Comments on the DLV 2016 survey ...

[External Poster]

This posting is from: Annie
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Here are some comments on the recent DLV 2016 survey, objective portion.

We, the DLV organizers and volunteers, highly value these surveys and
take them very seriously. I know they are a pain to fill out but they
do give us feedback that we could never get otherwise.

Your participation in these surveys is very much appreciated! :)

Those who are particularly observant may notice new questions this year
as well as the "retirement" of some questions used one time or more in
previous years.

I'm not commenting on all of the survey questions, just on some of those
I believe have a certain specific significance. I'll comment on the
written comments in another item shortly.

These comments are not in the same order as the questions appeared on
the survey.

Additional comments are appreciated!
. . . . . . . . . .

+ What was your level of enjoyment at each of the following activities?

I believe that this section (activity enjoyment ratings) is one of the
most important sections if not THE most important section of the survey.
It gives us a very good handle on which activities our people did and
did not like, and it lets us know what will be worth repeating in years
to come.

The "perfect" score in this category is 5.0 for enjoyment and this is
very hard to get, particularly when many responses are received. Any
single score of less than 5.0 bumps the activity lower than 5.0. I
consider the 5.0 enjoyment rating to be the equivalent to an A+ on the
grading scale.

+Late Night Dancing, Paris, Friday, April 1: 5.0 (7 responses)
+Lunch With Ginger, FSM Food Court, Thursday, March 31: 5.0 (6 responses)
+U-Drive Exotic Car Racing, LVMS, Wednesday: 5.0 (4 responses)
+Nordstrom Makeovers, all sessions, Thursday: 5.0 (3 responses)
+Lunch With Ginger, Golden Nugget Buffet, Saturday: 5.0 (3 responses)
+Katie's Koffee Korner, Flamingo Saturday: 5.0 (2 responses)
+Mainstream Clubbing, Club XS, Friday: 5.0 (3 responses)
+Late Night Dancing, Mizuya Lounge, Wednesday: 5.0 (1 responses)

This year we had eight activities hit 5.0 on the enjoyment scale,
compared to four last year.

Since any single response less than "enjoyed significantly" will remove
an activity from this highest group, those scoring a perfect 5.0 tend to
have lower numbers of responses than do many of our more highly-attended
activities.

I consider the ratings where the responses number 10 or more to be most
definitely valid, those with 5-9 responses to be provisionally valid,
and those with fewer than 5 ratings to be valid from the perspective of
the individual responding, but not enough of a sample size to draw solid
conclusions.
. . . . .

Hanging out just below the 5.0 surface are those activities which score
very highly for enjoyment but do not actually ring the bell.

I consider an enjoyment score between 4.5 and 4.99 to be the equivalent
of a solid A on the grading scale. To score in this range, an activity
has to receive more "Enjoyed Significantly" enjoyment ratings than all
lesser ratings combined.

Activities which are greatly enjoyed by many individuals tend to fall
into this group.

+Ricardo's dining option, Friday, April 1: 4.90 (10 responses)

+Late Night Dancing, Paris, Thursday, March 31: 4.87 (16 responses)
+20th Year Celebration Dinner, Off The Strip: 4.85 (48 responses)
+Trevi dining option, Friday: 4.84 (13 responses)
+Late Night Dancing, Paris, Tuesday, March 29: 4.83 (18 responses)
+Morton's dining option, Friday, April 1: 4.83 (6 responses)
+Late Night Dancing, FSE, Saturday, April 2: 4.83 (6 responses)
+Limousine Tour, Friday, April 1: 4.81 (22 responses)
+Diva Las Vegas Invitational Golf, Tuesday: 4.80 (5 responses)

+Lunch With Aejaie, Guy Fieri's, Monday, March 28: 4.75 (4 responses)
+Lunch With Aejaie, Hash House a Go-Go, Wednesday 4.75 (4 responses)
+Late Night Dancing, Paris, Monday, March 28: 4.72 (18 responses)

+New Attendee Welcome and Orientation, Monday: 4.69 (23 responses)
+Get-acquainted Dinner, Monday: 4.66 (63 responses) (1 no-shows)
+Creative Wigs Luncheon, Thursday: 4.66 (24 responses) (3 no-shows)
+Katie's Koffee Korner, Flamingo, Thursday: 4.66 (12 responses)
+Bare Minerals Makeovers - All sessions: 4.64 (17 responses) (1 no-shows)
+Katie's Koffee Korner, Flamingo Friday: 4.63 (11 responses)
+Wayne Newton Casa de Shenandoah, Friday: 4.61 (13 responses) (2 no-shows)
+Wig and Makeup Seminar, Thursday: 4.60 (30 responses) (2 no-shows)
+Katie's Koffee Korner, Tuesday, March 29: 4.60 (10 responses)
+Denny's dining option, Neonopolis, Saturday: 4.60 (5 responses)
+Fremont Street Experience, FSE, Saturday, April 2: 4.60 (5 responses)
+Shiloh Horse Rescue, Wednesday: 4.60 (5 responses) (4 no-shows)
+Shopping With Ginger, FSM, Thursday, March 31: 4.60 (5 responses)

+Pinball Hall Of Fame, Monday, March 28: 4.58 (12 responses) (2 no-shows)
+Explore The Linq, Tuesday, March 29: 4.55 (9 responses)
+Love Ur Look Luncheon, Kona Grill, Tuesday: 4.54 (11 responses) (4 no-shows)
+Art Tour, Bellagio, Wednesday, March 30: 4.50 (12 responses) (4 no-shows)
+Pistol and rifle shooting, Thursday: 4.50 (8 responses) (2 no-shows)

This year 31 activities scored within this range, compared to 21 last
year in 2015. High-interest activities such as golf and shooting tend to
fall into this group. Both of our major gatherings made it to this group
this year, something that has not happened since 2011. It's been noted
that our second major gathering this year has tied the all-time record
for enjoyment (4.85) of any of our major gatherings throughout our
history.
. . . . .

I consider this next group, the 4.0 to 4.49 enjoyment range to be a
solid B or even a B+ on the grading scale. To attain a rating in this
range, there must be more "Enjoyed" and "Enjoyed Significantly" ratings
than all lesser ratings combined.

+Erotic Heritage Museum, Wednesday: 4.47 (34 responses) (1 no-shows)
+Katie's Koffee Korner, Flamingo Wednesday: 4.46 (15 responses)
+PF Chang dining option, Wednesday, March 30: 4.46 (15 responses)
+Mat Franco Magic Reinvented, Linq, Tuesday: 4.42 (7 responses)
+3535 Happy Hour, Linq, Tuesday, March 29: 4.40 (5 responses)
+Katie's Koffee Korner, Monday, March 28: 4.35 (17 responses)
+Carnaval Court, Friday, April 1: 4.28 (7 responses)
+Ruth's Chris dining option, Tuesday: 4.26 (15 responses) (1 no-shows)
+Hollywood Car Museum, Friday: 4.20 (5 responses) (1 no-shows)
+Center Cut dining option, Tuesday, March 29: 4.14 (7 responses)
+Hofbrauhaus dining option, Wednesday: 4.14 (7 responses) (2 no-shows)
+Nora's Cuisine dining option, Tuesday, March 29: 4.0 (9 responses)
+TG Tuesday - Social at The Center: 4.0 (4 responses) (2 no-shows)
+Lunch With Ginger, Rio Buffet, Tuesday, March 29: 4.0 (4 responses)
+Car Racing Luncheon, SNS Diner, Wednesday: 4.0 (2 responses)
+Mini Dance Lesson, Mizuya Lounge, Wednesday: 4.0 (2 responses) (3 no-shows)
+Flamboyance Drag Show, Flex, Thursday, March 31: 4.0 (2 responses)
+Saturday Night Karaoke, Spotlight Lounge, Saturday: 4.0 (2 responses)
+Tuesday Night Movie, Orleans, Tuesday, March 29: 4.0 (1 responses)

This year, 19 activities placed within the 4.0 to 4.49 range, compared
to 22 in 2015. This decrease corresponds with an increase in the number
of activities which placed 4.5 or higher on the enjoyment scale and the
(see below) total lack of any activities placing between 3.0 to 3.5. A
number of activities scored in the 4.4-ish range but just could not
squeak up to the 4.5 group. :)

All activities except one scored 4.0 or higher this year! This is up
from all previous years. This is something the volunteers should be
proud of!

No activities scored in the 3.0 to 3.99 range!

One, however, scored 2.0.

+Lunch With Ginger, Harrah's Buffet, Friday: 2.0 (1 responses)

With only one response it's evident that there was some disappointment
both with the meal and with the turnout.
. . . . .

Nothing scored below 4 on the comfort scale.

As previously discussed, we may retire the individual activity comfort
scores on the survey next year and replace this section with a fill-in
box asking "Were you in any way uncomfortable ..."
. . . . . . . . . .

We've been waiting countless years for a report like this:

+Did you personally have any public restroom issues while attending DLV
+2016?

+I used public restrooms and YES I had issues or incidents.: 0
+I used public restrooms and did NOT have issues.: 54
+I seldom or never used public restrooms.: 14
+This question does not apply to me.: 2

None! Zippo! Zilch! Nada! Woo-hoo! {jumping and cheering!}
. . . . .

+How many times have you attended Diva Las Vegas?

+Once: 16
+Twice: 13
+Three or more: 16
+Five or more: 13
+Ten or more: 13

This year we had a more even distribution, with a significant increase
in those reporting two years of attendance.
. . . . .

+About how far (miles) did you travel to attend DLV 2016?

+Approximate average miles: 2164.8

This number varies quite a bit over the years and is heavily influenced
by a small number of high-mileage travelers, or lack of same.

This is a very significant increase over 2015 mainly due to those who
traveled from Europe and Oceania. We're also going to tweak the answers
on this one next year, and include the equivalent distances in
kilometers.
. . . . .

+On what date did you arrive for DLV 2016?

+Before Monday, March 28: 44
+Monday, March 28: 20

Despite the reports of those arriving Monday and rushing to activities,
the majority of the respondees did report arriving prior to Monday.

+On what date did you depart DLV 2016?

+Saturday, April 2: 29
+After Saturday, April 2: 25

Yes, as anticipated, we did have a significant exodus on Saturday. Our
history shows that our people are more willing to pay the higher room
rate on Friday than they are on Saturday.

+Average length of stay: 5.36 days.

This number continues to be incredibly consistent over the years.
. . . . .

+Which of the following best describes your attendance and participation
+in Diva Las Vegas 2016?

+I attended solo and chose my activities individually: 51
+With partner - chose activities individually: 4
+With partner - mostly participated as a couple: 12
+With group - chose activities individually: 0
+With group - mostly participated as group: 3

This is the second year we asked this question and this year's responses
are right in line with those of last year.
. . . . .

+While you were in attendance, did you get a chance to officially check
+in with one of our volunteers (whether or not you got a name tag)?

+Yes I did: 61
+No I did not: 10

+Did you receive a personalized name tags during your attendance of DLV
+2016?

+Yes I did: 60
+No I did not: 11

Somewhat of a shift in the positive direction from last year!

And a related question ...

+And what about the request to wear name tags?

+I found them to be helpful: 42
+I don't really care either way: 22
+I did not like them: 6

Very slight positive shift here as well.
. . . . .

+What is your approximate age?

+18 - 25: 0
+26 - 30: 0
+31 - 35: 1
+36 - 40: 8
+41 - 45: 8
+46 - 50: 5
+51 - 55: 9
+56 - 60: 5
+61 - 65: 21
+66 - 70: 6
+Over 70: 6

+Approximate average age: 58.59

About a 2.7% decrease in reported age this year. We'll need to wait for
future years to see if this is a one-off or a trend. The responses do
show a small second peak in the low 40s and a smaller third peak in the
low 50s in addition to the primary peak which has shifted into the low
60s over the past several years.
. . . . .

+I consider myself to be primarily a (an) ...

I find the responses to the self-identity labels to be interesting,
particularly the shifts between them over the years.

This year every survey respondee answered the question.

+Crossdresser: 30

42%, the plurality, identify as crossdressers, compared to 46% in 2015
and close to a majority, 49-dot-something percent in 2014. Slight
downward trend over the past few years.

+Transgender(ist): 12

17% in 2016 compared to 19% in 2015, 25% in 2014 and 24% in 2013. Again,
a downward trend.

+Transwoman: 10

This more recent label of self-identity has definitely been increasing
in popularity, with 14% reporting identifying as such this year,
compared to 10% last year and a singular response (about 1.333%) in
2014.

+Transvestite: 3

Yes, yes, yes. I know that many consider this term to be old-fashioned,
anachronistic, out of style, whatever. However, as long as people still
report it as their preferred label of identity, we'll keep offering it
as an option.

Still, it's down this year, 4.23% compared to 7% in 2015 and 8% in 2014.

We're starting to see a few more responses to some of the other more
contemporary self-identity labels.

+Gender-nonconforming: 3

This is the third year we've offered this as a selection and the first
year of any significance (4%) in responses. One singular response last
year and zippo in 2014.

+Bigender: 2

Two this year (2.8%), same count last year and one in 2014.

+Self-identified woman: 1

This is the first time we've used this term as an option.

+Significant other: 1

Unfortunately the number of SOs responding to this survey has been stuck
in the low single digits for several years. (**HINT!**)
. . . . .

+I am a (an) ...

+Nonsmoker: 66
+Occasional smoker: 5
+Regular smoker: 0

Hmmmm ... Nobody admits to smoking regularly this year? :)
. . . . .

+I consider myself to be a (an) ...

+Non-drinker: 7
+Social drinker: 53
+Regular drinker: 10

We've seen a slight decrease in respondees who do not drink over the
past few years.
. . . . .

+Do you belong to a local transgender support group?

+I am currently a member.: 11
+I have previously been a member.: 34
+I have never been a member.: 26

We continue to see a definite downward trend in those reporting
membership in local TG support groups, with only 15% claiming membership
this year compared to 22% in 2015, 26% in 2014, and 35% in 2013.

Those reporting previous membership has been increasing with 48% this
year, 41% in 2015, 40% in 2014 and 30% in 2013.
. . . . .

+If you stayed in a local hotel, were you satisfied with the quality and
+condition of your room and the facilities of the property?

No surprises on the enjoyment side of the hotel scene, with two of our
suggested hotels receiving very low numbers of responses. Most who
stayed in a suggested hotel this year gravitated to the Flamingo despite
the Four Queens being cheaper.
. . . . .

+If you stayed in a local hotel, what was your comfort level regarding
+the climate, culture, and attitude that you perceived there?

+Flamingo:

+very uncomfortable: 3

Unfortunately this is almost 10% of those who reported staying at the
Flamingo! :(

We would appreciate if those who felt uncomfortable at the Flamingo
would write to us and give us the details. We would like to know, very
specifically, what the issues were, and if there's anything we can be
doing to mitigate the situation, we would sure like to be able to do it.
. . . . .

+Did you take advantage of our special promotional hotel room rates
+at the Flamingo for all or part of your stay?

+Yes I did: 22
+No but I was aware of it: 34
+No but I was too late for it: 5
+No and I was unaware of it: 3

34% of the respondents reported using our special offer, which did offer
a meaningful discount. This is slightly lower (39%) that we saw last
year. Since this is only the second year that we've had this offer, it
will probably be several years before we can get some good trend data on
this program.
. . . . .

+Did you find yourself missing DLV activities because you either got into
+a time crunch or were simply too tired from previous activites [sic]?

+Seldom or never: 36
+Occasionally: 33
+Frequently: 3

Unfortunately there was a significant increase of those reporting time
crunch issues this year, compared to last year. Half of the respondees
this year reported at least occasional time crunches.

We try to watch for "no win" time crunches in the schedule, but it does
appear that they were more common this year. This will be brought up in
ORG as a specific trouble spot.
. . . . .

+Did you find yourself missing DLV activities because you were in any
+uncomfortable, unsure, or uneasy about attending?

+Never: 59
+Once: 4
+Occasionally: 7
+Frequently: 1

This shows a slight increase this year, and we would sure like to hear
some personal reports on this issue. (C'mon, we're all ears!) :)
. . . . .

+During the course of the event, did you suffer from an unexpected
+illness or injury which prevented you from fully participating?

+Yes I did: 5
+No I did not: 67

Still in the single digits, but a marked increase from last year. I
assume (and sure hope) that nothing was serious. :(
. . . . .

+Did you use the activity reminder service (e-mail or text messages to
+your cell phone) and if so, did it work well for you?

+Yes, and it worked fine.: 15
+Yes, and it worked off and on.: 1
+Yes, but it seldom or never.: 3
+No, I did not use it..: 41
+I do not know what you are talking about.: 9

We had a confirmed report that some of the reminders that came during
the first part of the week were two hours early. This was a simple
technical issue and was resolved as soon as the first report came in.

We also checked on one report of "black hole" reminders where logs
showed that the messages were accepted by the attendee's cell carrier
but never delivered.

Any additional reports on issues with this will be appreciated.
. . . . .

+Did you use the DLV Group Text service (text messages from other
+attendees to your cell phone or email) and if so, did it work well for
+you?

+Yes, and it worked fine.: 13
+Yes, and it worked off and on.: 2
+Yes, but it seldom or never.: 3
+No, I did not use it..: 43
+Say what?: 8

This is the first year we did this. We did get one report that nothing
was received for several days, which really was due to nobody sending
anything for several days. :)

Again, detailed reports on any issues will be appreciated.
. . . . .

+Did you have convenient and reliable e-mail service during DLV, using
+any method?

+Which of the following BEST describes your electronic communication
+abilities during our event?

This year's answers to these two questions are in line with the answers
received last year and do indicate that the vast majority of our people
are indeed "connected" to one degree or another during our event.
. . . . .

+What was your primary means of transportation to and from DLV
+activities?

+Uber, Lyft, etc.: 4

The only item of specific note in this area was the report of the use of
ride sharing services by about 6% of the respondees as their primary
means of local transportation.

As an aside, I took my first Uber ride during this DLV, as a guest of a
regular user of the service. It was a very new high-end sedan, clean,
with a very friendly and courteous driver who delivered me to my hotel
promptly and directly. I do not know if I will sign up for the service
or not. I'm a fairly regular taxi user in Las Vegas and a few other
major cities and quite accustomed to it.
. . . . .

+Did you have any difficulty finding the locations at which DLV 2016
+activities were held?

+Yes: 13
+No: 59

When the "derog" answers on questions such as this start creeping up
into the double digits, I start to get concerned. Comments give a few
examples of the difficulties, but further reports would be appreciated.
We'll most definitely be discussing this amongst the volunteers as the
2017 event is planned.
. . . . .

+During your stay in Las Vegas to attend our event, were you ever
+confronted or harassed by a member of the general public regarding your
+manner of dress and presentation?

+Yes, and it discouraged me from fully participating.: 0
+Yes, but it did not discourage me from fully participating: 11
+No, I was not.: 59

+During your stay in Las Vegas to attend our event, were you ever
+confronted or harassed by a law enforcement officer, security guard,
+venue manager, etc. regarding your manner of dress and presentation?

+Yes, and it discouraged me from fully participating.: 0
+Yes, but it did not discourage me from fully participating: 0
+No, I was not.: 70

These two questions are new this year. The first one was given as a
suggestion during the event and I modified it slightly for the second.
This (confrontation, harassment) has been a topic of sporadic reports
since we started back in 1997 but we have not been tracking it.

The numbers do indicate that, as suspected, that a meaningful number of
our attendees (about 16%) did take some kind of crap from "civilians" in
Las Vegas but nobody reported it as discouraging to participation.

Having no reports of confrontation by law enforcement and security is a
very good thing!
. . . . .

+What was your perception regarding the excursion that several DLV
+attendees made to The Studios on Tuesday evening?

+My impression this WAS an official part of DLV.: 0
+My impression this was NOT an official part of DLV.: 42
+I know what Studios is but unaware of anyone attending.: 5
+I have no clue what you are talking about.: 19

This was a one-time one-off question which was added in response to some
concerns by volunteers that an independently-planned activity at an
"adult" venue was misperceived as being part of the DLV program.

No perception. No issue. Case closed! Next question, please. :)
. . . . .

+Did you participate in our Big Sister program and if so, did you find it
+to be helpful?

We consider the Big Sister Program to be one of our shining stars! We
really want it to be all it can be. Due to the relatively low number of
those requesting Big Sisters, numbers on the survey will almost always
be in the single digits. No glaring issues have been noted over the past
several years, but feedback on our Big Sister Program, both good and
bad, from those who were Little Sisters and Big Sisters is always
welcome and appreciated.
. . . . .

+Which of the following best represents the various payments you made
+during the course of your attendance of DLV 2016?

+Credit/debit cards almost exclusively.: 16
+Credit/debit cards for big things, mostly cash otherwise.: 10
+Mostly cards but occasionally cash.: 14
+About 50/50 cash and cards.: 11
+Mostly cash but occasionally cards.: 16
+Cash almost exclusively.: 5

This was a new question this year which may or may not be repeated. It
was kind of a follow-up to the issue reported last year dealing with the
difficulties of splitting of restaurant checks.

I've always considered Las Vegas to be a "cash town", as it's the medium
almost always used for gaming, and when visiting on a pleasure trip I
almost always pay in cash for about everything except hotel and rental
car.

As the results indicate, there's a significant "skew" in the direction
of cards.
. . . . .

+Approximately how much did you spend on accommodations while you were
+attending DLV?

+Approximate average: 584.61

Wow! About a 20% decrease from the amount reported in 2015!
. . . . .

+Approximately how much did you spend on food and non-alcoholic beverages
+while you were attending DLV?

+Approximate average: 342.85

Decrease in the same order of magnitude on food.
. . . . .

+Approximately how much did you spend on alcoholic beverages
+while you were attending DLV?

+Approximate average: 133.7

.. and on booze of all things!
. . . . .

+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: 150.78

Within a couple of dollars of the 2015 average.
. . . . .

+Considering all expenses of all types, what was the total amount you
+spent in order to attend and participate in DLV?

+Approximate average: 2866.92

The bottom line, however, is a fairly significant increase over 2015,
which I believe is mainly due to longer-distance attendees and higher
travel costs.
. . . . .

+In general, did you consider DLV 2016 to be reasonable and affordable?

+Yes, definitely: 45
+Yes, somewhat: 23
+Neutral: 2
+No, somewhat: 0
+No, definitely: 0

This is a fairly significant shift in the direction of affordability
this year. We did keep affordability in mind when planning this year's
event. We'll continue to do so and watch to see if this continues as a
trend. :)
. . . . .

+Did you participate in table and/or machine gaming during your
+attendance at DLV?

+None at all: 27
+Very little: 15
+Occasionally: 17
+Frequently: 10

Numbers more or less in line with last year.
. . . . .

+Which best indicates what DLV is to you?

+An opportunity to socialize.: 39
+An opportunity to dress.: 16
+An opportunity to express myself.: 12
+An opportunity to learn.: 2
+An opportunity to party.: 1

And no real surprises here this year.
. . . . .

+Did you think DLV was too long or too short?

+It was too long: 10
+It was too short: 4
+It was just about right: 57

The majority has said "just right" since we started asking, but the "too
long" answers have been creeping up in recent years. I interpret this to
possibly mean "too long for my attention span", "too long for me to
afford", and "too long for me to take off work" and such. :)
. . . . .

+All in all, did DLV 2016 meet your expectations?

+DLV 2016 exceeded my expectations: 31
+DLV 2016 met my expectations: 37
+DLV 2016 failed to meet my expectations: 3

+Would you attend another DLV?

+Yes, definitely: 50
+Yes, probably: 16
+Maybe: 4
+Probably not: 1
+Definitely not: 0

The "bad" answers to these questions have always been in low single
digits over the last several years, but we're still concerned when we
see any of them.

We would sure like to hear from those whose DLV experiences did not live
up to their expectations, and from those who would not consider
returning in future years.

You can address your comments and concerns to dlv@divalas.vegas or if
you wish to comment privately, send to: annie at annie dot net and I
will assure discretion.

Further comments on any of this? :)


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(This posting was entered by Annie, an external user of MyDLV.)