[dlvorg] Follow-up and analysis of DLV 2015 ... from Diva Las Vegas organizers on 2015-04-15 (org15arc)

From: Diva Las Vegas organizers <dlvorg_at_geekbabe.com>
Date: Wed, 15 Apr 2015 07:04:47 -0500 (CDT)

In this mailing:

Org List
Following up on DLV 2015
Check splitting
Name tags and checking in
Final Gathering
Activity reports
Behavior
Trevi Closing Activity attendance guarantee
Activity headcounts
Still missing in action
Administrivia
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Org List:

This is the DLV 2015 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.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Following up on DLV 2015:

Annie writes:

Now is the time to review and analyze our recent event.

"Think critically - To question is the answer!"

Among the questions we want to ask ourselves, are:

1. What worked?
2. What issues we encountered?
3. Lessons learned?

The floor is now open for comments and discussion regarding any of
the above questions or related items.
. . . . . . . . . .

Thanks to those who have sent in activity reports and numbers. Please
keep 'em coming!
. . . . . . . . . .

Latest numbers:

Our current headcount stands at 122 as of this time, which is admittedly
surprisingly low.

Confirmations and sighting reports have dropped off and it will probably
be when those who were not counted do not get the links to the photo
staging area that they will finally report in.

My guess is that the final number will be 130-ish, which is a
significant decrease from recent years. This decrease is, however, well
in line with what's been reported at the other major TG events. Due to
our issues with check-in and such (see below), our final count this year
will most likely not include everyone who was indeed present.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Check splitting:

Gina writes:

I was absolutely dismayed over the ridiculousness of the check splitting
issue and I only went to one major event Trevi.

I generally rate the groups I dine with by how easy it is to collect
money for a split dinner check, with most people I hang with, everybody
just throws an appropriate amount of money into the middle of the table
and often I end up returning some money or leaving a really awesome tip.
I rate those groups as my favorite.

On the other end of the spectrum, there are those who try to figure out
their exact charge, tip, tax etc. and without fail, they don't do it
right. This is the typical DLV group. And rather than fight with
everybody over the bill I usually just make up the difference.

I've never seen people so worried about $5 or $10.... To me, the
camaraderie is worth so much more than that. I guess that is why my
close friends and I tend to not have dinners with the group very often.
. . . . . . . . . .

Annie responds:

The number one issue this year has to be check splitting.

I've now attended DLV for 19 years, and this year I heard more griping
about check splitting than I remember for all previous years combined!

I'm beginning to wonder if the complaining on this may be, at least in
part, orchestrated or coordinated.

Our big challenge is that for larger groups, there are few restaurants
that are willing to do separate checks. Bahama Breeze seems to be the
rare exception. Trevi seems to go back and forth. In 2012 it was one
check per table, and the table I was with had no problem doing it, nor
do I remember hearing any complaints. In 2013 we were pleasantly
surprised to receive separate checks!

I honestly do not know how we can get around the one check per table
issue with many venues. It may be an evil we have to accept in return
for being allowed to order from the full menu.

I will issue this "challenge" to all who consider check splitting to be
a major issue. Pound the pavement! Find us more venues which are willing
to serve larger groups using separate checks. The alternative may be to
cut back on larger dining activities.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Name tags and checking in:

Vera writes:

We need to talk about this and discuss some points.

These are my points.

1. Do we need name tags?

I noticed that numerous people after Monday were not wearing their name
tags. I hate to think that all the time and effort Dennis (or someone
else in the future) puts into making them is futile.

I like the name tags because

(A) They're important to help people remember people they haven't seen
in a year. Many of the gals make life long friends at Diva and continue
communicating throughout the year, so for these folks the name tags may
not be that important.

(B) It is always nice to address someone by name when conversing with
them. Should we just have people introduce themselves, and hopefully
remember the person's name later on in the week when they cross paths
again?

2. Checking in....

(A) maybe each coordinator of an event should have a copy of the final
list of names of attendees so they can check off the names of their
events' attendees. This would help with the final count and hopefully
eliminate those "MIA's". As far as name tags we can have one central
distribution point for those who want one.

(B) Maybe in the initial on-line registration process the person can be
asked "Will you be needing a name tag? YES or NO.

Annie responds:

Thanks for the thoughts, Vera.

Let's think critically about the questions you have raised:

> 1. Do we need name tags?

I personally think we do need some kind of a name tag, both from a
strictly personal ease of recalling names perspective, and from that of
the organization.

> I hate to think that all the time and effort Dennis (or someone
> else in the future) puts into making them is futile.

One problem with doing tags as we've done for most of our most recent 12
years is that there's a lot of wastage, both in terms of material and
effort.

Let me re-ask the question in this form:

Do we need name tags that are pre-printed with individual names?

I say "probably not" but I do admit that the pre-printed tags look much
nicer and it's my impression that pre-printed tags are more likely to be
worn than hand-written ones.

In 2010 we tried something different. We had blank name tags printed
with the DLV logo. Attendees filled in their names using sharpies.

In 2011 we went back to pre-printed tags, mainly due to my observation
that the pre-printed tags looked better and were more likely to be worn.

If we decide to continue with name tags with pre-printed names, we do
need to come up with more of an organized scheme to make the tags
available to the attendees. If 80-some tags were distributed, that means
that about 1/3 of those present did not have the opportunity to pick up
their tags.

For some years we made an effort to hand off the check-in kits to those
who would cover various activities. This process did not work well and
was somewhat confusing and very error-prone.

Another technique we tried was to make 2-3 check-in kits with each
containing a complete set of pre-printed tag inserts. That is a lot
of wasted paper, but the tag inserts are relatively cheap and the
additional copies are almost trivial to print once the first set is
done.
. . . . .

Now let's shift gears slightly and talk about the one experimental
"feature" we tried this year, the QR codes on the back of the tags.

Those who took the survey may have noticed a "missing" question and that
is regarding the use of the QR codes printed on the back of the tags.
The reason that no question of this nature appeared on the survey is
because it is very easy to see how many used them by examining the
server system logs.

During the course of the event, we got just over 80 "hits" on the
Attendee Information Portal which came from QR scans. These 80-some hits
came from just over 30 unique codes (individual or couple).

This means that just over 1/3 of the people (couples) who picked up
their name tags scanned them at least once, and of those who used the
feature, they averaged about 2 1/2 scans per person or couple.

This is a higher level of use than I was expecting!

Anyway, shifting back ...
. . . . .

> 2. Checking in....

Let's ask the question: Do we need some kind of a means of recording
who is present? (Commonly referred to as "checking in.")

I would say "yes" to that question for several reasons, most of which
should be obvious.

A related question: Does name tag distribution need to be closely
coupled with checking in?

I would say "probably not", other than for the fact that it's very
convenient to mark someone as present when handing out their name tag.

> (A) maybe each coordinator of an event should have a copy of the
> final list of names of attendees so they can check off the names

My next question is along the line of how many Coordinators would be
willing to do this?

Yes, it is very possible to have check-in at every activity where one of
the Coordinators is willing to take names.

We could indeed provide the Coordinators with paper copies of the roster
for them to check off and turn in.

We also have another method which has been available since 2014, and
that is a check-in screen that is accessible via smartphone, netbook,
etc. Every volunteer has, if they choose to use it, the option to do
check-in at any activity where there is a phone network and/or a WIFI
signal.

This year I was the only one who used this. I did an on-line check-in at
most of the activities I attended. In total I did 42 check-ins this
year, most of whom also appeared on the Vera-Dennis roster, but 12 who
did not, and would not have been counted had I not been doing this. I'm
sure that if we had more volunteers doing check-in, we would have fewer
uncounted attendees.

> As far as name tags we can have one central distribution point for
> those who want one.

The closest thing we will have (with our current model) to a central
facility will be the venues of our most-attended activities.

For many years we've had suggestions of having some kind of a central
"office" or "headquarters" where such things as check-in, name tag
distribution, etc., would occur.

For this to happen, it means that somebody has to pay for it, and
somebody has to staff it.

For it to be effective, it has to be very convenient for our people.

All of the three above points (cost, staffing, convenience) need to
be taken care of if such a thing is to work!

> Maybe in the initial on-line registration process the person
> can be asked "Will you be needing a name tag? YES or NO.

Very easy to implement, if we decide to do this.

> (C) any thoughts on using the peel 'n stick paper name tags?

We tried these once, the very simple Avery "Hello, my name is" type.
They were worn once, at the opening gathering, and seldom if ever after.

Comments on all aspects of name tags and checking in are welcome.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Final Gathering:

Vera writes:

I know it has been a struggle to find an adequate location that will
accomodate our large group for the final dinner and farewell hasta la
vista celebration.

I appreciate all the work the Final Event coordinators have done to make
this event a memorable event for all of us. It's too bad that certain
things happen to put a damper on the event.

(A) Some leave before Friday for whatever reason (the Roll Off people),

(B) Stay away from a certain venue because they perceive it as beyond
what they want to spend for the dinner they are getting.

I did hear some of the gals had eaten dinner somewhere else before
arriving at the Trevi Farewell event. This made me think why not make
the Farewell event just a Watering Hole/Dancing type event and leaving
the gals to eat at the location of their choice, then gathering for the
drinking and dancing at the Paris or some other location.

Is it thst vital we all get together at the end as a large group?

I think the Welcome event is important and should remain intact as it
is. On the other hand, by the time Friday rolls around the number of
gals who have not Rolled Off and are still in town, I feel, shouldn't
present a challenge to fit at a bar like the Paris so we can say our
final goodbyes for the year.

Maybe smaller groups at different bars for the Final event might work as
well. Maybe I'm wrong.... comments?
. . . . . . . . . .

Annie responds:

Pardon me if this is long ...

Let's again think critically. Do we need and want a final major
gathering?

I would say most definitely yes. Our model does not easily facilitate
opportunities for (most of) the entire group to get together. I think
that we need to explicitly plan for two major gatherings, one toward the
beginning of the event and the other toward the end of the event.

Another critical question: Does the ending final gathering need to be on
the final evening of the event?

To this I say no, particularly if we continue to experience roll-off in
attendance and participation as the week goes on.

A few historical notes here ...

Prior to 2010 we were plagued with weak (or as Michelle called them,
"fizzle-out") endings. We tried having one larger ending gathering
almost each year, but the attendance and enthusiasm level never met
what we would consider ideal.

Then in 2010, things changed. We ended on a Friday. Things clicked and
we had very strong beginning and ending major gatherings. The apparent
reason at the time was that more of our people appeared to be willing to
stay through Friday when we ended on a Friday, than were willing to stay
over if we ended on a Saturday or Sunday.
. . . . .

Now let's look at some numbers ...

To make this next point I'm citing, from recent years, the enjoyment
ratings on our major gatherings in 2010 and later.

+2010:
+HH, Dinner, Welcome, Firefly, Monday: 4.53
+HH, Dinner, Social, Bahama Breeze, Friday: 4.76

This (2010) was the strong ending we waited over a decade to see. The
dinner at BB was followed by dancing at Paris and a good percentage of
the crowd followed from BB to Paris.
. . . . .

In 2011, recent history repeated itself, and we had another year of very
strong beginning and ending gatherings:

+2011:
+Happy Hour, Dinner, Welcome Celebration, Artisan, Monday: 4.51
+Happy Hour, Dinner, Farewell, Bahama Breeze, Friday: 4.77

Again, BB was followed by Paris on the final evening.
. . . . .

For 2012, we tried a variation on the theme, where for the opening
kick-off we had several dinner venues and one common gathering:

+2012:
+Welcome Celebration, Drink and Drag, Monday, April 23: 4.37
+Farewell Celebration, Bahama Breeze, Friday, April 27: 4.71

Our Welcome Celebration at D&D in 2012 remains our single best attended
gathering in our history!
. . . . .

Then for 2013 we tried a rewind-replay of what worked well in 2011.

+2013:
+Welcome Meet And Greet, Artisan, Monday: 4.22
+Farewell Celebration, Bahama Breeze: 4.85

It worked fairly well, but the drink prices at the Artisan were very
high and several complaints (and lower ratings) occurred.
. . . . .

For 2014 we did kind of a flip-flop. We held the opening gathering at
Bahama Breeze and used Carmine's, a previously unused venue, for the
ending gathering.

+2014:
+HH, Dinner, Welcome Celebration, BB, Monday: 4.66
+Happy Hour and Dinner, Carmine's, Friday: 4.12

The ending evening did not work! Had we not broken out the entertainment
portion of the program on a separate line item of the survey, the final
enjoyment rating would have been much lower. The comedian scored 2.53 on
the enjoyment scale.
. . . . .

Most recently, we tried a strategy similar to that of 2014 but using
Trevi (familiar to our group and well-tested) for the closing gathering.

2015:
Welcome Celebration, HH and Dinner Bahama Breeze, Monday
Farewell Celebration, HH and dining, Trevi, Friday

We won't have the survey numbers until later this month, but my guess is
that we will see an enjoyment rating for the opening gathering in the
same range as we did in 2014, and an enjoyment rating for the closing
gathering higher than what we saw in 2014 but not as high as for the
opening gathering in either year.

Do we see a pattern here? (Yes, we do!) :)

When we did BB for the closing gathering, it rated very high very
consistently and dropped off slightly when we did BB on Monday.

My conclusions from looking at the history and the numbers include:

We need a stronger venue for the closing gathering than we do for the
opening gathering.

Bahama Breeze is a better fit for the closing gathering than it is for
the opening gathering.

Now is the time, while things are fresh in everyone's minds, to talk
about the strategy and implementation of our major gatherings.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Activity reports:

Delaney writes:

Pamplemousse had 6, up from the scheduled 3. There were two that let me
know in advance, which was fine, and one who "registered" directly with
the restaurant, however it appears she was assigned to another,
unrelated group at the venue, which caused some cramping at our table
after it was sorted out.

The venue adjusted and served us on sushi platters rather than round
place settings, which helped. It wasn't a big deal, but "adding" on the
spot at smaller venues is tougher than at large places like PF Chang's
or the like; those wishing to add at the last minute really do need to
call the coordinator (s).

Several girls commented to me about some significant "under-dressing"
for the event, the same as in past years. I'm not quite sure what to do
about it.

However, I have four places on my "short list" for next year (Pample,
Alize, Giada, Scarpetta, maybe Nove) each of which may result in a
similar issue, so I suppose I'll need to figure it out.

Although the waiter who normally serves us and goes the extra mile for
us was off that night, the venue was hospitable, and everyone seemed to
enjoy the meal. I really would like to come up with a 9:30 or 10 PM
event to follow, but I haven't really found anything suitable (all
dressed up and nowhere to go), perhaps next year.
. . . . .

Annie responds:

Delaney, how underdressed were these individuals? Were they indeed not
dressed appropriately for the venue, or were they just less dressy than
the other DLV attendees?
. . . . . . . . . .

Dionne writes:

Art Of Shibari (Art Square Theater) - 3

This was a one-time special event on the first Sunday afternoon. It was
tastefully done, educational and entertaining. The door prize was an
original photo worth about $75, signed by the artist. There were about 2
dozen in total attendance with only 3 DLV'rs there.

> Lunch Without Ginger seemed to hold its own, with only one
> session (Tuesday) reporting a disappointing turnout.

It is possible my luncheon with 19 in attendance drew attendees away
from the LwG event. During the original planning of the Tuesday
luncheons, we planned them as separate events. There seems to be a
procedural condition against combining these luncheons. Maybe we can
review this again.
. . . . .

Annie responds:

I'm very surprised that the turnout for Shibari was so low! I really
expected that to be SRO with many DLVers in attendance.

As for LWG on Tuesday, Tuesday was one of the more intense days as far
as daytime activities are concerned. Golf was the big gun, and probably
siphoned off several potential LWG people.

I was personally at The Center, otherwise I would have made it.

That makes three activities, one of which was a luncheon, competing with
LWG for potential participants that day, and when that is taken into
consideration, it's easy to see why LWG turnout was low on Tuesday. Take
those who would otherwise attend, subtract those doing golf, subtract
those at The Center, and subtract those doing the Figure Workshop and
you get a rather low number.

The concern about having the Figure Workshop Lunch as our official
"Lunch With" on Tuesday was twofold.

First was the convenience/distance factor. Convenience was the number
one cited item on our Lunch/Hotel Survey last November. Blue Ox is about
a five mile drive from our suggested hotels, or a $15 taxi ride.

Second is the commercial aspect of the Blue Ox luncheon.

There are still concerns expressed that we are getting "too commercial"
and we do need to be sure that we don't get too cozy with any particular
commercial interests, nor let the commercial activities dominate our
event.
. . . . . . . . . .

Vanessa writes:

Attendance figures for the Trap Shooting at the the Clark County
Shooting Sports Complex were only 3 shooters.... and I won the Annie
Oakley award and Chrissie came in second and Laura was the third
attendees. Beautiful facility and the staff was very accommodating but
the site is simply too far away from the strip to get good attendance.

High Tea was more successful.... eight attendees out of nine
reservations.... they still gave us a private room for the tea and a
very nice time. Attendees were Vanessa, Danielle, Gina, Terri, Sherrie,
Joann, Nicole and Laura.

Great job Annie and hope to see you next year.
. . . . . . . . . .

Robin (with the "I") writes:

In response to attendance to events, I did the fragrance seminar. Sorry
to report that I was the only one who attended. The sales person from
Nordstrom was very nice and understanding. She basically did a sales
demonstration for the diptyque line of fragrances. I would not recommend
this activity again next year due to poor attendance.
. . . . .

Annie responds:

I am very surprised the Fragrance Seminar was not well attended. I was
assuming that at least some of those present at LWG on Friday (we held
it at FSM specifically so it would seque' into the Fragrance Seminar)
did not attend!

IMAO (I think I said this before) I would think that such an activity
would work much better toward the beginning of the event than on the
final day.
. . . . . . . . . .

Vera writes:

Texas de Brazil Meat Orgasm.....

Prior to DLV I saw the # of people who had signed up or expressed an
interest was at 16. I had called TOB to confirm the reservation and
informed the personnel that the table would be for 20. I figured this
gave me some wiggle room to puck up a couple more, which was the case
when on Monday someone asked if she and her spouse could join us.

The final total was 12 which turned out to be the original number I was
counting on (before I saw 16 had signed up). Although we had a great
experience, and we all seemed to have enjoyed the evening getting
stuffed on meat, but we don't need to redo it again.... been there, done
that.
. . . . . . . . . .

Katie writes:

Coffee mornings tally. Hi Gang.

I am pleased to say that the coffee gatherings went very well and I
would like to thank all who took the time to come and sit with us along
and said Hi. We had several new DLV attendees there but as far as I know
No newly out girls.

As usual we did not have huge numbers in attendance but honestly ladies,
I really Do prefer it that way because we can have easily heard group
conversations and I can devote more time to being inclusive with the
newer girls and those who do not look quite as confident as the

Monday we had around 10 or 11, Tuesday, Probably due to the early
golfing start we had only 3... Wednesday, = 4 or 5... Thursday, 5...
Friday, 4 or 5.

Unfortunately I had to leave right after KKK on Friday as my DLV week
came to an end at that point so if anyone else arrived I did not see them.

All in all I have to say that My week went in a terrific direction. I had my
very best time at D L V to date I think. Maybe this is because I am just
more at home in my chosen second world now, but I know one thing for sure.

That Diva Las Vegas has played a crucial part in how I feel about myself
today. Each year gets easier and I find that the last 3 years of coffee
mornings have started my DLV days off perfectly and set the tone for some
nice days and great evenings in Vegas.

So thanks chief orgs'. You did a great job yet again.
. . . . . . . . . .

Dionne writes:

Meet Dr. Victoria (EHM) report

This event was held on Wed. afternoon, 3/25 from 1-3 pm. I arrived early
to help setup, paid the $20 admission and helped to welcome the guests.
The total headcount for this event was 19. It included both veterans and
newcomers.

This event was an experiment that combined the EHM tours with the
midnight group discussion that was formerly held after the Fantasy Ball.
The Hustler rooftop has been converted into its own nightclub, so the
group discussion couldn't happen.

The causal buffet lunch was well received with plenty for all. Some
friendly chatter among the guests happened with new friendships started.
I introduced Dr. Victoria (& forgot to intro myself). She lead another
thoughtful discussion on interesting gender topics.

One obvious advantage of this timeslot was the lack of inebriated DLVrs
to throw the discussion off-track.

Only one criticism of this event was mentioned, the fact the discussion
went long (~1 hour, 45 minutes).

I must take ownership of this, since it was my job to keep the
timeclock.

I enjoyed the discussion so much, I admit I was distracted and didn't
mind the clock.

Dr. Victoria confirmed she was happy with the event and would be glad to
conduct it again for us.

As a suggestion for next time, I recommend renaming this event so it
doesn't sound like just a meet & greet luncheon.

I would gladly return as the hostess for next time, as well.
. . . . . . . . . .

Annie responds:

Thanks to all for submitting the reports. Please keep them coming.
Comments, feedback, and additional reports on any activities are welcome
from all.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Behavior:

Gina writes:

The cigar smoker was my friend Crisse, probably. If someone would have
asked her to not smoke, she wouldn't. I know the two nights I was there,
she asked everyone around, before lighting up. She has one cigar a night.
Its certainly not a BDR issue.
. . . . . . . . . .

Dionne writes:

> She: What's with the cigar? (pointing at one of our attendees)

I noticed this also at Paris. The cigar in question was a Manly size.
Maybe we can offer some feminine suggestions for those who smoke.
Quitting is the best option for obvious health reasons.
. . . . . . . . . .

Linda writes:

I didn't attend "Dancing at Paris" on Thursday, but I was there Monday
and Friday.

On Monday, I had to leave an hour or two earlier than intended because
of the cigar smoke, which gave me a splitting headache. (Cigarette smoke
gives me headaches too, but not nearly as bad.)

Then Wednesday night at the Fantasy Ball, I happened to meet the cigar
smoker (sitting next to me, I forgot her name) and she asked me if I
would mind if she smoked a cigar. I mentioned that cigar smoke gives me
headaches, so she offered to move to a part of the room that wasn't
occupied (to the left of the stage) to smoke her cigar. She also told me
that on Monday at Paris, she had asked the people closest to her if they
would mind if she smoked a cigar and everyone she asked was okay with
it. The problem is, of course, that cigar smoke goes farther than just
the people closest to you.
. . . . . . . . . .

Annie responds:

I say that if cigar smoking and check splitting were our most
significant issues this year, we had a very smooth-running event.

However (comma) ...

In recent years we've had far fewer behavior-related complaints than we
did in the early 2000s. However, since 2010 we have had a series of
complaints (attention-getting outfits, face masks, cigar smoking) all of
which have two common factors. 1. They annoy others, and 2. They attract
attention (to the group as a whole) in a manner which other attendees do
not like.

Rather than suggest options for smokers (who are actually way in the
minority if our recent surveys are correct) I think a more effective
approach would be to circle back to the emphasis of consideration of
others and the "do not have your fun at the expense of others" principle
that we had to introduce ca. 2004.

As I think back to the complaint I fielded, (and I do commend the
reporting party for bringing it to our attention in real time as opposed
to waiting and complaining on the survey) the complaint was both about
the annoyance (odor, smoke) and the impression it was making on the
"civilians" present in the area.

I was willing to confront if the complainer requested it. I admit I was
bracing myself for a hostile response. I did not know the individual in
question, but I was reasonably sure she was with our group.

Everyone (rank and file and volunteers, myself included,) seems to be
extremely hesitant to confront! Of those times that a "consultation" was
made regarding one's behavior or dress, very few resulted in a win-win.
Most of them could be described as absolute train wrecks! :(

I think the answer to this is to increase the level of awareness of all
to the fact that behaviors such as those cited above do annoy others
and consideration is appreciated.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Trevi Closing Activity attendance guarantee:

JoAnn writes:

It was a very enjoyable evening and I appreciate Laura's coordinating it
and being the Event Photographer.

We had a problem with our attendees not spending the minimum Trevi
contract ($3,000) requirement we had anticipated.

The Organization Group was super by stepping up and contributing funds
for the "shortfall". This support was a very proud moment for me because
I felt supported when negotiating a reduced amount for the "shortfall
payment".

So some thoughts going forward (lessons learned) about avoiding such a
problem in the future ...

(1) Any guarantee our Coordinators make in our behalf should be based on
a set per head dollar amount, i.e., $xx (say $15/ person) with no
guarantee for the number of persons attending. The logic of this
position is we could attend any establishment with any number of
attendees and not guarantee an amount per person.

(2) If we have a private room there needs to be a known surcharge
exclusive of whatever amount of food and drinks. This known minimum
needs to be waived when exceeding the agreed amount of individuals
attending. Then the Org Group can decide if they are comfortable
covering the surcharge cost if not achieved. There are no requirements
with the "PF Chang" format.

(3) The group's drink bill is just an added bonus we promote on Items #1
and #2 above, and the reason they welcome Diva.
. . . . . . . . . .

Annie responds:

First of all I wish to personally thank Laura for coordinating the Trevi
activity, and to Dr. JoAnn for the skillful negotiation to lessen the
personal impact somewhat.

This one clearly falls into the "Lessons Learned" category, more
specifically the "Lessons Learned The Hard Way" subcategory.

This is the second time in our 19 year history that those putting on an
activity have "taken a bath" when the numbers ($$$) did not work.

For those who don't know the details, for the final evening at Trevi,
in order to have exclusive use of the upstairs area, Laura made the
personal financial commitment for a total in food and drink. JoAnn,
Beverly, Gina, and I all agreed to "share in the soaking" if there was
a bath to be taken, thus eliminating the bulk of the burden on Laura
should the proceeds fall short.

When we closed activity sign-up just prior to the event, the numbers for
the dinner portion of the final evening were as follows:

+Total count for activity Farewell Dinner: 68
+Estimated turnout for Farewell Dinner: 56.0

Extrapolating the 56 number using the historical tendency of about 70%
of those present to do dinner, we get a total projection of 80 total, 56
of whom will be dining.

At the peak of the evening I counted 62 in attendance, or about 22% less
than predicted. This left us with a shortage well into three figures.

I see two significant causal factors for this shortage:

1. This year's "roll-off" of attendance as the week progressed. This was
noticed about two weeks prior to the event. We will have more of an
insight on why this was the case when the survey closes.

2. The less than predicted total turnout for the activity. This was
twofold, consisting of both those who signed up for the dinner and, for
lack of a better term, blew it off, and the lower number of those who
did not dine, but attended to socialize.
. . . . .

Lessons learned:

The one lesson is very obvious. There is a personal risk to those who
sponsor (and agree to underwrite) an activity should the attendance
and/or total $$$ not make minimum. Although in most cases our numbers
work out well above minima, there can and will be cases where they do
not.

Another lesson learned, positive, is that those who say that they will
share in the financial bath will keep their word and follow through,
without complaining, should a shortage occur!
. . . . .

Concerns:

I have several concerns.

First is that Laura and others may somewhat gun-shy to sponsor our major
activities in the future due to this incident.

Second is that Trevi may be hesitant to book our larger gatherings in
the future due to our failure to make minimum.

Third, somewhat related, but more to do with the check splitting issue,
is that Trevi, once one of our shining stars, may have developed
somewhat of a tarnished reputation and may not be able to attract as
many of our people as in the past.

Lastly, and more of a general case here. Is the model we have been using
for a final evening the best? We need to critically examine this!
. . . . .

Moving forward:

We need to re-think our major activity strategy. Perhaps a final Friday
is not the best evening for the final major gathering.

The one idea that keeps circling back in my mind is that Bahama Breeze
may be a much better fit for the closing gathering, whether it occurs on
the final evening or not. BB is clearly our strongest major venue, and
we need more strength toward the end. People will seldom skip the
opening gathering, but as the week goes on, they will be more likely to
skip the closing gathering for any of several reasons.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Activity headcounts:

Please help us fill in the remaining blanks here:

Sunday, March 22:

Sunday Cinema (Town Square AMC Cinema) - ?????
Art Of Shibari (Art Square Theater) - 3
TGIF dining option (TGIF West Sahara) - 9
Denny's Dining Option (Denny's Neonopolis) - 22
Brass Lounge dining option (Brass Lounge) - 23
Fremont Street Experience (Fremont Street Experience) - unknown
Karaoke (Brass Lounge) - 23
Karaoke with Shiela (Phoenix Lounge) - 19
"Louder" Common Gathering (Brass Lounge) - 23
"Softer" Common Gathering (Denny's Neonopolis) - 8
"Safer" Common Gathering (Phoenix Lounge) - 19
Mainstream Clubbing (Club XS - Wynn) - ?????

Monday, March 23:

Katie's Koffee Korner (Club Cappuccino - Flamingo) - 10
Lunch With Ginger (Flamingo Buffet) - 12
Creative Wigs Seminar (Spotlight Lounge) - 33
New Attendee Orientation (Bahama Breeze) - 21
Welcome Celebration (Bahama Breeze) - 103
Dancing at Paris (Paris - Cabaret Lounge) - 27

Tuesday, March 24:

Katie's Koffee Korner (Club Cappuccino - Flamingo) - ?????
Las Vegas Invitational Golf (Wildhorse Golf Club) - 19
Social at The Center (The Center) - 6
Lunch With Ginger (Flamingo Buffet) - 2
2bShapely Figure and Fitting Workshop (Blue Ox Sahara) - 19
PT's Happy Hour and Pamplemousse dinner 6
Bacio Dining option (Bacio Italian - Tropicana) - ?????
Texas de Brazil Meat Orgasm (Texas de Brazil) - 12
Ricardo's Dining option (Ricardo's) - 11
Ruths Chris dining option (Ruth's Chris - Harrahs) - 20
Raiding the Rock Vault (Tropicana) - ?????
Dancing at Paris (Paris - Cabaret Lounge) - 13

Wednesday, March 25:

Katie's Koffee Korner (Club Cappuccino - Flamingo) - 5
Just You Open House (Just You) - ?????
Meet Dr. Victoria (Erotic Heritage Museum) - 19
PF Chang Dinner (PF Chang Planet Hollywood) - ?????
Palm Dining Option (Palm - Caesars Forum) - ?????
DLV Fantasy Ball (Kings Of Hustler) - ?????
Dancing at Paris (Paris - Cabaret Lounge) - 12

Thursday, March 26:

Katie's Koffee Korner (Club Cappuccino - Flamingo) - 5
Trap and Pistol Shooting (Clark County Shooting Complex) - 3
Lunch With Ginger (Flamingo Buffet) - 6
Pinball Museum (Pinball Hall Of Fame) - 15
Looking Glass Open House (Flex Lounge) - ?????
Makeovers by Stephanie (Flex Lounge) - ?????
Art Tour (Bellagio Gallery) - ?????
Pole Dance Instruction (Pole Fitness Studio) - ?????
Afternoon Social (Chayo at the Linq) - 5
High Roller dining (Flour and Barley - Linq) - ?????
Audrey Lounge Tour (Begin at Venetian) - 5
High Roller Big Wheel (Linq) - ?????
Dancing at Paris (Paris - Cabaret Lounge) - 17
Flamboyance Drag Show (Flex) - ?????

Friday, March 27:

Katie's Koffee Korner (Club Cappuccino - Flamingo) - 4
Fantastic Indoor Swapmeet (FISM) - 4
Lunch With Ginger (Fashion Show Mall Food Court) - 7
High Tea (Four Seasons) - 12
Fragrance Seminar (Nordstrom's FSM) - 1
Afternoon Social (Chayo at the Linq) - 8
Farewell Celebration (Trevi - Caesars) - 62
Dancing at Paris (Paris - Cabaret Lounge) - 29
Mainstream Clubbing (Club Light - Mandalay Bay) - ?????

KKK: Monday 10, Tuesday ?, Wednesday 5, Thursday 5, Friday 4
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Still missing in action:

There are still some very familiar names on this list.

Please help us finalize our roster. If your name is on this list, please
let us know whether or not you were indeed present. If you know for sure
that someone on this list was or was not present, please let us know.

This is the Diva Las Vegas 2015 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 2015
Sunday, March 22 - Friday, March 27
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

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Received on Wed Apr 15 2015 - 07:04:48 CDT

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