Overall, I think this year's event was very highly rated. Very few derogs. Almost all activities scored highly on both the enjoyment and comfort scales, and from the overall rate of response, about 65% of the attendee base, it's evident that we had an eager and enthusiastic group this year.
Once again, our volunteer organizers did a bang-up job this year! My personal thanks go out to all who did their part to make DLV 2011 the success it was!
Follow-up comments are welcome.
. . . . . . . . . . .
A few notes on responses of particular interest ...
Length of stay:
+Approximate average length of stay: 5.53 days.
The average length of stay has been very consistent over the past several years, regardless of whether the official length of the event was 6 or 7 days.
2006: 5.38
2007: 5.5
2008: 5.32
2009: 5.26
2010: 5.21
2011: 5.53
. . . . .
Date of departure:
+On what date did you depart DLV 2011?
+Sunday, April 3: 1
+Monday, April 4: 0
+Tuesday, April 5: 1
+Wednesday, April 6: 1
+Thursday, April 7: 5
+Friday, April 8: 13
+After Friday, April 8: 85
80% of those who answered this question waited until DLV was completely over before they departed. 92% departed on or after the last day.
During the years when we ended on a Saturday or Sunday, a far greater percentage left DLV before it was over, with the mass exodus typically happening on Friday during the day.
I really think that the strength of our endings in 2010 and in 2011 are due to more of our people being around to participate and to enjoy it. The old line "nothing attracts a crowd, like a crowd" really applies here, and nothing exhorts enthusiasm like an enthusiastic crowd!
During the years immediately prior to 2010, we were plagued with weak or "fizzle-out" endings. I do think that ending on a Friday, before the exodus occurs, is one reason we had the strong endings for the past two years.
. . . . .
Age:
+Approximate average age: 56.33
Also very consistent over the recent years.
+Total respondees 40 or under: 10
Extrapolating, those 40 or under would make up only 9.1% of the attendee base. A recurring question is why we have so few under the age of 40 or so. I believe that this is mostly due to the facts that those who are older have more disposable income and free or vacation time. For all of the TG events I've ever been associated with, the average age has been in the 50s.
. . . . .
Public exposure:
+DLV 2011 was my first public exposure.: 9
Marked increase of "first coming out" this year, vs. 3 in 2010.
. . . . .
Self-identity:
Increase in the following self-identity labels this year, with 2010 numbers in parentheses:
+Transvestite: 7 (3)
+No-op transsexual: 10 (5)
+Drag queen: 5 (1)
As an aside here ...
When I recently sent a draft of another survey to one of the officers of our local TG support group, she questioned why I even had the "transvestite" label in there, since it's considered by many to be anachronistic. I responded that I agreed with that, but that on the DLV survey we typically get "2 or 3" responses in that category each year. She asked me if it were the respondees who were older who (still) used the term.
To try to answer that question, I re-ran the survey report, selecting only the records of those who self-identified as TV.
To my surprise, we got 7 "TV" responses this year.
Surprisingly, the average age of those who self-identified as TV this year was slightly younger than the overall average, 52-ish.
If anyone wants the survey results of those who answered TV as their self-identity, please let me know.
A frequent comment on our surveys over the years (I don't think we saw it this year, however) is along the line of "what do you mean by ...?", where the person asking wanted to know what, exactly, was meant by the term, or what we considered to be the difference between two terms. The answer is, of course, that we do not define the terms, we simply track what people report as their self-identity, which can indeed mean different things to different people due to the overloaded and sometimes contradictory definitions of these terms.
One item of note, which again has been consistent over the years, is that no label of self-identity constitutes the majority of the respondees to the survey. Those who note "crossdresser" have been in the plurality for years, but we've always had strong contingents of those from all points on the TG spectrum and allies.
. . . . .
Hotels:
Only surprise in the hotel category was the fact that a few of the hotels not on our suggested list garnered more responses than those on our list.
Only real derogs here were one "very uncomfortable" rating for each of the Imperial Palace and the Monte Carlo.
Some of the comments appear to answer the question of "why?" for this.
. . . . .
Enjoyment of activities:
I consider the enjoyment rating of the activities to be the most important part of the survey, and most definitely related to the overall satisfaction of the event as a whole.
A score of 5.0 on the 1-5 scale is, obviously perfect, but I do consider anything in the 4.5 to 5 range to be nearly perfect, or about as good as it can get.
In 2010 we saw what I called a "spike" in the number of activities scoring 4.5 or higher on the enjoyment scale. In looking at the results of this year's survey, it's evident that the spike is becoming a trend.
We saw two obvious patterns in the 4.5 and above activities this year.
First, all of our larger and medium-large activities this year, those receiving 30 or more responses on the survey, scored over 4.5 on the enjoyment scale!
+Happy Hour, Dinner, Welcome Celebration, Monday: 4.51 (78 responses)
+Erotic Heritage Museum, Tuesday: 4.59 (44 responses) (4 no-shows)
+Crossdressers.com Social, HH, Dinner, Wednesday: 4.78 (33 responses)
+Frank Marino Divas Show, Wednesday: 4.75 (33 responses) (2 no-shows)
+Pre-Limo Happy Hour and Dinner, Trevi, Thursday: 4.79 (34 responses)
+Limousine Tour, Thursday: 4.63 (36 responses) (5 no-shows)
+Happy Hour, Dinner, Farewell Get-Together, Friday: 4.77 (67 responses)
+Dancing at Paris, Friday: 4.55 (47 responses)
This includes both of our maximum-attendance gatherings, our two featured "anchor" activities on Tuesday and Thursday, plus a couple of medium-size dining activities. It's a snowball factor, our people enjoy the well-attended gatherings.
EVERY activity on Friday scored 4.5 or higher!
+Charles Bar, Bellagio, Friday: 4.50 (10 responses)
+Pistol-Rifle Shooting, Friday: 4.63 (11 responses) (3 no-shows)
+Lunch With Ginger, Paris Buffet, Friday: 4.54 (11 responses)
+High Tea, Four Seasons, Friday: 4.87 (16 responses) (2 no-shows)
+Makeover sessions (session 1), Macy's FSM, Friday: 5.0 (2 responses)
+Makeover sessions (session 2), Macy's FSM, Friday: 5.0 (1 responses)
+Makeover sessions (session 3), Macy's FSM, Friday: 5.0 (3 responses)
+Happy Hour, Dinner, Farewell, Bahama Breeze, Friday: 4.77 (67 responses)
+Dancing at Paris, Friday: 4.55 (47 responses)
This is the first time I recall a perfect "sweep" of 4.5 or higher for all activities in any single DLV day!
I believe the Harmony Nail Spa Gourmet Wine Day, scoring 4.85, is our highest-scoring commercial open-house activity of all time.
I really hate to get in the mindset of thinking that 4.0 is the bottom of the scale, but over the past few years that's what it has been. Almost everything this year scored an "almost 4" or better on the enjoyment scale, which indicates that all of our activities (one exception, below) are enjoyed by the majority of those participating in them.
Even the Air Tours, called off due to a mechanical issue, scored 3.0. Must have been an enjoyable trip down and back.
+Air Tours, Henderson Executive Airport, Monday: 3.0 (2 responses)
Yes, one activity, called off at the last minute, scored 1.0 with one response. This is perfectly understandable.
+Mount Charleston Excursion, Thursday: 1.0 (1 responses) (1 no-shows)
We tracked 67 activities this year, same number as in 2010. This year we had 61 of them score 4.0 or higher, compared to 60 in 2010. This is an outstanding two-year trend!
The comfort scores were very consistently high with few exceptions, with no significant difference between the reported comfort at the mainstream versus the "safe venue" activities.
. . . . .
Time crunch:
Compared to 2010, We had a significant increase in those reporting "seldom or never" for a time crunch, and a similar decrease in the "occasionally" reports, indicating that despite the more intense schedule of DLV 2011, our people are managing their time better and right-sizing their activity sign-ups. 2010 numbers in parentheses.
+Seldom or never: 58 (45)
+Occasionally: 31 (48)
+Frequently: 12 (11)
I would like to see that "Frequently" number be down in the single digits. We almost always get comments regarding the tightness of our schedule. Yes, it's really impractical to do certain things that occur too closely together on the schedule. I almost fell into this trap myself this year, having originally signed up for both the Shiloh Horse Rescue and the Neon Museum, but I cancelled the latter when I realized that I was asking for a time crunch.
. . . . .
This was a new question this year:
+Did you find yourself missing DLV activities because you were
+in any uncomfortable, unsure, or uneasy about attending?
+Never: 95
+Once: 6
+Occasionally: 5
+Frequently: 0
Fortunately two of the three other-than-best responses are down in the single digits and nobody reported "frequently" on this one.
. . . . .
Local transportation:
+What was your primary means of transportation to and from DLV
+activities?
I've been watching this one since we discontinued our "ride share program" a few years back. 2010 numbers are in parentheses.
+My own private vehicle: 52 (54)
+My own rental vehicle: 20 (18)
+In another's vehicle: 8 (14)
+Taxi: 22 (8)
We had a significant increase in those taking taxis this year, as well as a corresponding decrease in those reporting mainly getting rides with others. These also show that, for the first time I can remember, those taking a taxi exceeded those who rent a car for their local transportation. I've found that I enjoy DLV (and Pinkfest) better when I don't rent a vehicle.
. . . . .
A related question ...
+Did you have any difficulty getting a ride to DLV activities?
+Yes: 7 (5)
+No: 98 (93)
Very slight increase in those who reported difficulty versus those who reported it in 2010, but still down in the single digits, which is a Good Thing<tm>. I think we need to continue to emphasize that attendees who do not have a vehicle should stay in a hotel with transportation options such as the Monorail and an active taxi stand.
. . . . .
+Did you have any difficulty finding the locations at which DLV
+2011 activities were held?
Yes: 15 (15)
No: 92 (87)
I would sure like to see the "Yes" on this one down in the single digits! However, these numbers are typical of what we've been seeing in recent years.
Yes, the map sucked this year! See below.
I was one of the listed contact persons, and one with a local phone number, so I did get a few calls where I had to "talk them in" when looking for a venue.
. . . . .
+Did you have any difficulty finding the group at any of our venues?
+Yes: 8 (5)
+No: 99 (96)
Slight increase, but still in the single digits. Although I remember a few phoning to ask for directions to a venue, I don't remember any who phoned because they did not find the group when they arrived.
. . . . .
+Did you find the online maps to be helpful?
+Yes: 42 (64)
+No: 11 (1)
+I don't need a map: 44 (28)
+What maps?: 11 (9)
Yes, the map sucked this year. I'm elaborating on this in my comments to the comments, to be posted shortly. We also saw a marked increase in those who do not need a map.
. . . . .
+Did you find the lack of a printed map and schedule to be an
+inconvenience?
+Yes, a major inconvenience.: 4
+No: 80
+Maybe a minor inconvenience.: 23
We had originally planned to hand out maps this year but it did not happen, so this question was added. I'm happy to see that the major inconvenience number is very low.
. . . . .
+Did you have any difficulty contacting DLV volunteers by phone?
+Yes: 6 (4)
+No: 36 (27)
+I did not attempt to phone.: 63 (65)
+I never received any phone numbers.: 2 (5)
Nice decrease in the "clueless" answer on this one this year, and those responding that they had trouble is still down in the single digits. Cell phones (all of our contact numbers this year were cell phones) don't work well in some LV buildings and with casino noise and such, it's often easy to miss a call.
. . . . .
+Did you find the other DLV attendees to be friendly and inclusive?
+Mostly yes: 85 (87)
+Yes, somewhat: 14 (11)
+Neutral: 5 (4)
+No, somewhat: 3 (2)
+Mostly no: 1 (0)
I would really like to see the neutral and below numbers on this one be zero! However, I know it's not gonna happen.
This is something I've been watching closely the past couple of years, and this year I can't remember seeing any obvious displays of cliquish or stand-offish behavior. The norm was for active circulating and socializing between returnees and newcomers.
I do think we need to continue emphasizing hospitality toward those who are new or have not established close circles of friends.
. . . . .
+In general, were you comfortable being seen with the DLV group in
+general public settings?
+Comfortable most or all of the time.: 86 (79)
+Mostly comfortable, but sometimes uncomfortable.: 18 (19)
+Frequently uncomfortable.: 3 (7)
Good trend on this one!
. . . . .
+Did you attend DLV 2011 in conjunction with attending some other
+TG-related event in the Las Vegas vicinity?
+Yes: 2
+No: 104
Hmmm ... I wasn't aware of any other significant TG event going on this year at the same time a DLV.
. . . . .
+Approximately how much did you spend on accommodations while you were
+attending DLV?
+Approximate average: 581.37 (516)
About a 12% increase here, expected, as the economy recovers.
The hotel rates were more or less what they were in 2010, with some reporting daily rates as low as the high $20s, but I know that some of our people have mentioned that they were stepping up this year to a higher scale of hotel.
. . . . .
+Approximately how much did you spend on food and non-alcoholic
+beverages while you were attending DLV?
+Approximate average: 350.0 (289)
Again, 12% increase over 2010.
. . . . .
+Approximately how much did you spend on alcoholic beverages while you
+were attending DLV?
+Approximate average: 158.25 (108)
14% increase here from 2010. Party animals!
. . . . .
+Approximately how much did you spend on gaming (total bets or coin-in,
+not win or loss) while you were attending DLV?
+Approximate average: 361.16 (281)
13% increase over 2010.
. . . . .
This is a new question this year, from a suggestion in feedback on the 2010 survey.
+Approximately how much did you spend on local transportation (rental
+car, taxi rides, Monorail pass, donation to others' fuel funds, etc.)
+while you were attending DLV?
+Approximate average: 85.43
. . . . .
+In general, did you consider DLV 2011 to be reasonable and affordable?
+Yes, definitely: 69 (80)
+Yes, somewhat: 27 (19)
+Neutral: 8 (3)
+No, somewhat: 0
+No, definitely: 0
Slight shift between "definitely" and "somewhat" this year, but this is always a self-defeating question, since those who cannot afford DLV will not attend.
. . . . .
+Which best indicates what DLV is to you?
+An opportunity to dress.: 19 (13)
+An opportunity to socialize.: 51 (66)
+An opportunity to party.: 10 (8)
+An opportunity to express myself.: 21 (14)
+An opportunity to learn.: 1 (3)
Some shifts in this one this year, but difficult to read very much into it.
. . . . .
+Would you prefer a more or a less structured schedule of activities?
+More structured: 20 (12)
+Less structured: 6 (5)
+It was fine as it was: 82 (90)
Although the vast majority considers the degree of structure to be fine, there's somewhat of an increase in those who wish to see more structure.
. . . . .
+Would you prefer more activities be in mainstream venues, or more in
+discreet or secluded or alternative venues?
+I would prefer more secluded venues.: 8 (9)
+I would prefer more mainstream venues.: 23 (22)
+I think the balance was about right.: 75 (75)
Consistent over the years. I still keep reading into this some kind of a perception of a lack of mainstream activities. Checking our schedules over the years, the vast majority of our venues are about as mainstream as you can get.
. . . . .
+Did you think DLV was too long or too short?
+It was too long: 8 (8)
+It was too short: 17 (14)
+It was just about right: 80 (85)
Big Burning Question: Are those who want a longer DLV willing to volunteer to make it happen?
. . . . .
+All in all, did DLV 2011 meet your expectations?
+DLV 2011 exceeded my expectations: 50 (36)
+DLV 2011 met my expectations: 48 (62)
+DLV 2011 failed to meet my expectations: 7 (6)
Fairly significant shift from "met" to "exceeded" this year!
Comments, gang?
