In this mailing:
Org List
Starting the schedule
Garden Party revival
Boating
Resort fees
Date comments
Hotel comments
Golf
Rides for attendees
Nope
Working schedule
Administrivia
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Org List:
This is the DLV 2018 Organizational Mailing List (dlvorg_at_divalas.vegas)
Replies to this message will be forwarded to the DLVORG list and not
the DLV-Announce or DLV-Discuss list.
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Starting the schedule:
The schedule for DLV 2018 has now been seeded with the activities which
have been planned so far, as well as the usual placeholders. It appears
below and will be included in (most) all ORG mailings between now and
DLV.
If you need to see the schedule at any time, it's on line here:
http://www.geekbabe.com/cgi-bin/dlv/dosched2.cgi
This is made on the fly from a real-time query of the schedule database
so it's aa up to date as possible. We ask that you please do not post
that URL anywhere or pass it on. It's not a Military Secret, but we just
don't want people out there on the net dorking around with our
scheduling system.
Next week we'll do the first schedule review of the season. :)
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There are two related items in this mailing with express frustration at
dealing with the current hotel situation, the seller's market which will
most likely continue as long as our economy remains as strong as it is.
Additional comments (as well as thoughts of how we can better deal with
this situation) would be appreciated.
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Garden Party revival:
Mindy writes:
Interest in revival of the garden party? I think I can pull it off with
some help.
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Annie responds:
Thanks Mindy.
The Garden Party was a recurring favorite for several years in the early
2000s. It was a low-key and very relaxing affair, with food, beverages,
and in some years, swimming.
For those of you who have not done one of these, please view the below
URL for an idea of what went on at these.
https://divalas.vegas/dlv2003n/garden.html
If anyone would like to see something like this revived, please write in
and volunteer to assist. :)
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Boating:
Sandy writes:
The lake on a boat nice summer dress.....sounds fun.
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Annie responds:
Actually, Sandy, surf to the following URL and go to the bottom of the
page to see some of the outfits that were worn on this type of thing.
http://divalas.vegas/dlv2004n/boat.html
If you're interested in making this a reality, it appears to be up for
grabs (see below).
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Resort fees:
Jessica writes:
Hi,
I live here in Las Vegas and I wanted to shed light on 'resort fees'.
They are extra charges for guests to use a few extra facilities in the
hotel and they are sometimes publicized with the room rate, but here is
a page that shows what resort charges what fee for 2017.
Also bear in mind that the resort fee IS subject to sales tax of 8.10%.
Just be aware they can go up without notice.
As a 'local' I avoid The Strip at all costs. Even when I did work I
minimized how I traveled across Las Vegas Blvd. I hope this helps in
people planning where groups will stay.
. . . . . . . . . .
Thanks Jessica.
Your item, as received, did not include a link to the data cited, but it
appears that this page has the information:
https://www.lasvegasjaunt.com/las-vegas-resort-fees-2017-guide/
Resort fees have, unfortunately, become the rule and not the exception
when it comes to Las Vegas hotels. They are loathed by visitors almost
universally. Hotel sales representatives are willing to negotiate base
rates but stand firm when it comes to resort fees.
To add insult to injury, many (fortunately not all) Strip hotels are now
charging for guest parking.
The combination of the two (let alone taxes and other nuisance fees)
significantly add to the bottom-line price of a stay in Las Vegas.
As long as the demand for LV hotel rooms remains as strong as it is, we
can expect such fees to not only remain, but increase.
It's been suggested that we be very straightforward and upfront with our
potential attendees regarding the presence and magnitude of the fees.
I agree that we should include a reminder that resort fees and parking
charges may apply, but I don't think we need to go to the extent of
overtly drawing attention to the issues or "rubbing one's face" into the
fees.
The reason I feel this way is that doing a quick tick count of the
various complaints received in feedback over the past three years, the
following general categories were noted, by number of complaints.
Activity and event timing (10)
Distance and transportation (9)
Various BDR issues (8)
Finding venues and group (6)
Technical issues (6)
Feeling left out (5)
Activity expense (5)
Smoking (4)
Lack of information (4)
Slow service (3)
Repetition (3)
Issues with hotel (3)
Lack of structure (3)
Separate checks (3)
Fatigue and tiredness (2)
Group too obvious in public (1)
Complaining about complaining (1)
Harassment from public (1)
No single mention of resort fees or other nuisance fees appeared in the
past three years' surveys. I suspect the reason is that although they
are annoying and expensive, the vast majority of the attendees are well
aware of them, and, even if grudgingly, willing to pay them in order to
participate.
I then circled back to the same three surveys to see if there was any
significant difference in satisfaction between hotels that imposed
resort fees compared to those which did not.
There is really not enough information on the single hotel on the survey
which does not impose resort fees, the Four Queens. The rest do impose
such fees and had the following totals of tick counts in the following
survey response categories:
Definitely satisfied: 51
Mostly satisfied: 35
Neutral: 7
Not really: 5
Definitely not: 0
If our people were significantly annoyed with the fees charged by their
hotels, the fact should be reflected in the satisfaction ratings. The
majority (52%) were definitely satisfied with their hotels and the vast
majority (87%) were mostly satisfied or above.
Comments?
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Date comments:
Stef writes:
I am semi retired so any time is great for me second time going
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Hotel comments:
Sandy writes:
Great rates on Hotels Cami!
You Rock!
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Cassandra writes:
Hotels...
It is just a bit frustrating that the old days of Vegas are gone....
between travel, hotel and food, you're down $2000 before you even get
you there... lol.... and an hour on the strips table minimums, youre
down another $500... Lmao.....
Just another thought, I know you're not going in this direction but my
company has held many many many conventions in Vegas and they always do
it at a hotel off the strip (Like the Orleans or Suncoast... etc). It
keeps the "gang" together.... much more social time as a group....
nightly get togethers.... great hotel rates... it works like a charm.
But, they still have a few activities on the strip that keeps the thrill
of Vegas there.
Just a thought....
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Annie responds:
I do agree that the "Bargain Basement" days of Las Vegas are long gone!
In days gone by (even within the history of DLV) the cost of food and
lodging was incredibly low compared to other destinations. I clearly
remember $39 and $49 nightly room charges, back before resort fees were
invented. Nowadays we're lucky to have weeknight bottom-line hotel
prices below $100. $4.99 buffet? Ancient history!
One comparison still holds, however. I just checked my credit card
statements for the past several months comparing the average nightly
cost for my room at the SLS (including resort/nuisance fees, taxes,
etc.) for this year's DLV with two other previous and one planned trip,
and I'm finding that the bottom line cost of the hotel in Las Vegas
(SLS) was still about 20% less than my hotel last week in Harrisburg
(Holiday Inn), and about 40% less than my hotel for Pinkfest a few weeks
ago in Chicago (Hilton Garden) and will be about half of my expected
bottom line hotel bill in Manhattan (The New Yorker) next week.
Las Vegas ain't the bargain it used to be, but it's still far less than
most other major destinations.
Airfare is another major expense, and it's increased over the past
several years, but more consistent from destination to destination. I
feel lucky when I can get a $300-ish fare to major markets, compared to
less than $200 during the early days of DLV.
Yes, gaming is more expensive too! I don't even play table games anymore
due to the high minima. Long gone are the days of $1 blackjack, which
was fun and not too expensive to play. Nowadays it seems like $15 is the
lowest table to find, and often that sucky 6:5 blackjack. However, as
long as people are willing to play the high-minimum and short-pay games,
the casinos will be more than happy to supply the games to meet the
demand! :(
My hunch is that trying to "move" DLV from the Strip to an off-Strip
venue such as Orleans or Suncoast would not work. Many of our people
(myself included) enjoy the strip and are willing, even if grudgingly,
to pay the fare. My guess is that if we tried it, may of our people
would continue to stay at the Flamingo, splitting up the group more than
ever.
Sharing rooms is one way that the cost of lodging can be significantly
reduced, but it's never really caught on with the DLV crowd. We've tried
doing roommate matching over the years, but the potential roommates who
make themselves known each year has always been down in the single
digits.
AirBnB has proven to be popular with Pinkfest, but has seldom been
mentioned in association with DLV. Is this something we want to look
into a bit more? (I don't know, I'm asking.)
Those are my thoughts, anyone else care to comment?
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Golf:
Cassandra writes:
Cami,
In terms of golf, if Bev doesn't want to take golf back this year, I
will step in again.
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Thanks Cassandra.
Beverly has stated that she will probably not be participating in DLV
2018 so it's all yours! :) Congratulations. :)
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Rides for attendees:
William writes:
Hello, again. I will also be renting a car while attending DLV 2018,
which I can offer free carpooling for attendees. Thanks!
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Annie responds:
Thanks William.
What I suggest you do it hold this thought for a while and just before
DLV (I might suggest starting about two months out) post a few notices
that you will have seats available in the Discussion Forum.
Over the past three years, our attendees have reported spending an
average of just under $150 for local transportation. (Please keep in
mind that this is averaged among all attendees, both local and out of
towners.) Despite all kinds of transportation options, the private or
rental car is still the favorite means of local transportation for our
people.
If we can encourage more ride sharing, including all modes such as
private cars, taxis, and Uber/Lyft, we can most likely help our people
save a significant portion of what they spend on local transportation.
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Nope:
Katie writes:
> Sounds like a great idea. Would you mind coordinating it and we'll see
> if we can find an assistant?
"Nope"! Sorry the boat tour would not be my thing, I was merely
suggesting a daytime outing because we need more of them to avoid
Vendors taking the oxygen out of the room by overloading DLV daytimes it
them. with Example. $100:00 starter kits etc'.
A trip to a vendor would be a complete waste a day for me . I don't go
to Vegas to do that. although I know that some rely on them a lot and
that's ok. It is just not for me and I suspect quite a few other DLVers
too!
Note of interest. I will be there from Sunday for 6 days but I will not
be able to do KKKK on the Friday because I have a prior arrangement so
if anyone would like to step in and do it for me that would be great.
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Working schedule:
Diva Las Vegas 2018 schedule
Tentative and subject to change
All times Pacific Daylight Time
PLEASE DO NOT USE THIS AS THE FINAL
AND ACCURATE DIVA LAS VEGAS SCHEDULE.
Sunday, April 15:
12:00n: Lunch With Ginger (tba) - ms
3:00pm: Afternoon Social (Carnaval Court) - ms
10:30pm: Late Nite Dancing (tba) - ms
Monday, April 16:
8:00am: Katie's Kozy Koffee Korner (Flamingo Club Cappucino) - ms
12:00n: Lunch With Ginger (tba) - ms
10:30pm: Late Nite Dancing (Paris Cabaret Lounge) - ms
Tuesday, April 17:
8:00am: Katie's Kozy Koffee Korner (Flamingo Club Cappucino) - ms
12:00n: Lunch With Ginger (tba) - ms
5:00pm: Happy Hour options (various) - ms
5:00pm: Cami's choice (tba) - ms
5:00pm: Annie's choice (tba) - ms
6:00pm: Dining options (various) - ms
6:00pm: Cami's choice (tba) - ms
6:00pm: Annie's choice (tba) - ms
10:30pm: Late Nite Dancing (Paris Cabaret Lounge) - ms
Wednesday, April 18:
8:00am: Katie's Kozy Koffee Korner (Flamingo Club Cappucino) - ms
12:00n: Lunch With Ginger (tba) - ms
10:30pm: Late Nite Dancing (Paris Cabaret Lounge) - ms
Thursday, April 19:
8:00am: Katie's Kozy Koffee Korner (Flamingo Club Cappucino) - ms
12:00n: Lunch With Ginger (tba) - ms
2:00pm: Topgolf (Topgolf) - ms
6:00pm: Happy Hour (Off The Strip Bistro) - mv
7:00pm: Farewell Dinner (Off The Strip Bistro) - mv
10:30pm: Late Nite Dancing (Carnaval Court) - ms
Friday, April 20:
8:00am: Katie's Kozy Koffee Korner (Flamingo Club Cappucino) - ms
12:00n: Lunch With Ginger (tba) - ms
10:30pm: Late Nite Dancing (Paris Cabaret Lounge) - ms
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Administrivia:
This is the Diva Las Vegas 2018 organizational list.
One address for all items regarding this list, additions, removals,
changes, submissions, questions, etc.:
dlvorg_at_divalas.vegas <--- NOTE: New address, all lower case
Diva Las Vegas 2018
Dates to be determined
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
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Received on Wed Oct 25 2017 - 05:03:52 CDT
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.2.0 : Thu May 10 2018 - 08:07:42 CDT