In this mailing:
Org List
Third mid-cycle ORG mailing
Beverly Sez
Annie Sez
Rio Fork
Carlos and Charlies
Nomenclature
Closing comments
Rio entertainment options, sans mini-golf
Administrivia
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Org List:
This is the DLV 2016 Organizational Mailing List (dlvorg_at_geekbabe.com)
Replies to this message will be forwarded to the DLVORG list and not
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Third mid-cycle ORG mailing:
This is yet another special mailing covering only the final evening
plans.
Big thanks go out to those who have volunteered to do their part in
coordinating the final evening, and to those who have commented so far.
What we REALLY need now are comments from those who have been silent on
the final evening plans so far! Our volunteers give us a very good
representative sample of the desires of the attendee base as a whole and
we would sure like to get as many opinions in the sample as we can so we
can make the best decisions.
If you particularly like any of the discussed ideas, please let us know.
If you're sitting back and thinking along the line of "naw, I'll just
skip this one" then this is something we NEED to know!
. . . . .
This mailing covers most all of the final-related items received since
the last special mailing. There's a bit of cutting and splitting due to
the fact that some responses had items of a more general nature.
Everything not in this mailing will appear in our regular ORG mailing
on Wednesday.
. . . . .
No decisions have been made WRT the day of the "final" evening or the
venue, but the responses and opinions can be summarized as follows:
Thursday vs. Friday. There seem to be no very strong preferences for
either day. The opinions seem to be along the line of that Friday would
be more appropriate as a "final" evening but Thursday would be more
conducive to a better turnout.
. . . . .
Now the venues:
1. Rio Hotel & Casino
Let's consider Rio to be "in the running" but the one planned feature
activity (see below) will not be available this year.
The big issue of the Rio is a location where our people can socialize
with little formality.
. . . . .
2. Margaritaville
Margaritaville appears to be out of the running simply due to the fact
that they don't wish to give us what we need.
If anyone (both those who have made contact in the past and those who
have not) wishes to again make contact and try to see if they want a
good amount of bar business, please feel free to do so.
. . . . .
3. Yardhouse
Yardhouse is most definitely in the running, but not available Friday.
4. Carlos & Charlies (Flamingo)
No contact has been made. If this is to be considers in the running,
somebody needs to take the initiative to make contact, as in soon! See
item below.
. . . . .
5. Buca di Beppo
Several concerns have been voiced about the "family style" dining, and
nobody has spoken in favor of it, the family-style dining that is.
Let's consider BdB to be on the back burner, to be moved up front if
and only if none of the others work out.
. . . . .
6. Hard Rock Casino
Nobody seems to be jumping up and down about Hard Rock even though they
do appear to be eager to serve. The 3.5 kilobuck "nut" may be difficult
to crack. Let's put Hard Rock on the back burner as well.
. . . . .
7. The Venue downtown
Let's consider this one to be out of the running unless contact can be
made soon and conditions look favorable.
. . . . .
8. Bahama Breeze
This is an option which has not been discussed before. See items below.
BB would be used as the "handle of the fork" on Thursday or Friday.
. . . . .
Comments on any of these options, gang? :)
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Beverly Sez:
I love reading all of the feedback regarding our end of the week large
gathering. I guess this is a good time to give my opinions as well.
I wish we could find a location that would do everything that our
opening event does at Bahama Breeze... meal, drinks, socializing, and
entertainment opportunities all under one roof. We are lucky to have
found such a place and I now realize how difficult it is becoming to
find two such places in Las Vegas.
I personally am not a big fan of "family-style meals" so Buca would not
be high on my list of venues.
The Rio sounds like a great place for choice and variety but, as Annie
pointed out, where would we all gather to close out the evening? If
80-100 of us came together all in one spot how would Rio handle it? And
is there such a place that wouldn't require us to have reservations and
fixed costs associated with it?
I had kicked around the idea of everyone being on their own for dinner
plans and then gathering at Bahama Breeze for cocktails from 8:00-10:00.
I'm not sure if BB would do that without dinners being served and just
relying on drinks to make their money. Perhaps they would because of it
being a Thursday evening if we chose that night.
Friday night they have their own drink party on the patio so they don't
let private parties use it that night. I suppose we could crash it. The
other problem is transportation because that would require everyone to
go someplace to eat and then get rides to BB, doubling the
transportation cost for the evening.
Would Margarittaville gives us an area for cocktails only either night
for 80-100 people? Many of our people are staying in that area so dining
out around Flamingo/Harrah's/Linq would give many choices and not
require multiple transportation uses.
I really don't have a preference on which night we use. I guess I would
lean towards Friday night because I am planning on staying through the
weekend. But I will support either night. Like many others I would
prefer it to be classy and more dressy to cap off the week.
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Annie Sez:
Beverly brings up another option which we have not considered so far,
and that is a "forked" final gathering with the handle of the fork being
Bahama Breeze.
I could envision something like this working either Thursday or Friday.
I really hate to say "dinner totally on your own" but I think a multi
track dining evening with a "do your own thing" option would be
appropriate.
Bahama Breeze itself could actually be one of the dining options prior
to the common gathering.
. . . . .
As for Margaritaville, Cami can comment further, but it's been my
impression from our interactions with them and the aborted plans last
year that the current management REFUSES to think outside of the box
and offers only what's on their approved list of round peg in square
hole solutions.
. . . . .
As for the day of the week, I am leaning toward Thursday since I am very
sure that Thursday would be the better crowd and the "stronger" evening
in general. I would sure love to break our second run of weak endings!
Besides, the more I think of it, Friday would be great for a more edgy
activity at the EHM. I envision something like a combined EHM tour and
Fantasy Ball being more likely to persuade those who plan to depart on
Friday to stay over!
A strong "final" gathering on Thursday followed by a strong EHM activity
on Friday would be a very good series to have!
. . . . .
Beverly is quite correct that the Bahama Breeze is a true gem and that
we should try to seek out similar venues. Yardhouse is supposedly under
the same ownership and/or management so that has potential if we can
get them "trained" our way. :) :) :)
I do hope that the issue of lack of service is rectified this year!
IMAO, PF Chang at Planet Hollywood is another gem. (See Sara's note in
Wednesday's mailing.) It was once said that they could not accommodate
100-ish crowds, at least in the room that we usually use, but I'm
wondering if they would be able to handle the 60-80-ish crowds we
usually see at our closing gatherings, providing that not all of them
will be dining?
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Rio Fork:
Dionne writes:
> Yes, our people love choices! {Rio} could work well for a "forked"
> Big Burning Question is along the line of where, specifically, would
> that single social portion of the evening (the "handle of the fork")
> occur?
I had hoped the mini-golf would be that fork handle but I just found
this out;
I spoke with the Manager, today for an update on how things are going
for their move to the RIO hotel.
They have expanded their construction plans (quote: insane expansion)
and the new golf course will be bigger than planned. However, he was
doubtful they will be open by March 2016. Sorry to say, we need to take
this option out of consideration until next year. {:-((
Maybe the Carnival Village would provide some shopping, music and/or
entertaining distractions. I will check into this, if this is of
interest.
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Carlos and Charlies:
Katie writes:
Also. I did not mention that Carlos n' Charlies would Definitely Not be
a closed room thing. It would be 100% mixing with the public! I am ok
with it but I am guessing it would not be ok for a lot of the DLV gang.
. . . . . . . . . .
Annie responds:
For this to be considered, somebody needs to take the initiative to make
contact soon, as in now. :)
As far as mixing with the general public, for a "final" gathering I see
this as more of a plus than a minus. We definitely had comments about
the perception of being "hidden away" at various venues over the past
few years. Those who are new to public exposure will most likely have
become accommodated by Thursday or Friday.
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Nomenclature:
Vera writes:
> Having something titled "Farewell" (or any of various similar
> terms) on Thursday may imply to some (particularly the "low
> information" attendees) that there's not much happening on
> Friday or Saturday!
This is where you and the organizers graciously get up and go to the
front of the room and loudly announce over the din of plates, clinking
glasses, and excited chatter that just because this is our Farewell
Dinner/Gathering it does't mean the party is over... the party resumes,
YIPPEE, for those planning on staying Friday and Saturday, gals!
. . . . .
Beverly writes:
Here's an idea... instead of calling our final get together "farewell
dinner" or something along that line, why don't we just call it a
celebration dinner. We are celebrating the 20 years of DLV.
. . . . . . . . . .
Annie responds:
Of all of the terms we've juggled around, I like the idea of the "20th.
Annual Celebration" or something like that the best.
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Closing comments:
Aleta writes:
> I wish to see an evening which captures as many of our in-town
> attendees as possible and which results in the greatest degree
> of enjoyment and satisfaction.
I absolutely agree, the more the merrier.
> We've seen weaker than desired endings at our 2015 and 2014 events
> and I think we should do all we can do break this mini-trend! A
> strong ending requires a good turnout at an activity that the
> attendees truly enjoy.
I agree things could have been better.
> The big plus side to Thursday evening for our second major
> gathering is that we still have all of our people, minus just
> a few, as potential participants.
I feel Thursday is a stronger choice, many are turned off by higher room
rates on Fridays, and who really wants to catch a red eye flight home
after an evening of fun.
> Thursday evening also gives us more options, as it's a slower
> night in Las Vegas and the venues will be more eager to serve
> us and offer us better deals and better terms.
I agree, why fight the crowds.
> It's two days before the actual close of our event. Having something
> titled "Farewell" (or any of various similar terms) on Thursday may
> imply to some (particularly the "low information" attendees) that
> there's not much happening on Friday or Saturday!
I don't think we need to refer to the event as strictly a farewell
event, let's not be so preoccupied with labels.
> Rio on the minus side:
> Will require driving or a taxi ride for most of our people.
Depends where your coming from. There's a shuttle from Harrah's, I
think. Don't know if you have to be a hotel guest to use it. And only a
few minutes on a city bus, I think just one stop from The Strip on the
Flamingo 202. (Single ride $2, reduced fare for 60+, Disabled, $1.) And
also Uber/Lyft.
> Margaritaville on the minus side:
I'm not really keen on this option, why fight the crowds on this one.
> Yardhouse on the plus side:
I feel positive about this, given I had a good experience in as Yard
House with a group before.
> Yardhouse on the minus side:
> Not available Friday.
All the more reason for a Thursday gathering.
> Buca di Beppo on the minus side:
Again I'm not fond of the family dining. I felt during our time at
Carmine's that the food did not come out consistently, and it wasn't
brought out enough at a time to satisfy the whole table. To me this is
just not a good option for the diverse crowns that we are.
> Hard Rock Casino on the minus side:
> Very steep minimum, volunteer Coordinator on the hook for such!
I don't want anyone to end up holding the bag, that's not a good way to
end a vacation. Planning activities at DLV should not be a stressful
exercise.
> Will require driving or taxi ride for most of our attendees.
Kind of like going to Bahama Breeze, I guess.
> The Venue downtown on the plus side:
> Downtown has its fans.
Downtown has a lot of good points, Container Park anyone?
> The Venue downtown on the minus side:
> Will require driving or a taxi ride for the vast majority of our people.
Or the Deuce/SDX bus, and Uber/Lyft.
I don't think they have any food. I think this is a private events
center.
> Our people do desire and appreciate separate checks. However, it's not
Lack of separate checks is not a total deal breaker for me. But I would
hope more venues would take leadership on this issue. A few places are
doing electronic payment using tablet technology, they are mostly small
places. I'd like to think our size would help more than hurt.
> Can we count on 100 people?
I don't know, would be nice, since I don't drink I doubt I'd spend $35
myself. I don't want to be one of those pulling the numbers down. I
don't want to contribute to anyone holding the bag.
> I would vote on Friday night and take the chance that the Family style
> dining will not impact the attendance. Maybe we can have a theme that
> night? I am willing to lead or help out in anyway.
Let's not have a mindset of taking chances, I'd like for us to be on
more solid ground here.
> If you mean can we count on 100 people to go all in and pay for dinner
> and linger and have several cocktails, highly unlikely.
I'm not seeing it.
> Yeah, some may consider us to be sisters (and brothers), but we've
> learned the hard way that there's a lot of sibling rivalry present in
> the menu selections and payments!
Keep it simple, I don't want anyone leaving DLV with a poor payment
experience, which can lead to the proverbial bad taste in ones mouth, no
pun intended, let's make sure we can end on a high note for all
concerned.
> I would ask all to please focus on the substance of the evening and
> please not get distracted or derailed by semantics.
Let's just call it dinner, no more no less.
> option #1: BUFFET CARNIVAL WORLD & SEAFOOD BUFFET Satisfy every craving
> with over 300 selections daily at the Carnival World & Seafood Buffet.
I'm personally not big on buffets anymore. But you can't beat the
simplicity of it. Each person pays before eating. The Rio has a very
long and successful track record. I think moving the seafood into the
main room with an upcharge is a very smart and savvy move. The Rio
Buffet is indeed a landmark. My only concern is that as busy as it gets,
would we all be able to sit together. Buffets are not generally known
for setting aside spaces, they make their money by keeping tables full.
> option #3: CASUAL GUY FIERI'S EL BURRO BORRACHO - COMING SOON
You can't go wrong with Guy Fieri, I enjoy watching him on TV.
> Everyone likes choices.
Choices are good, can we make them dance together.
> The Big Burning Question is along the line of where, specifically, would
> that single social portion of the evening (the "handle of the fork")
> occur?
I'm open to a multi track arrangement. But on a Friday night I'm sure
many of these smaller locations would necessitate reservations. Is it
reasonable to expect people to have to commit ahead of time to which
venue to attend. And for a large common gathering afterward, each
separate meal would probably end at a different time. I really don't
think anyone wants to be watching the clock.
> Putting aside their presumptuous reply that we already have chosen Hard
> Rock, the $3500 minimum is too much to expect a volunteer to be on the
> hook for.
I think this is too big a pill for anyone reasonably to swallow.
> PS - wouldn't sorority sisters be considered as related?
I really think this family dining issue has been kicked around enough,
it's time to put it to bed.
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Rio entertainment options, sans mini-golf:
Dionne writes:
The RIO Hotel has several after-dinner attractions on Friday nights.
Our attendees would have the choice of any of these events:
RIO Hotel after-dinner attractions
FREE LIVE MUSIC AT MASQUERADE VILLAGE FROM 9 PM - MIDNIGHT! Masquerade
Bar Located in Masquerade Village, this Las Vegas bar is ideal for
people-watching. It's also a great start for your nightlife adventure.
Chat with one of the friendly bartenders and get in the party spirit
with the surrounding neon lights. You never know who youbll meet at
this Vegas nightlife spot.
VOODOO ROOFTOP NIGHTCLUB & LOUNGE Nightlife, ATTIRE Business Casual
COVER PRICE Sunday - Thursday $20 admission Friday & Saturday $30 (men)
$20 (women) **Local ladies FREE with NV ID** HOURS: Sun-Thur 8pm-2am,
Fri-Sat 8pm-3am Dine, dance and drink 51 stories above the excitement of
Sin City at the wildest Las Vegas nightlife destination, VooDoo Rooftop
Nightclub at Rio Las Vegas. See Sin City from the Rio's point of view
from the indoor/outdoor Vegas nightclub, complete with a striking steel
staircase. Perfect for summer evenings, the patio's dance floor gives
you the chance to dance beneath the stars, while our live DJ spins
nightly. The cool, refreshing breeze is another plus. VooDoo Rooftop
Nightclub opens at 8 p.m. nightly and is located directly above the
elegant and exotic VooDoo Steakhouse, Rio's premier gourmet steakhouse.
VIP bottle service is also available.
VooDoo ZipLine {aka - wig test} The VooDoo ZipLine is an exhilarating
attraction that delivers a Las Vegas experience unlike any other. It
sends guests soaring higher than 400 feet in the air at electrifying
speeds, offering 360-degree open-air views of the Las Vegas Strip. The
one-minute and 10-second zip ride takes off from VooDoo Lounge, located
atop Riobs 50-story Masquerade tower, sending guests cascading more
than 800 feet to the Ipanema tower and reaching speeds up to 33 miles
per hour. VooDoo Zipline can accommodate up to two riders at one time
and has a unique feature on the return trip guests will ride an
additional 800 feet to the starting point facing backwards, a total ride
of nearly one-third of a mile.
ZIPLINE PROMOTIONS Complimentary entrance to Voodoo Rooftop Nightclub &
LoungeZipline riders enjoy complimentary entrance to the hottest rooftop
nightclub off the strip. Save the receipt from your Zipline ticket
purchase for same day entrance to Voodoo Rooftop Nightclub & Lounge, any
day of the week. Must be 21+ to enter. Locals - Tickets for Nevada
residents are 20% off.
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Received on Mon Jan 18 2016 - 11:41:57 CST
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.2.0 : Wed May 11 2016 - 05:54:23 CDT