[dlv] Looking forward to DLV 2005 ...

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This is the Diva Las Vegas 2005 announcement mailing list.
This list contains only announcements and high importance items.
See information on DLV Discussion Forum below.
If you no longer desire to receive this list, see instructions below.
Replies to this message will be forwarded to: dlv@geekbabe.com
Submissions/questions should be sent to: dlv@geekbabe.com
Abuse/complaints should be sent to: abuse@geekbabe.com
. . . . .
In this mailing:

Welcome (back) everybody
Returnee re-registration is open
Rooms and roommates
Big Sisters
Volunteers
Spreading the word
Getting to know you
Web sites
Administrivia
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Only 112 days until DLV 2005!
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Welcome (back) everybody:

This is the "kick-off" mailing for Diva Las Vegas 2005. Quite a bit of
information appears below, so please read carefully, and let us know if
there's anything that requires a clarification.
. . . . .

Happy New Year!

Hope everybody enjoyed the holidays. :)

Welcome to everybody who just joined the list. If you have any questions
or concerns, please let us know.

We have a great group of people -- second to none -- working on DLV
2005. Several new and enthusiastic volunteers, and, of course, our cadre
of veteran enthusiastic volunteers. :) Really a great group! :)
. . . . .

Headcount:

This is the subject everybody always asks about! :)

Although we won't have an accurate headcount until DLV actually happens,
we will be posting registration numbers and projections as the
registrations come in.

Best guess as of this time for total headcount is around or slightly
over 125, and again, never the complete group in one place at any one
time. In 2004 we had a total signed-in turnout of 118. We're expecting a
modest increase over that number for 2005.

Again, we're expecting a varied mix of attendees, people from all points
on the TG spectrum from those just peeking out of the closet to those
who are fully transitioned, SO's, friends, admirers, etc.
. . . . .

Attending DLV:

For those new, or those who are unclear about what to do if you want to
attend, the steps you need to take if you want to attend can be summed
up:

1. Read the web site (http://www.geekbabe.com/dlv/) to be sure you know
what DLV is, what it is not, and if DLV is something you would want to
attend. (I'm assuming that since you are on this mailing list, that you
have done that.) :)

2. Register for DLV. Re-registration for returnees is now open (see
instructions below), and registration for newcomers who are members
of this list will begin in February.

3. Make your travel and/or hotel reservations, if necessary.

4. Show up and have a great time!

Simple, isn't it? :)
. . . . .

Our mailings:

These mailings will contain only announcements and other items that are
important.

You can expect this mailing list to come out every 1-2 weeks until
April, depending on the need. Mailings will almost always be made on
Sunday.

Beginning around April 1, it will come out as needed, sticking to the
Sunday schedule as much as possible.

As last year, all discussion, chit-chat, questions and answers, etc.,
have been moved to the DLV Discussion Forum. The DLV Discussion Forum is
available in two forms, first as a mailing list, and second as a web
forum. Content is the same on both.

If you would like to receive the DLV Discussion Forum by e-mail, please
send in a brief note to: dlvdisc@geekbabe.com and state that you wish to
subscribe to the DLV Discussion Forum.

To participate in the DLV Discussion Forum on the web, please visit the
url: http://www.geekbabe.com/dlv/dlvdisc/

You may read and post via this URL or by e-mail.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Returnee re-registration is open:

Re-registration for returnees is now open.

In most cases you will be able to use express re-registration, which
only takes a minute or so.

Those who last attended DLV between 2001 and 2004 and registered on the
web can expect a personalized clickable express re-registration link via
e-mail within the next few days or so.

If you don't receive this by Wednesday (if your e-mail address changed
since you last attended, you probably won't), if it does not seem to
work for you, or if you just want to do it before or do it the hard
way :) use the url:

http://www.geekbabe.com/dlv/regret.html

If you have any difficulty registering on line, or if you see any kind
of unexpected result or error message, please report it. If anything is
wrong, e-mail dlv@geekbabe.com and we will check out the error and help
you get registered.

Registration for newcomers who are members of this list will begin
February 1, 2005. General DLV registration opens March 1, 2005.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Rooms and roommates:

Our suggested hotels for DLV 2005 are (in alphabetical order):

Boardwalk
Imperial Palace
Palace Station
Sahara

More information about these hotels appears on the web at:

http://www.geekbabe.com/dlv/dlv2005/2005hotels.html

For those who want to save some $$$ by sharing a room, we will once
again coordinate roommate matching. Diane will be leading this effort.

If you're interested in sharing a room, please visit the url:

http://www.geekbabe.com/dlv/roommate.html

... and fill out a brief questionnaire. Diane will be collecting the
responses and getting people in contact with each other.

If you have any questions or concerns about the roommate matching
program, please e-mail: roommate@geekbabe.com and Diane will address
your needs.

Two items to keep in mind regarding roommate matching.

1. Our Roommate Matching Program is for one purpose and one purpose
only, that being to act as a clearing house for those who want to share
hotel accommodations for the purpose of saving money and congenial
companionship. Any wording in a roommate request entry that hints
anything other than this will cause the request to be rejected.

2. Although roommate matching is done in good faith, please understand
that it's at your own risk and that DLV organizers and volunteers are
not responsible if things do not work out as desired.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Big Sisters:

Big Sisters are volunteer DLV veterans who are standing by to help as
needed, either prior to DLV, or during DLV.

This is intended mainly for those who are new and don't have much public
exposure, or those who may be feeling a bit uneasy about the upcoming
trip, but Big Sisters are available to anybody who wants one.

If you haven't been out in public at all, if you're new to public
exposure, your exposure has never been in the mainstream before, or if
there's any reason you feel uneasy or uncertain about the upcoming trip,
the Big Sisters are here to help, either before DLV, during DLV, or
both.

The Big Sister program for DLV 2005 is coordinated by Nora and Crystal,
who will be focusing their primary DLV effort toward this program.

Before DLV, if you would like to correspond with somebody one-to-one
about concerns regarding DLV, just send a brief note to dlv@geekbabe.com
and say that you would like to get in touch with a Big Sister. Examples
of concerns might be questions that you don't feel comfortable asking on
one of the mailing lists, request for an honest fashion critique, etc.

During DLV, if you need some fashion advice, Big Sisters can help.

If you are uneasy and can't get the nerve to walk out of your hotel room
(this has happened), phone us, we'll have a Big Sister meet you, assure
you, and escort you if necessary.

If you're new and don't know any of the others at DLV, the Big Sisters
will gladly introduce you to the others and help you get acquainted.
There's no such thing as an outsider at DLV!

If you think you would like to be put in touch with a Big Sister, just
send a note to dlv@geekbabe.com and we'll get you in contact with one.

Also, if you have attended DLV in the past and would like to volunteer
to spend some time helping others, please say so and volunteer to be a
Big Sister. (Just reply to this mailing and state you would like to
volunteer to be a Big Sister.) The primary qualification is the desire
to help others.

You can also sign up to have a Big Sister, or volunteer to be a Big
Sister on the web as you register, or sign up at the URL:

http://www.geekbabe.com/dlv/bigsis.html
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Volunteers:

Diva Las Vegas runs entirely on volunteer help.

Although we had an excellent response to our call for volunteers after
DLV 2004 and most of our needs are well covered, there are a few areas
in which we can use some additional help, including ...

1. ACTIVITY COORDINATORS and ASSISTANTS. We still have a few planned
(and unplanned) activities that need to be "adopted" by one or more
people who are willing to do the busy-work necessary to make them
happen. If you are interested in helping along these lines, please
hit REPLY and say so.

2. VOLUNTEER DRIVERS. If you will have a vehicle at DLV and don't mind
giving others rides to and from our activities, please indicate this on
your registration form on the web when you register.

3. BIG SISTERS. (See notes about the Big Sister program above.) If
you've attended DLV in the past and would like to help out those who may
be new to DLV or new to public exposure, please say so. Just reply to
this mailing stating you wish to volunteer as a Big Sister, sign up
as a Big Sister when you register, or volunteer on the web at:

http://www.geekbabe.com/dlv/bigsis.html

4. SPREAD THE WORD. See notes below.
. . . . .

I realize many of you do not yet know if you will be able to attend,
but it's fine to conditionally volunteer.

Yes, it's ok to volunteer to "help out any way you can". You will be
taken up on your offer. :)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Spreading the word:

I've lost count of those who have written to the effect of "... if only
I knew about this earlier ...". This has happened most years, right
after DLV has just concluded. It's a shame to have people miss out. We
certainly don't want to see this repeat right after DLV 2005.

This is one thing you can do right now, without much effort, whether or
not you are actually planning to attend.

You can help spread the word in the following ways:

* If you are a member of a local support group, put a blurb in the
newsletter or announce it at a meeting. (LOL, I know one group that's
probably getting tired of seeing a walking-talking infomercial for
DLV!) :) :) :)

* If you're on a mailing list or e-group, and you have not seen it
announced there, please make a brief announcement. Ditto on the
newsgroups you frequent. (Please use some common sense and restraint
here. If the group is sexually oriented, as opposed to socially
oriented, you are asked to refrain from linking to us. Also please be
sure to not post announcements in too many groups at once, as we don't
want to be on the receiving end of spam complaints.)

* If you see one of those "TG Event Listings" that does not include DLV,
make a submission. We're already on most of the major ones, but I'm sure
there are those where we aren't. (Please be sure we're on the 2005
listings, we're still getting a lot of web referrals from 2004 listings
and before.)

* If your community has a local GLBT paper, submit a note to them for
their "Events and Activities" listing. Most will have an ongoing column
such as this.

* If you have a personal website, include a link to DLV at the url:

http://www.geekbabe.com/dlv/

* Use your imagination!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Getting to know you:

If you would like to make the acquaintance of other DLV attendees prior
to April, there are a few things you can do to make yourself known and
to get to know the others.

* Many of us have personal web sites. A great way to become acquainted
before the big event in May is to take a look at each others' sites.

We keep a running list of web sites of DLV people (see below), and if
you have a site and it's not listed, we would love to list it.

Due to the fact that personal web pages appear, disappear, and move
frequently, we are starting our list from scratch this year.

Just send in your URL to dlv@geekbabe.com (or just hit REPLY) and we
will add it to the list.
. . . . .

* Share photos of yourself in the DLV Gallery. Several people from all
DLV years, 37 at last count, are already featured. To view the gallery,
visit the URL:

http://www.geekbabe.com/dlv/gallery/

PLEASE DO NOT SEND PHOTOS TO THE DLV LIST ADDRESS, IT WILL NOT WORK.

To submit photos for the gallery, please send them via e-mail using
any of the standard file attach methods to: annie@annie.net

PLEASE DO NOT SEND PHOTOS TO THE DLV LIST ADDRESS, IT WILL NOT WORK.

You may send anywhere between 1 and 5 photos for the gallery, with at
least one being a clear face shot if possible. Individual .jpg images
are preferred. Any sane format will be accepted. No nude, slut/fetish
or "adult" theme photos please. You may also send in the following
information for inclusion in the gallery:

1. The years you have attended DLV. (The gallery is open to all, not
limited to those who attended in the past.)

2. Your personal web site URL. Optional, noncommercial sites only, no
"adult" sites please.

3. Your email address. Optional, this will be encoded so it will be
clickable by most browsers, but not readable by most spambots.
. . . . .

* Participate in the DLV Discussion Forum. It's on line at the URL:

http://www.geekbabe.com/dlv/dlvdisc/

It's also available by e-mail. Write dlvdisc@geekbabe.com to join.
. . . . .

* DLV E-mail Directory. Assuming a moderate response, we'll be
publishing an early edition of the DLV E-mail Directory shortly. This is
strictly voluntary, and will be sent out only to those who appear within
it. If you would like to have your name and e-mail address listed, just
send in a note to dlv@geekbabe.com and state that you want to be
included. (Or, just reply to this mailing and say so.)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Web sites:

Main Diva Las Vegas page: http://www.geekbabe.com/dlv/
DLV Discussion Forum: http://www.geekbabe.com/dlv/dlvdisc/
DLV Gallery: http://www.geekbabe.com/dlv/gallery/

Personal sites (newest additions first):

Jamie Renae: http://www.jamierenae.com/
Annie: http://www.geekbabe.com/annie/

Want to be included? Just send your name and URL to dlv@geekbabe.com and
state that you want to be listed. Personal, noncommercial sites only, no
"adult" sites, please.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Administrivia:

This is the Diva Las Vegas 2005 Announcement mailing list.

This list is limited to announcements and other high-importance items.

This mailing was addressed to: dmr436@geekbabe.com
Your subscription details will be provided to you on request.

Questions/answers and discussion items are redirected to the DLV
Discussion Forum, which may be subscribed to separately or viewed on the
web. To subscribe to the DLV Discussion Forum, send a brief message to
dlv@geekbabe.com and state that you wish to receive the DLV Discussion
Forum.

To view the DLV Discussion Forum on line, visit the URL:

http://www.geekbabe.com/dlv/dlvdisc/
. . . . .

Diva Las Vegas 2005
April 24 - 30, 2005
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

One address for all items regarding this list, additions, unsubscribe
requests, changes, submissions, questions, etc.:

dlv@geekbabe.com <--- NOTE: all lower case

Please do not send binary attachments (photos, etc.) directly to any DLV
list or forum, as the list processor will not properly handle them. If
you want to send photos and the like, mail to: annie@annie.net

Archives of this list appear on the web at:

http://www.geekbabe.com/annie/dlv05arc/
. . . . .

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To send material to this list: Send submission as regular e-mail to
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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .