[dlvorg] Hotels - Beginning the journey to DLV 2013 ...

In this mailing:

Org List
Moving forward with DLV 2013
JoAnn Sez
Strategy moving forward
Hotels for DLV 2013
Administrivia
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Org List:

This is the DLV 2013 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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Moving forward with DLV 2013:

Annie writes:

The only item which is in any way time sensitive is selection of
suggested hotels for DLV 2013. Unfortunately, this is a bit more
complicated and challenging than it's been the past few years and
we're asking for some input, both in generalities as to what you
want in your DLV hotel, and specifics, as in what hotel(s) you
think meet those needs. See item below and let us know, please.

We'll plan on going with an "as needed" mailing schedule for this
list while we decide on our hotel strategy and our actual suggested
hotels.
. . . . .

As for the content of DLV 2013, we're at square one. Nothing has
been set. We have six days and six evenings as a blank canvas before
us.

As has been the case for the past three DLVs, we have a six-day
event with a start on Sunday and an end on Friday. This has worked
very well for 2010, 2011, and 2012.

In all three years we've had strong beginnings and strong endings by
going with a slow start on the Sunday, a big bang beginning on the
Monday, and a big bang ending on the Friday. In particular, the
endings of our 2010, 2011, and 2012 events have been very strong,
something we struggled with for many years prior.

I'm suggesting a "ain't broke, don't fix it" approach for our
overall scheduling plan for 2013. Looking at the evenings, this
would look something like:

Sunday: Multi-track dining and social activities.
Monday: Single-track maximum-attendance gathering.
Tuesday: Anchor/supporting or multi-track activities.
Wednesday: Anchor/supporting or multi-track activities.
Thursday: Anchor/supporting or multi-track activities.
Friday: Single-track maximum-attendance gathering.

In keeping with some of the principles outlined below, the daytime
activities would concentrate on welcoming activities during the
first three days (community-building) and recreational and social
activities (community-sustaining) as we progress further in the
week.

We know that some of you have been doing some preliminary thinking
and planning.

Please continue, and if there are any constraints as to which days
will and will not work for your activities to be, let us know as we
start to set up the actual schedule.
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JoAnn Sez:

Annie and I have stated some thoughts for DIVA 2013. It is not the end
of a conversation, but rather a way to "start the conversation"!!

Our objective is asking for your "off the wall" thought of the week
about any one of the items in this e-mail. If everyone would just
provide one idea we would really have a lot on the plate to discuss. We
need to commence getting those suggestions aligned with our DIVA week's
schedule.

So, please, each of you send one idea or suggestion, or comment on what
you like and what you think needs more discussion. That would be a
great help.

To all a Happy Thanksgiving. My favorite Holiday-- good foods, no gifts
required, a day you can share with others, a parade[Macy's], and then
plan a day following to make it your special day... a whatever "me day!

A day on which I wish Blessings to all of YOU !!!

JoAnn
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Strategy moving forward:

Annie writes:

We would like to introduce a set of principles which we believe can
be used to plan a more satisfying event, one which will be enjoyed by
all, those who will be new for DLV 2013 and those who will be
returning.

These come from analyzing the feedback from DLV 2012 and looking for
the Big Picture that has been painted.

One of our goals for DLV 2013 needs to be an increased level of
participation in our activities. This will lead to a greater sense
of community and greater overall satisfaction with the event.

One key is to use a combination of technology and hospitality. Let
the systems do what they can, and then encourage all to pay particular
attention to welcoming and including others.

Your comments on any of these principles are encouraged.
. . . . .

Key principles:

1. Early assimilation.

Help the new attendees (and returnees) to feel "with it" and "part of
the family" as early in the process as possible. Get them acquainted
with the others, actively.

Prior to the big event, encourage all, newcomers in particular, to
participate in the Discussion Forum, browse the photos on the web
site, browse the personal galleries and get to know the others,
etc.

In the first few days of DLV, offer them opportunities to meet the
others. Newcomer (for lack of a better term) Open House sessions,
the smaller group luncheons, etc.
. . . . .

2. Active inclusion.

This is a very broad category. It also relates to point 1, but
expands on it. We need to do more than simply present the attendees
a schedule and wait for them to show up.

We need to leverage technology, group hospitality, and individual
hospitality in pursuit of a greater degree of inclusion and active
participation.

Technology can really help here! Such things as calendar invites
and reminders via text message. We need to offer convenient methods
of subscribing to these, assurance that their e-mail and phones will
not be abused, and equally convenient methods of turning off automated
items.

Personal encouragement to participate fully! We need to send the
message loud and clear that our activities are fun, and that the
attendees are indeed welcome and wanted.

"Are you going to the {whatever} tonight? Do you have a ride?"

And, encourage all to expand their circles of close friends and to
reach out to others and include them in their own little get-togethers
and such.
. . . . .

3. Program continuity.

D.R.S. brought up a very good point in our wrap-up of 2012. There
were some significant discontinuities in our program, time-wise,
particularly during the daytime hours.

One thing we lack, and will continue to unless someone can come up
with some creative funding, is a true common gathering area, such
as is usually seen at the main-line TG conventions.

This year we will most likely have an ongoing morning coffee
session. We have our recurring daily lunch. We do have regular
evening activities.

Let's look into an ongoing mid-afternoon informal get-together,
at least in the form of a default gathering location with some
form of volunteer participation. We approached this a few years
back with our "Hotel Hostess" gatherings.
. . . . .

4. Ongoing recognition.

This is not to say that we should not have a Volunteer Recognition
activity, but to expand the recognition. Exercise opportunities to
give credit where it is due when it can be done.
. . . . .

5. Affordability.

This is not to say that we can't have some high-end dining options,
or have a group attend a primo show. We need to be very conscious
that this next year will be fiscally challenging to many of our
attendees and potential attendees. We heard the message loud and
clear about our lunch prices! We need to be sure that those who are
not particularly flush are not excluded (ala 2 above) due to $$$$$,
or rather lack of same.
. . . . .

6. Simplicity.

Ginger's mandate.

Many of our best-liked activities are very simple in nature. Even
our recent-years major gatherings have been planned without a
major amount of fuss. Adding complexity and formality to something
does not equal increasing returns!
. . . . .

Comments and suggestions on any of these are encouraged!
. . . . . . . . . .

JoAnn responds:

> In the first few days of DLV, offer them opportunities to meet the
> others. Newcomer (for lack of a better term) Open House sessions,
> the smaller group luncheons, etc.

I see the "first day" as the theory presented in the book "Blink". It is
about the first event and in the first 5 minutes. We need to get that
time frame under control, otherwise we lose them -- new or repeat!

My suggestions: Opening Event--- [reverse the approach] and have prior
attendees get a gift certificate for collecting at least 5 signatures of
new/1st time attendees who sign their "gift card", one of which one
signature must be from a person for whom they purchased a drink.

There has to be "a several plays off this pattern"!!

> "Are you going to the {whatever} tonight? Do you have a ride?"

Three makes a "group". So two new people need to get a prior attendee
[or the reverse] to drive together to an event. We can post names and
three locations for the meet point. The hook? ...... 20 raffle tickets
to each group for 'give-a-ways' at the last night dinner!

> Let's look into an ongoing mid-afternoon informal get-together.
> We approached this a few years back with our "Hotel Hostess"
> gatherings.

Sometimes we might be trying too hard here. You name three events we
have almost every day.

Having said such, I offer a three day Treasure Hunt for Teams who
sign-up for it on the 2nd day.

They all gather at the same place and time for the Treasure Hunt on
each of the three days at the "start time and it goes from 2pm to 5pm
for the three days and requires a sign-in, must secure a unique
confirmation items, etc. The winning team buys drinks for the losing
team. And winning team picture is on the DIVA Feature Site, or
whatever!!!

> This is not to say that we should not have a Volunteer Recognition
> activity, but to expand the recognition. Exercise opportunities to
> give credit where it is due when it can be done.

As an 'adjunct' to the volunteer recognition activity --- How about
having a designated silent volunteer observer who makes two selections
of their observed special and/or unique volunteer action/activity
during the Diva Week? Certificates !

> 5. Affordability.

How about a two activity event that requires receipts and the lowest
two priced events receives a gift from our sponsors/ vendors. Let the
participants be creative rather than us trying to it, yet we achieve the
objective.

> 6. Simplicity.

Let's make this a "behind the scenes" event. There are many event/show
rehearsals, or behind the scenes staff people who never get their
picture taken, let alone with a Diva Girl !!!. Can we have a "my
picture with ????", and they have them printed and placed on a "wall of
fame" at one of our dinners for everyone to see.** You have stretch me
beyond a pretzel.
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Hotels for DLV 2013:

This is really our only current time-sensitive item.

Annie writes:

First, a bit of history ...

For many years we simply nominated and voted upon hotels to be
named as our suggested hotel. Anything that passed the half plus
one threshold was one of our suggested hotels for that year. We
had as many as six at times.

Last year, the PMs presented the gang with a pre-screened slate
of three hotels and it was approved handily. Two of the suggested
hotels worked out well. Artisan had some issues.

Additionally, over the years on countless occasions we've been
teased by offers of "Special Group Rates" at various properties.
In all but two cases (Nora with San Tropez and Cynthia with Artisan)
these "Special Group Rates" were actually higher than cold call or
web rates!

Enough with history. :)
. . . . . . . . . .

This year things are quite different than any year in the recent
past.

1. The Imperial Palace, which has hosted DLV attendees in all of our
previous 16 years, and has been one of our suggested hotels as long
as we've been suggesting hotels, is undergoing a radical change to
become The Quad, with higher rates already showing up on the CET
reservation site.

2. The Artisan, which has been regarded as the "safest" hotel for
those shy of public exposure, garnered a significant number of
complaints last year.

We need to draw on the collective wisdom of the group in formulating
this year's hotel strategy.

What we want to avoid, however, is to end up with many hotels on our
suggested list and have our people fragmented all over! In order to
optimize our hospitality and community building, we need to have the
people concentrated as opposed to scattered.
. . . . .

JoAnn writes:

Before selecting a hotel this year we might do a survey of the top 5
things our volunteers "require" in a priority list for their hotel
stay. From this we may be able to establish the top three recommended
hotels.
. . . . .

Annie responds:

For my personal answers to JoAnn's "Top 5" request ...

1. Clean comfortable room at a decent price.

2. Fun casino with good selection of lower-limit machines and
frequent cocktail service.

3. 24 hour restaurant or coffee shop. Preferably not a chain place.

4. Within walking distance to other places. Convenient transportation.

5. An "oblivious or better" attitude toward our community.
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Administrivia:

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This mailing was addressed to: annie_at_annie.net

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Received on Sat Nov 17 2012 - 07:46:43 CST