[dlvorg] Welcome Celebration - Comments and feedback please ...

In this mailing:

Org List
Welcome Celebration status
Options to be considered
Comments on the options
Bob writes
Linda writes
Marisa writes
Administrivia
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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.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Welcome Celebration status:

This mailing focuses on the findings of the team headed up by Cami and
Kandi regarding the options for our Welcome Celebration on Monday of DLV
week.

It also covers the comments and concerns which have come in from you,
the volunteers.

All items received which to not pertain to the Welcome Celebration will
appear in a subsequent mailing.

It is important to note that we are in no particular hurry. Time is on
our side and we have plenty of runway and plenty of altitude so to
speak.

A comfortable goal is to have a clear direction on our Welcome
Celebration plans by mid January or so. We have plenty of time to
discuss and consider options, but we need to continue to move forward
so we do not find ourselves caught in a crunch.
. . . . .

What we mostly need now are your comments and thoughts!

We need comments from those who are newly out regarding the exposure
factors of the potential venues.

We need comments from individuals and couples regarding the proposals as
a whole and the price point.

We need comments from people who have dietary restrictions (or who may
simply be picky eaters) regarding the menu items.

Most of all, if there are any factors that you see that would tend to
discourage participation in either of the options, we need to know about
it.

Bottom line: "Are these options something that you would like to do?"

To reiterate, by simply commenting on the two options presented, you
will not be jumped upon to do any work. We already have volunteers to
take the lead on these. (Those suggesting additional options may be
called upon to do the legwork, however.) :)
. . . . .

The team has removed Firefly Paradise from consideration, mainly due to
the fact that they appear to be unwilling to bend on some very steep
deposit and prepayment issues.

If anyone is a fan of Firefly and wishes to give it another shot, please
feel free to do so.

The team has added a replacement option, Carmine's, which they visited
last October. This is a newly-opened Las Vegas branch of a long-standing
Upper West Side Italian joint in Manhattan, which also has a spin-off in
the Times Square area. This is located in the Forum Shops complex in
Caesars Palace.
. . . . .

A spreadsheet noted below appears on the web. If anyone would like the
original spreadsheet, please write in. Likewise a collection of various
menus, proposals, prices, etc., exist in the form of Word documents. If
anyone would like to see these documents, please write in.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Options to be considered:

Cami writes:

We have ruled out Firefly, specifically because of the deposit
requirements.

Attached is a spreadsheet listing some of the plusses and minuses of
Carmine's and Bucca.

[ Moderator's note: A "webified" version of this sheet is here: ]

http://www.geekbabe.com/dlv/dlv2014/wc/welcomeanalysis.html

I would recommend Carmine's as stated. I believe the only 2 concerns are
the walk thru the mall to Carmine's of 100 yards or so and a back valet
entry can be used to minimize the walk.

Second is the price of dinner, which in either case is mid $30's and
they are slightly lower. We are in Vegas and if we want a decent venue
the dining cost is going to be reflective of the location. If we want
good food and plenty of it, Carmine's is the place. If Carmine's is
chosen,

I would be willing to take the lead and host it with some others help.
If not chosen, it would still be a great location for a lunch or dinner.
In keeping with the Family Style dining theme, perhaps we can name the
Welcome Celebration "Diva's Family Reunion Party" or something.
. . . . . . . . . .

Kandi writes:

RE: Firefly

Firefly did not give as favorable terms (50% deposit) as the other two
restaurants along with a reduced menu selection and a higher cost per
person. This is a disappointment since their food and service were
excellent at every visit I made there. So, I suggest Firefly would make
a great lunch or smaller gathering for Dinner (~20 people) so
reservations with advance payment would not be required. Lunch with
Ginger is one possibility here.

RE: Buca

Buca offers favorable terms, reasonable pricing and a good Italian menu.
The lighting is soft with Italian themed decor, a separate dining area
at no additional cost but it is not private. The bar is located in
another room and the servers will get our drinks if we choose to stay in
the Dining area. Parking is easy, free and convenient. Maybe this place
is appropriate for another night's gathering.

RE: Carmine's

When we visited Camine's, they went out of their way to accommodate us
and offered good terms, private upstairs Dining room with separate
restrooms. The lighting is bright with wood floors and nice decor. I
think this place is a strong option for DLV.

I want to also convey my personal preferences and make the distinction
that I may not represent the popular opinion. For me, I like soft
lighting for Dinner (IE: Buca). I have food allergies (dairy) and got
sick after my meal here. This probably means their dairy is fresh and I
had a typical reaction to it. This has no reflections on their food
quality, though. For my personal decision depends on if I would walk the
Caesar's Mall, again. It's a long distance from the parking lot into
this restaurant. It was very stressful for me.

I achieved my goals during my June & Oct. trips to Vegas by having
meetings with these restaurants and gathering the information. The DLV
group needs to select which option fits the schedule best. All of these
restaurants would be a popular option in the proper timeslot.
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Comments on the options:

Annie writes:

First of all, I would like to personally thank Cami, Kandi, and team for
taking this on and sticking with it. It's been a lot of work and I know
I speak for the volunteers when I say that we truly appreciate it!

Personally, I'm not married to any of the proposals. What I want to see
for Monday evening is the plan that gives us the maximum turnout and the
maximum overall enjoyment and satisfaction.

I'm going to speak very freely here, as if I never do. :)

My major concerns with both of the proposals (Buca and Carmine's) are
the price points!

The one thing that we need to keep in mind is that we in no way have
a captive audience, unlike other events! Our people have options and
history has shown that they will use them (translated: go elsewhere
for the evening) if things do not appear to be to their liking.

Another concern of mine is the limited menu on both options.

We do have some picky eaters! On one side of the spectrum we have
hardcore carnivores and junk food junkies ("that's not food, that's what
food eats") and on the other end we have those who will not eat anything
that moos, clucks, swims, or comes from any creature that does!

One key to the success of our 2010 WC was the full menu. Ditto for the
continuing successes of Bahama Breeze, PF Changs, and Trevi.

The combination of the price points and the limited menus gives me the
feeling that a good number of our people will choose to eat elsewhere.

I'm sure that with either option as presented, we can expect some to
join the group for drinks and socializing, but to take regular tables at
Buca or Carmine's and order off of the regular menu in lieu of the group
menu, as noted below.

The Carmine's option offers a particular challenge. It's right in the
middle of a very busy complex! People, civilians, galore! If we go with
this, we will need to come up with plans to mitigate this.

The note about the complainers (below) is an interesting data point. My
hunch is that they were in actuality few in number, but vocal enough to
be significantly annoying to the staff.
. . . . .

What I would like to envision for our 2014 Welcome Celebration would be
along the lines of what we had in 2009 at the Blue Ox and what we had in
2010 at the Firefly Plaza. Both of these were totally packed and they
scored above 4.5 on the survey enjoyment scale. These are often cited as
two of our most successful activities of all time.

These were very simple in design. Happy Hour at 6:00pm, optional dinner
at 7:00pm, Quality Social Time after. In both cases these broke up
naturally between 9:00 and 10:00pm as people wandered on to the
postprandial activities.

Comments?
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Bob writes:

My friends and I would rather do an all-you-can-eat at Firefly than an
expensive menu at Buca + having a private room seems more viable.
. . . . . . . . . .

Annie responds:

Bob, I did not get the impression that the proposed menu from Firefly
was all you can eat. IIAC, it's a number of small plates and when they
are gone, that's it. Kandi/Cami, correct me if I am wrong on this
please.
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Linda writes:

Buca di Beppo vs Firefly Paradise:

As I have never been to any of the Firefly restaurants, I can't comment
on them.

However I was at a reunion dinner at Buca di Beppo nearly 4 years ago
(will be 4 years in March) with approximately 20 people. The food was
fine but the drinks were expensive. I arrived a little early so ordered
a draft beer at the bar, expecting it to cost somewhere between two to
five dollars, but was shocked to find that it was almost ten dollars.

This seems to be even more exorbitant than prices at the Artisan!

Therefore, wherever we go, I suggest that we find out drink prices in
advance and get a guarantee that they will not be increased for our
event, as Artisan apparently did last year.
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Marisa writes:

If 30 or more eat the banquet menu,some dine the off regular menu at
either restaurant and others eat some place else,it's kind of like 3
dining options. Then coming together to socialize, but where?
. . . . .

The assistant banquet manager that I dealt with at FF in 2010 is gone,
the person in that position now, worked as a waitress for us then and
pointed out twice that she remembers our group to be complainers.

Business at their new location is doing really good, so they will
probably stand firm on the contract presented.

How many people are going to want the limited item banquet menu, when
the regular menu has over 50 choices, especially anyone that has seen
what they have to offer.

I would think that non-banquet payers probably can't mingle in the
banquet room until they're done serving also and then that room could
work for the WC if they let us stay after the meal.

Do we want to consider the 3 or 4 dining options and then everyone meet
somewhere for the WC in one location like we did in 2012?

Meeting at the EHM could be an option. I'll ask if admission could be
reduced if we have about 100, but it's not too bad of a deal with the
most expensive drink costing $7. Other than that, Sherry and I would
like Thursday for the EHM Fantasy ball.
. . . . .

It looks as if Buca and FF charge the full bill to the credit card
holder, who then would need to collect from each diner. Does the
quoted price include gratuity?

Could P F Chang be a dining option if there is interest in meeting at
the EHM for the WC?

Could FSE work for the WC like we did in 2012? The whole group could
meet at the Brass lounge after 3 or 4 dining options. The 3rd St.area by
the Mob bar has gone through a big remodel project and may have
possibilities also. I have given up on trying to find one restaurant/bar
that can accommodate our whole group like Bahama Breeze does!
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Received on Sun Nov 17 2013 - 01:46:15 CST