:

For what it's worth at this time, I can work with any of the
three dates. However, I would prefer either of the April dates.
This is for a very selfish reason; I drive from Denver and in
late March the highway over the mountains can still be very dicey.
There's a much better chance of good conditions in late April.

As for organizing golf, I think any of the weeks is good, late
April again being best, as the temperature should be comfortable.

Can't wait!
. . . . .

Ginger writes:

The week starting with April 22 presents a small problem for us,
but something we have been able to manage before. However, we
probably can't arrive in Las Vegas until 7 p.m. or later on Sunday
the 22d depending on the available flight departures which seem to
be fewer as the economy struggles and less people fly to Las Vegas.

While the other dates would be better for us, we can live with the
April 22 starting date.
. . . . .

Gina writes:

All three of the weeks are possible for me right now. And I intend
on being there. (Yeah right....)
. . . . .

Nikki writes:

Hi all :)

These dates are by far the best in my opinion. April 22nd may be
the best of the three just to space things out between Easter and
Mother's day.
. . . . .

Sarah writes:

Hi Gang,

I've checked with the Erotic Heritage Museum and there are no
conflicts for any of these three weeks if we decide to do an
activity using their facility. Personally, I like the week of
April 22nd, but any of the three will work for me.

It's too early to get any feedback from some of the art galleries
we've been to in the past, but there always seem to be new options
available for us to visit.
. . . . .

Mardi writes:

I vote for March 25 Mardi
. . . . .

Kumiko writes:

> A. Week of March 25.

source:
http://www.lasvegashotel.com/conventions/las-vegas-hotels-convention-0312.htm

Checking March 2012

Sands Expo and Convention Center, LV Convention Center Events:

Event: ASD Las Vegas
March 25th to March 28th (Sunday to Wednesday) expected: 41,000

Event: LSC West 2012
March 28th to March 30 (Wednesday to Friday) expect 15,000

I didn't see any other really big ones as in over 10,000 for our
projected dates.
. . . . . . . . . .

As part of our "vetting" process which gave us the three weeks
as candidates, we checked for major events which might drive up
crowd levels and room rates and sampled room rates for the candidate
weeks to be sure we weren't missing anything.

With the current state of the economy and the current supply of
rooms, events under 50,000 or so attendees will have minimal if
any effect on room prices at non-hosting hotels. The only ones
which are noted on the Las Vegas chat boards as causing city-wide
room rates to spike are CES and NAB.

At the time we checked, www.caesars.com, which books for some
of the hotels which usually end up on our suggested list (Rio,
Paris, Harrah's, Imperial Palace) showed rates within the normal
range for all three candidate weeks.

And, Danielle, if you really can't wait for DLV I've got just
what you need! Think Pink! :)
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Opener:

Ginger writes:

Rather than have two pre-openings and the potential confusion that
might have, why not call the Saturday lunch and/or social and Sunday
afternoon lunch and/or social something else. Remember, "A rose by
any name would be as sweet." Seems to me calling these events
"openings" has the potential to lessen the importance of the opening
celebration and cut into its attendance.
. . . . . . . . . .

Thanks, Ginger.

I think that Ginger has a good point here, and that is the large
opening gathering needs to stand alone as the primary featured
large gathering of the first part of DLV week. We need to do all
we can to facilitate maximum participation in it, and that means,
among other things, that we can't let other activities dilute the
demand for it or the meaning of it.

This doesn't mean that we can't raise the profile of activities
which occur prior to the big opening bash. Assuming we adopt the
same strategy for the first two days that we had in 2010-2011, we
can work together to craft a slate of first-day and first-evening
activities which will encourage our people to get active and stay
active!

Yes, semantics plays a role here. The term "Welcome Celebration"
is well-established as the title for our opening bash, and unless
a compelling reason is given to change it, there's no reason to
do so.
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Administrivia:

This is the Diva Las Vegas 2012 organizational list.

This mailing was addressed to: annie_at_annie.net

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Diva Las Vegas 2012
Dates to be announced autumn of 2011
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Received on Wed Aug 31 2011 - 06:07:40 CDT