In this mailing:
Org List
ORG updates
Name tag proof of concept
Bahama Breeze
Golf
Bare Minerals
Love Ur Look Luncheon
Ruths Chris
Hotel comments
Community
Opening evening
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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ORG updates:
There was no ORG mailing last week. As a reminder, we do the mailings
every one or two weeks, usually on Wednesday, as needed.
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All volunteers who recently sent in activities should please check the
working schedule (way below) to be sure they were properly added.
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It's now mid November, and we want to get our list of suggested hotels
finalized and a general mailing sent out announcing such before all of
our people get all wound up over the holidays.
Let's keep the hotel topic open for one more list cycle, for any more
discussion and a vote if needed, and wrap this up before the end of the
month.
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It's now been a month since our Call For Comments on the dates opened.
Two comments were received in opposition to our planned dates, and both
appeared to be one-off (or in this case, two-off) :) personal conflicts
and not widespread issues with the dates.
If anyone can show cause why our dates for DLV 2018 should be considered
final, please bring this up during the current list cycle.
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We are in need of hosts/hostesses for a few of our regularly-occurring
activities. Please see the various items below.
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Name tag proof of concept:
"The wonderful thing about standards is that there are so many of them
from which to choose."
The above quote, often attributed to Professor Andrew Tanenbaum, most
certainly describes the various home and office printers that our
attendees have available. This makes the process of the attendees
printing their own name tags, and the design of such process, somewhat
challenging.
As previously discussed, we would like to try having as many of our
people as possible print their own name tag inserts and bring them along
this year.
For those attendees who can't do this, don't want to do this, have
trouble doing this, or print it but forget it at home, we'll then make
printed tags available on the fly in real time, but hopefully the ratio
of those who print their own versus having one printed in LV will be
high.
We would like to ask all of you to please help us QA and shake down the
process that will be used to display the tag images to the attendees and
allow them to print the tag inserts on a home or office printer.
Our Proofread Team has done some initial tests and verified that this
does work on a handful of various Windows and Mac computers with their
installed printers, but there's no way that a group of that size could
test the various combinations of computers, browsers and printers that
the Teeming Millions will likely be using for their tags. That's why
we're asking you to help out.
The URL below has the tag image for a test attendee. Please visit the
URL, display the tag image, and try to print it on your home or office
printer. (The specific design and layout of the tag is a proof of
concept and not a finished product.)
http://divalas.vegas/tagimages/0000000000-00000.html
Please check for the following when you display and print:
1. Check to see that the tag image displays properly on your monitor. If
it does not, a screenshot or photo would be appreciated. The tag insert
should have the main tag on the left and a fold-over on the right that
has the QR code. The attendee name should appear in a stylized font in
the bottom center of the left portion and the "Jellomold" logo should
appear in the upper right of the folded tag.
2. Do a "print preview" and see if the image to be printed looks sane.
3. Print the page using your browser's and OS's print function. You
should get a 3" x 5" tag image roughly centered toward the top of a
standard letter-size sheet. Please check the size of the printed image
and please let us know if it does not measure very close to 3" x 5".
If anything looks wonky, please let us know and please state the
following information:
1. Type of computer system you are using and version of the operating
system if you know it.
2. The browser you are using, and browser version if you know how to
conveniently get it.
3. (Only for printing issues, including print size issues) The make and
model of your printer.
4. (Of course) Exactly what did not work as expected. A screen shot of a
wonky display or a photo or scan of a wonky printed tag would be most
helpful.
Your help is truly appreciated on this. Thanks in advance.
. . . . . . . . . .
JoAnn writes:
Question: The 3" x 5" name tag would need a holder. Who/How is that
provided? Or is everyone "on their own"?
. . . . .
Annie responds:
We are very fortunate to be "Tag Holder Rich" at the current time,
thanks to the recent-years' donations of tag holders by Vera/Dennis and
Ginger. I estimate that at the current usage rate we have at least two
and possibly even three years before we need to re-stock.
The last batch included a variety of tag types, mostly pin-on and
clip-on, but a fair number of lanyard type as well. Last year we were
able to give almost everyone their first choice of type.
We're also seeing more and more of our people bringing previous years'
tag holders back with them, often including the previous years' tags as
well. A number of years back we declared "Once a valid DLV name tag,
always a valid DLV name tag" so this may reduce both the number of tag
holdeers needed as well as the number of tags that need to be printed on
the fly.
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Bahama Breeze:
Dionne writes:
> Dionne, who coordinated the Bahama Breeze, has the first refusal
> rights for this coming year on Bahama Breeze or a similar
> single-track maximum attendance activity. Dionne? Will you be
> doing this again or exercising your right of first refusal? :)
While I enjoyed begin hostess for BB 2017, I will not repeat for 2018.
May I suggest this event be a rotation for an up & coming hostess who
has experience with a prior events and ready to step up.
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Thanks Dionne.
All: Our Bahama Breeze (or alternate location) Opening Celebration will
require a new primary host(ess) for DLV 2018.
As stated, this would be a good one for a volunteer who has done one or
more smaller activities over the years and wishes to take on something
of a larger scale.
We have contact information which will be provided on request. The staff
of the Bahama Breeze knows our group well. Their experiences with our
group was recently used as an example of how to serve the LGBT community
at a managers' conference for Darden Restaurants in Florida. There will
be none of that awkward cold-calling, explaining the nature of our group
to the staff, etc.
Please let us know if you would be interested in acting as a primary (or
assistant) Coordinator of this activity for DLV 2018. :)
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Golf:
Cassandra writes:
Lets stick with Golf on Tuesday... especially since Top Golf is now an
activity and that gives them a day break since top golf is on Thurs.
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Thanks Cassandra.
It's on the schedule. Please fill us in with the details as they become
available.
Can we assume that it will be at Wildhorse again this year, or are you
planning a different venue?
Also, do you need anything else, such as announcements for donated
prizes and things like that? If so, please let us know.
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Bare Minerals:
Dionne writes:
This regular event may not happen without a new Hostess.
My previous email explains this as a shovel-ready event.
The Starter kits are $69 OR $89, depending on client's needs.
Example. $100:00 starter kits etc'.
It is unexplaianable why this misperception remains.
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Annie responds:
I think that the misconception of the price of the starter kits had to
do with the punctuation and/or quoting marks near the "$100" figure in a
mailing some time ago. I know there was a misunderstanding and that the
intention of "Less than $100" was not clearly displayed in the final
edited mailing.
Anyway, All: This is another activity that is up for adoption for the
upcoming event.
As with the BB above, we have contact information and the staff knows
our group well. There should be no awkward cold calling and very little
formality in setting this up. As stated, this is "shovel ready", just
waiting for you to dig in! :)
This would be a good one for a newer volunteer who would like to get her
(or his) :) feet wet with a low-maintenance activity. This also, of
course, would qualify you for voting status. Please let us know if you
are interested in coordinating this. :)
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Love Ur Look Luncheon:
Dionne writes:
LurL luncheon (tentative, depending on confirmation of attendance)
Tuesday, April 17: 1-3 pm: Love Your Look Luncheon
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Thanks Dionne.
It's on the schedule. Please fill us in with the details as they become
available.
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Ruths Chris:
Sandy writes:
If everyone is ok with it put me down for Tuesday Ruth Chris dinner as
host.
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Thanks Sandy.
The addition of Ruth's Chris will round out Tuesday dining nicely, even
though the other two scheduled options have not had venues decided upon
yet.
All, we could fit in one more HH and dining option for Tuesday night,
but that's not our greatest need. Sunday and Friday will most likely be
our most important need for small group dining.
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Hotel comments:
Sandy writes:
Great comments and ideas.
For me personally I prefer to stay on the main strip
Resort fee bug...... arg but I just turn my head and pay them, but I
like the connivance of being with the group.
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Annie responds:
I'm with you in preferring to stay on the Strip. As I get older, I find
that I'm more willing to pay for convenience, and in particular for the
convenience of not having to drive in Las Vegas. Yes, the resort fees
are annoying as all get-out! I've really learned to just hold my nose
when I pay at the desk. :(
As I know I've said before, the bottom-line price for a Las Vegas room
is still lower than a comparable room in many other settings. This was
very evident when I checked out of a midtown Manhattan hotel last week.
My total (for three nights) was more than my entire stay last year (with
one night added before and after) for DLV 2017. The room was about the
same size and scale of my room for DLV.
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Community:
Cassandra writes:
You cant have your cake and eat it too... lol... this view I am sharing
is coming from a DLV participant and not an organizer. I just jumped on
board to save the golf last year so I haven't been involved in any of
your planning, organizing or strategies or even your goals of DLV.
The one thing from a "participants" view is that DLV has never had the
"community and "cohesiveness" feel to it. It has always been way to
spread out. There has never been a central meeting spot or hotel and
that's why everyone spreads out to what fits their personal needs.
Our group has always gone to a few DLV activities and just been on our
own the rest of the time because there is no central spot to go or stay.
I have had two jobs my entire life and both involved large company
meetings every year in Las Vegas. I have been there more on business
than pleasure and it is proven that the only way to build the "team"...
the "community".... type atmosphere is to hold it in one hotel off the
strip. For 30 years, both companies did it the exact same way.
Keep them together off the strip but be in Las Vegas! I KNOW YOU DON'T
AGREE (based on my earlier post about it)... but by having dinners,
lunches and numerous activities all over the city at all hours of the
day and night, it will NEVER gain the team momentum. 2 or 3 different
dinner choices, lunch choices... etc... With this current format, there
is nowhere to go on a consistent basis each night to hang out with the
group.
Most of the time, we don't see many girls more than twice and usually
only once. Don't get me wrong, I am NOT saying the current format
doesn't work for DLV nor am I saying it is wrong by any means. DLV is
always a kick in the butt time. It simply doesn't allow the group to be
together each night that builds camaraderie. And even picking a place
like the Flamingo is expensive and it is on the strip which
automatically encourages the group to easily spread out from there so
you lose half the group from price of the hotel and then half of the
half remaining spreading out to go to Caesars, Margaritaville, The Linq,
Harrahs... etc etc.... because of all the other places they can
go...thus, you cant have your cake and eat it too.... lol....
I think you would be pleasantly surprised how much fun and exciting it
would be to hold it at one central, off strip hotel where 90% of the
girls are all together each night would be. Am I wrong when I say
socializing is the single most important and most fun part of our world?
We go to dinner in different spots and then its over....everyone goes
off in different directions...socializing ends. If we then went back to
same hotel, it would be like a week of Bahama Breeze atmosphere
everynight which all of us love. And just because the central spot is
off strip doesn't mean we cant go to the strip. Everyone has to find
transportation already since activities are spread out. It all depends
what your goals are for DLV....personally, I think you win no matter
which direction you go so trying something new just might be fun and
different. Let me know before I rent a house for 8 of us...lol Cass
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Annie responds:
"To question is the answer" is a valid concept here, and to agree to
disagree is also valid, keeping in mind that we need to realize that
others' opinions are most certainly valid from their perspective.
Having said that, I must agree that "Community Development" has been
one of our major challenges over the years, and comments reflecting
this fact have been very common in feedback for as long as we've had
post-event surveys.
Now, having said that :) I do not envision our people liking or
supporting the concept of one central location (on-Strip, off-Strip,
or anywhere) for lodging and a significant number of our activities.
If anyone disagrees with that last sentence, please say so and please
elaborate on exactly what you would like to see along the lines of a
central facility.
I agree with Cami that one of our best options for getting our people to
be more cohesive and interactive is to get them as close together for
their lodging as is possible and plan as many of our (larger) activities
to be convenient to this semi-centralized bolus of attendees.
The one thing we keep getting gigged on, despite our attempts to
encourage otherwise, is the fact that the group is too cliquish, or at
least appears to be that way to new attendees. I'm starting to wonder if
this (cliquishness) is not a symptom of the issue and not a cause of it.
(Again, to question is the answer.) :)
If anyone has any ideas of how to encourage more active mixing and
expanding of circles of friends, please say so.
There are a few things related to this subject that I (and others) have
noticed over the years.
1. Our people most definitely prefer the "vacation not convention" model
we've used, meaning a distributed multi-location event over the single
hotel-centered "Dream" model used for almost all of the other major TG
events.
2. Our people like a mixture of larger group activities and small-group
activities of all types, catering to a wide variety of interests.
3. Our people have differing needs and desires regarding lodging and no
single hotel of any type or scale will cover the needs of the vast
majority of our attendees.
4. Our people do love to socialize! "Quality Social Time" is the term
that one of our former volunteers used to use and that's the term we
actually use on the schedule for some of the after-hours activities at
Pinkfest.
5. We need to encourage all of our people to circulate and to expand
their circles of friends. One recurrent "gig" we get in feedback is that
newer attendees appear to have difficulty assimilating into the circles
of friends that are present at our event.
6. Couples and groups tend not to participate in anything unless all
members of said couple of group agree to do so.
If anyone else has any comments on these subjects, now is the time to
discuss. :)
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JoAnn responds:
Above--- all good points---- so..... How can we address the current
format and the suggested????? ...... not for a week, but maybe one
day/night?
What about keeping all of the Diva Vacation activities going as we have
done in the past for Sunday>Tuesday and Thursday & Friday ,,,,,
however,,,,,
Mid-week Convention Day/Night--- The DIVA Community Event ???
A one day convention on Wednesday that starts at noon and goes to
midnight _from one location_ "jump-off"?
What does this "look like"? Single Price... All-Inclusive..... and you
attend what you want on this one day .... from a starting point location
for everything? Small groups.. large groups... changing "refreshing"
room... etc .. etc...
Maybe we have an open "brainstorming" for a 3 week period to have a
conversation about such a */*DIVA Community Event*/* --- a "no
judgments" feedback period .... just ideas?
Then JoAnn would be open to working on such an activitiy with 3-4 other
volunteers to present a "package of activities" to engage the happening
for a Diva Community Event and subject to an approval vote?
Just a thought!!
This brainstorming suggestion process I suggest could occur the first 3
week of January???
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Opening evening:
Katie writes:
The past couple of years Beverly had suggested Opening night be a dress
up affair and I thought it went terrifically well with that theme. Last
year a lot of the girls showed up in low end casual clothes and I know
that a few were very disappointed that they did not wear their finest
when they saw that others were dressed that way.
This is merely a suggestion for the 2018 organizer (Whoever it may be)?
Please let's think about a return to the high end clothing theme so that
both old and new attendees can get an opportunity to try that favourite
evening dress on right away at the beginning of the week and possibly
set the tone for the rest of the week for them too.
Before you ask, No. I do not want to run anything more than K K K K.
Doing a single event even though it is for 5 days in a row leaves me
free to wander and ad lib my way around Vegas and stay reasonably close
to the confines of the DLV plan.
One event is enough for me but I am always willing to play second fiddle
and help someone who needs it as long as it is an event I can see myself
attending. so feel free to ask away. The worst I can say is "Sorry no".
. . . . . . . . . .
Cami responds:
Hi Katie
Thanks for your note and suggestion.
I think it makes a lot of sense to promote the opening night as a dress
up affair and we will definitely make a point of it.
I would also like to ask, since you suggested it, that you do take the
number two position in organizing this event and that we will find a
lead for it.
We certainly could use all your help. We appreciate you holding your
coffee outing in the morning. I for one have organized on average about
five mainstream events each year and although it can be taxing it can
also be rewarding to see how other girls show up and enjoy it..
Please consider taking on a more active role as although you have an
event for 5 days it doesn't require a lot of work or strategy to have
coffee each morning. Maybe you can even Shake It Up and have a morning
walk or exercise or perhaps some kind of preset discussion on various
issues related to being trans or a crossdresser.
Maybe instead of having it so early in the morning consider having it a
little later like 9 where most people who are attending are close to
being up.
I realize that doesn't meet your schedule, but it might bring in many
others.
We are struggling to find volunteers and with you being a veteran you
can be a big help. Please give this some thought.
As always, looking forward to seeing you.
Thanks for your help in advance.
Cami
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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
9:00am: Diva Las Vegas Invitational Golf (Wildhorse Golf Club) - ms
1:00pm: Luv Ur Look Luncheon (TBA) - ms
5:00pm: Happy Hour options (various) - ms
5:00pm: Sandys Choice (Ruth's Chris Harrah's) - ms
5:00pm: Cami's choice (tba) - ms
5:00pm: Annie's choice (tba) - ms
6:00pm: Dining options (various) - ms
6:00pm: Sandys Choice (Ruth's Chris Harrah's) - 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:
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
Archives of this list appear on the web at:
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To send material to this list: Send submission as regular e-mail to
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Received on Wed Nov 15 2017 - 10:46:41 CST
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.2.0 : Thu May 10 2018 - 08:07:42 CDT