In this mailing:
Org List
Ongoing items
Costume party
Survey results and looking forward
Administrivia
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Org List:
This is the DLV 2014 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.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Ongoing items:
The vote for the DLV 2014 dates is currently in progress.
Everyone who is of voting status should have received their DLV date
ballot by this time. If you are of voting status and have not received
your ballot, please write in and report it. It's very important that any
issues or irregularities be reported while the polls are open and not
after the outcome of the vote is known.
Since this is the first vote for the 2014 event, it's quite possible
that somebody may have accidentally been omitted.
We would like to encourage everyone who is of voting status to please
submit a vote, even it it's "abstain" if you truly have no preference on
the dates. Historically, our date votes have often been decided by very
small margins.
A reminder on one point here. When couples are involved, each individual
gets a vote, providing they both qualify for voting status.
. . . . .
This mailing contains the first of two (rather long) survey summaries
and the one below focuses on trouble spots and logistical issues. The
one next week will focus on suggestions.
Yes, it's long, but please give it a good once-over and comment if you
think of some ideas for improvement.
. . . . .
We have set a new record, by far, regarding the number of photos sent
in for any yearly event.
We have a total of 2189 images received, which is an all-time record!
Not everything received is in the staging area yet, but everything
should be in place by this coming weekend.
110 removal requests have been processed so far, covering about 5% of
the received images.
659 images have recorded one or more LIKEs. This covers about 24% of the
received images.
One thing that really helps is if you go through the staging areas and
"LIKE" the images that you think would be most appropriate for the
finished DLV 2013 follow-up pages. In particular, this really helps in
the case of multiple photos which are very similar to each other. The
number of LIKEs eliminates the guessworks as to which of similar images
will be best for the finished pages.
We're still on track for a September roll-out of the DLV 2013 pages.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Costume party:
Sherry writes:
> The EHM event is in need of new ideas and a costume party would be
> a great idea to add. Sherry, are you willing to cohost a crazy
> costume party at EHM next year?
I'd be happy to, Marisa. Do u have an idea for when it could be held and
a venue in mind?
Or, do u mean hold it AT the EHM Museum at the same time as the EHM
event, Marisa? That WOULD allow for racier costumes, but, would mean no
dancing or music. Would an event like that be well attended?
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Survey results and looking forward:
Annie writes:
I realize this item is long, but I think there's a lot of valuable
information contained within the survey reports.
There are a few areas in which I would like to see some focus of
attention in preparation for our next yearly event. All of them have
to do with assuring that our people have a smoother and more enjoyable
experience at our event.
In general, the majority reported good experiences. However, when there
are issues, those encountering them often times speak loudly.
. . . . . . . . . .
There were three specific reported issues which we can use as examples
of needs for better "information transfer" between us and attendees.
First was the case of someone driving in from several hundred miles
away and failing to bring enough information to make contact with the
group.
This was a registered attendee, not a "hang-arounder" and the logs show
that this person did indeed pick up the Large Final Mailing, at least
from a "penetration, however slight" perspective.
The individual drove to Las Vegas, checked in to a hotel far off the
beaten path, then drove to Harrah's, found nobody from the group to be
obvious, and then packed up, checked out, and drove back.
Some off-line speculation surmised that this may be a simple case of
cold feet, and the lack of contact during a brief appearance at Harrah's
was a convenient excuse to bail.
In any case, if there's something we can do to help prevent things like
this, we definitely want to do it.
. . . . .
Second was a returnee, this year a couple, who chose to stay far far
away from our suggested hotels and then had difficulty getting
badly-needed rides and interacting with others.
There has been some off-line chatter about this one, and one thing we
will be doing to try to help out in cases like this is to present some
information on getting around without a car. Ginger will be writing up a
"how to take the bus" guide and I will be adding notes on the Monorail
and the various casino shuttles.
Yes, I realize that quite a few of our people are too shy to take the
bus, but if people are willing to try it, this could be a way for some
who are on a tight budget and wish to stay away from the others to more
fully participate.
We do need to emphasize the importance of staying near others if rides
will be needed! We need to point out that staying far away in order to
save a few $$$ can be penny-wise and pound foolish.
See further notes on suggested hotel strategy below.
. . . . .
Third was an attendee (possibly a hang-arounder) reporting the need to
"Google" to get enough information to participate.
My initial response was that everything that was mentioned in the survey
response did appear in the Large Final Mailing, and I questioned if the
attendee had indeed received and read it.
The LFM is still on line if anyone wants to look at it and see if
anything is indeed missing. Everything mentioned in the complaint was
found to be well covered.
http://www.geekbabe.com/dlv/dlv2013/lfmfinal/lfm.html
One off-line remark was along the line that this individual may very
well have not registered, and therefore did not receive the LFM. Yes,
I'm aware we have a few non-registered hang-arounders, and we probably
are not going to be able to do too much about it.
An off-line suggestion was to add an "I don't care about all of the
options, just give me the {expletive} schedule" button to the custom
schedule page, which would then default to all items being displayed in
a generally convenient form.
I really don't think that we're missing any critical information, but
in cases like this it's not being received.
All three of the above cases have a common root in that attendees are
ignoring the information and suggestions we're making available to them.
. . . . . . . . . .
The survey gives us considerable valuable information about the 2013
event, much of which we can take away and use in planning the 2014 event
and others in years to come.
The entire reports for the 2013 survey are on line at these two URLs
here:
http://www.geekbabe.com/dlv/mydlv/mainforum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=2660
http://www.geekbabe.com/dlv/mydlv/mainforum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=2662
I would like to go over a number of the questions on the survey and
discuss the responses.
. . . . . . . . . .
The length of our event has been the topic of discussion over the years,
in particular since we downsized from a 7-day event to a 6-day event in
2007. Two particular questions are relevant to the length of the event.
+Average length of stay: 5.41 days.
This number did not change significantly when we went from seven days
back to 6. The related question ...
+Did you think DLV was too long or too short?
+It was too long: 8
+It was too short: 4
+It was just about right: 69
.. shows the "too long" responses to be creeping upward in recent
years. I am interpreting "It was too long" to mean that it is longer
than those answering "too long" can participate, due to such things as
personal schedule or budget.
The "just about right" is always the answer of the majority. My
conclusion is that we would gain very little in terms of a greater level
of participation and satisfaction by extending the event, and that
five-dot-something days is approaching a limit on the attendees' ability
to participate.
. . . . . . . . . .
+Approximate average age: 58.75
This number has been increasing slightly over the past several years and
I am interpreting that to be mainly an effect of the state of the economy
over the past few years. Those who are older are more likely to have the
means to attend.
Except for our first few years, we've always attracted a 50+ crowd and
it will probably stay that way. I do think we do a good job in planning
things which appeal to a very wide range of ages.
. . . . . . . . . .
+Genderqueer: 2
This is the first year when our survey has shown any responses for the
self-identity of any of the more contemporary terms.
Although no label of self-identity constitutes a majority of DLV
attendees, the plurality is clearly what I would call the classical
crossdresser. I do believe, however, that our program transcends any
self-identity classes and is of interest to those in the TG community
in general.
I do believe that our event is, in general, "too out" for many in our
community but I do not want to see us change anything. We have a good
numnber of safe venue activities and others which are mainstream but not
intimidating.
The related question ...
+ Would you prefer more activities be in mainstream venues, or more in
+ discreet or secluded or alternative venues?
+ I would prefer more secluded venues.: 8
+ I would prefer more mainstream venues.: 17
+ I think the balance was about right.: 55
.. always has answers tilted toward the mainstream, but also always has
a significant number of those who prefer safe venues. I interpret "would
prefer more mainstream" to be a preference for mainstream venues and not
a statement that we have too few mainstream activities.
The majority has always said that the balance is right, so I think we
are on the right track here.
. . . . . . . . . .
Hotel strategy:
Hotel responses this year show more write-in responses for the IP/Quad
than for any of our suggested hotels. However, I think we had a great
list of suggested hotels and the suggestions did what they were intended
to do, that is to offer suggestions for those who do not know the area,
and for those who wanted to be near other DLVers.
I'm sure that the popularity of the IP/Quad is simply the "inertia" and
familiarity that it has from our past years.
Since the situation at the IP/Quad is settling down, I'm sure that it
will again be on our suggested list for DLV 2014.
I think we need to be very very careful about any expansion of our list
of suggested hotels. Several mentioned to me that they would like to see
their favorite hotel added to the list.
We should always make these hotel suggestions from the perspective of
those who, for one reason or another (companionship, ride share, etc.)
need to be in a close proximity to others.
Over the past few years we've zeroed in on a strategy which seems to
work well, having one suggested hotel which is reasonable in price, one
which does not have the crowded hotel lobby, and another which is a bit
more upscale for those who prefer things that way.
. . . . . . . . . .
Newcomer indoctrination:
Our three Newcomer Open House sessions were rated moderately-high on the
enjoyment scale with definitely enough responses to consider the ratings
to be valid, but were they truly effective in doing what we wanted them
to do? (I don't know, I'm asking.)
+Newcomer Open House, Artisan: 4.11 (27 responses)
+Newcomer Open House, Artisan: 4.30 (20 responses)
+Newcomer Open House, Artisan: 4.40 (10 responses)
The sessions were indeed well-attended, but I do know that some who were
new skipped them for various "I don't think I need it" reasons.
One particular comment stands out:
+ I know this isn't what you want to hear, but you need a more formal
+ welcome or orientation for the new gurls. The welcome sessions were
+ good but it was everyone all standing around just shooting the bull
+ on everything else but what they needed to know. There's a lot of
+ confusion on what to do, where to go, who to go to, things like this.
I would like to hear some feedback on this. We've always resisted any
formal "orientation" session. Is there a need for it?
. . . . . . . . . .
Lunch With Ginger strategy:
The question regarding Lunch With Ginger was a one-shot intended to
confirm or refute some of the suspected reasons why participation in
LWG was not as large as we would like it to be.
+ If you did NOT participate in Lunch With Ginger, which of the
+ following best indicates your primary reason for not participating?
+ Inconvenient for my personal schedule.: 21
+ I had other specific plans for lunch.: 17
+ I avoided all or most daytime activities.: 10
+ I did not feel that I was welcome.: 4
+ I do not care for buffets and would prefer sit-down restaurants.: 3
+ Too expensive for me.: 3
+ Too exposed to the general public for my comfort.: 2
+ I did not know anyone else who would be there.: 2
+ I was persuaded by others to skip this.: 0
The reasons we suspected, such as expense, exposure, and dislike of
buffets, were way down in the single digits. By far, the most-cited
reasons for not attending were personal schedule related and not at all
"at fault" of the activity itself. The report we received in 2012 about
one who was actively discouraged from participating was clearly a
one-off.
Looking at the enjoyment scale ...
Lunch With Ginger, Harrah's Buffet: 4.0 (4 responses)
Lunch With Ginger, Stratosphere Buffet: 4.70 (10 responses)
Lunch With Ginger, LV Hotel Buffet: 4.0 (3 responses)
Lunch With Ginger, Makino LVPO-N 4.71 (7 responses)
Lunch With Ginger, Gold Coast Buffet: 4.80 (5 responses)
The better-attended LWG sessions (Monday, Thursday, Friday) did score
quite highly on the enjoyment scale. None of the sessions scored less
than 4.0. The lesser-attended ones (Sunday, Tuesday) scored lower.
As for comfort ...
+Lunch With Ginger, Makino LVPO-N: 3.14 (7 responses)
This one LWG session was clearly out of cluster and did have enough
responses to be meaningful. I believe that most likely it's just that
the venue, very out in the open in a busy shopping complex, was a bit
too exposed for several of those who participated.
Conclusion for LWG: Ain't broke. Don't need fixed! :)
I do know that Ginger has plans to expand the types of lunch venues,
and we shall see how this works.
. . . . .
+ I did not feel that I was welcome.: 4
+ I did not know anyone else who would be there.: 2
These responses affirm the need to increase our efforts in welcoming
the newcomers and assimilating them into the group.
And, for those who are not Ginger, even though Ginger is the default
lunch host(ess), everyone is invited to adopt this activity for one or
more days and we'll note it as Lunch With {you} on the schedule.
. . . . . . . . . .
The higher-end dining options were clearly a hit!
+ Ruth's Chris dining option: 4.90 (10 responses)
+ Pamplemousse dining option: 4.83 (6 responses)
+ Oscar's dining option: 4.66 (3 responses)
We'll work on ways to control the no-shows at things like this.
Our two mid-size dining sessions were also highly rated.
+ PF Changs Dinner, PF Chang - Planet Hollywood: 4.60 (30 responses)
+ Trevi Dinner, Trevi - Caesars: 4.64 (28 responses)
We're obviously doing something right here. Keep up the good work! :)
+ Flamingo Buffet option, Flamingo: 4.77 (9 responses)
+ Hofbrau dining option, Hofbrauhaus: 4.70 (10 responses)
+ Satay dining option, Satay: 4.42 (7 responses)
+ Mexican dining option, Ricardo's: 4.37 (8 responses)
+ Hard Rock dining option, Hard Rock Cafe Harmon: 4.25 (12 responses)
+ Artisan dining option, Artisan: 4.0 (10 responses)
Many of our smaller dining options were highly enjoyed too!
In my not so humble opinion, we're hitting that "sweet spot" regarding
the number of large, medium, and smaller evening dining sessions. Our
numbers for dining activities are very good for the most part.
. . . . . . . . . .
+ Girlfriend Party Makeovers, Bare Escentuals FSM: 4.62 (8 responses)
+ Macy's Makeovers, session 1: 5.0 (4 responses) (1 no-shows)
+ Macy's Makeovers, session 2: 5.0 (4 responses) (1 no-shows)
+ Macy's Makeovers, session 3: 5.0 (4 responses) (1 no-shows)
The "civilian" makeover sessions were very well liked. I do know that
there is one other "civilian" salon which wants our business as well.
. . . . . . . . . .
+ Mainstream Common Gathering, Margaritaville: 4.0 (5 responses)
+ Alternative Common Gathering, Drink And Drag: 3.86 (23 responses)
The D&D gathering was by far the more popular of the two, but for some
reason it scored out of cluster on the enjoyment scale. Let's be
thinking about our strategy for a "soft-opening first evening" and
see what we can come up with.
. . . . . . . . . .
+ Did you find yourself missing DLV activities because you either got
+ into a time crunch or were simply too tired from previous activites?
+ Seldom or never: 50
+ Occasionally: 23
+ Frequently: 4
I don't think we're really doing anything wrong from an organizational
perspective, but I do think we need to consider the attendees'
propensity to bite off more than they can chew and try to do more than
they can comfortably handle when we plan the day to day schedule.
We also need to make it known that we never intend for someone to do
everything. We can also emphasize that DLV can be very intense and it
is very easy to OD and burn out. :)
. . . . . . . . . .
+ Did you have any difficulty getting a ride to DLV activities?
+ Yes: 3
+ No: 70
Taking a deeper dive into the survey responses, the three who reported
difficulty stayed at Harrah's, Planet Hollywood, and Plaza.
As I look back at this question and the note from the couple which was
referred to above, I really think that transportation is not one of our
major issues regarding most attendees. However, from the perspective of
those who make the mistake of staying far-far away, transportation *IS*
a major issue and can positively kill enjoyment of the event! I think we
need to emphasize that if rides are needed, it's imperative to stay
within easy reach of others.
. . . . . . . . .
+ Did you have any difficulty finding the locations at which DLV 2013
+ activities were held?
+ Yes: 10
+ No: 67
and
+ Did you have any difficulty finding the group at any of our venues?
+ Yes: 11
+ No: 66
I think the lesson learned this year regarding finding the venue and
finding the group is to be very explicit about EXACTLY where to go and
where to meet the group, and exactly what to do if the group cannot be
easily found. Difficulties were reported even in some of the places
where our group should have been painfully obvious, such as the Artisan
and PF Chang.
. . . . . . . . . .
+ Did you find the online maps to be helpful?
+ Yes: 40
+ No: 6
+ I don't need a map: 26
For those who need a map, or just want one as a reference, I think that
the one using the Google Maps has worked out quite a bit better than our
previous hand-drawn maps.
+ What maps?: 5
Still, we do have a few "low information" cases here, but as long as
things like this stay down in the single digits I think we're in good
shape.
. . . . . . . . . .
+ Did you participate in our Big Sister program and if so, did you
+ find it to be helpful?
+ I had a Big Sister and I found the program to be helpful.: 3
+ I had a Big Sister and I did not find the program to be helpful.: 0
+ I was a volunteer Big Sister and had a positive experience.: 4
+ I was a volunteer Big Sister and my Little Sister was a no-show.: 1
+ I was a volunteer Big Sister and did not have a positive experience.: 0
+ I did not participate in the Big Sister program.: 71
+ I was unaware the Big Sister program existed.: 1
Excellent report on the Big Sister Program this year. Thanks to all who
helped out with it. No derogs at all. Only one "clueless" answer as
well. :)
. . . . . . . . . .
+ Many groups of the attendee's (were) very "clanish" as where many
+ of the DLV organizers and greeters. I saw many new B's lost and
+ wanting to talk to someone. and yes they where the ones that needed
+ help with clothing,
[bobbitt]
+ I know first hand how neglect can hurt the same as bad words and
+ looks.
and
[deletia]
+ The leaders were very sensitive and considerate to those new. ... The
+ regular DLV girls were stand-off-ish especially at first. They had
+ their own little circles and stayed with them. I didn't feel part of
+ the group until Friday at Bahama and Paris when they began warming
+ up to me.
I really don't think that anyone is being intentionally rude. However,
we get gigged on this each and every year, and we (this really falls
upon us, the volunteers to take the lead) definitely need to do all we
can to get rid of any and all reasons for attendees feeling left out!
Comments, please ... (I shiver with antici ... ...)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Administrivia:
This is the Diva Las Vegas 2014 organizational list.
One address for all items regarding this list, additions, removals,
changes, submissions, questions, etc.:
dlvorg_at_geekbabe.com <--- NOTE: all lower case
Diva Las Vegas 2014
Dates to be announced autumn of 2013
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Archives of this list appear on the web at:
http://www.geekbabe.com/annie/org14arc/
To unsubscribe: Simply reply to this message with the word UNSUBSCRIBE
in either the Subject: field or the first line of an OTHERWISE BLANK
message body. The word "unsubscribe" (case is insignificant) should be
the only item in the subject field or the first line of the message,
justified to the left.
To send material to this list: Send submission as regular e-mail to
the address: dlvorg_at_geekbabe.com
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Received on Thu Jul 11 2013 - 07:05:55 CDT
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.2.0 : Wed May 14 2014 - 06:50:30 CDT