[dlv] DLV updates - New attendee registration is open, etc.

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This is the Diva Las Vegas 2015 announcement mailing list.

If you no longer desire to receive this list, see list removal
instructions below.
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In this mailing:

DLV 2015 updates
Changes and updates for 2015
New Attendee registration is open
Special rates at Flamingo - 3 week warning
Big Sisters (and Big Brothers)
Rooms and Roommates
Misunderstandings and disappointments
Administrivia
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DLV 2015 updates:

This mailing provides further details on our program and our upcoming
2015 event which occurs from Sunday, March 22 thru Friday, March 27.

If you have just joined this list, please take a few minutes and review
the 2015 kick-off mailing. The archive copy is on the web at:

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=3046

If you have specific questions about our event, please take a look at
our Frequently Asked Questions list, on the web at:

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

Over 90% of the questions we receive by e-mail are already answered,
often in depth, on the list at the link above. If you have questions or
concerns which are not addressed on the FAQ list, for the quickest
answer please post your question on the DLV Discussion Forum, which is
on line at:

viewforum.php?f=2
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Only three weeks left for special DLV promotional hotel rates at the
Flamingo. Please do not procrastinate! See details below.
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Big thanks to those who reported systems issues!

If you should encounter any difficulty or anything that does not look
right when using any of our on-line systems, please report it. If
something is wrong, we want to fix it as soon as we can!

If you should encounter anything such as a page not found, wrong
information being displayed or sent by e-mail, error messages, unwanted
debugging "gobbledygook", or the infamous "White Page Of Death", please
let us know about it.

If something does not happen, such as an expected e-mail, please be sure
to report it.

You may report any issues by e-mailing: dlv@geekbabe.com
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Changes and updates for 2015:

Here is a rundown of the major items that have changed this year and in
recent years.

* The minimum age to participate in Diva Las Vegas is now 21.

* The information formerly presented in what we called the "Large Final
Mailing" will now appear within the Attendee Information Portal. A link
to your personal Attendee Information Portal will be sent to you when
you register and can be easily and quickly recovered in the event you
should misplace it.

* We will not have a formal roommate matching program for 2015. See
below for notes on rooms and roommates.

* We now offer Big Brothers as well as Big Sisters. Please see item
below.

* We will be having a special New Attendee Welcome and Orientation on
Monday afternoon of DLV week. See final schedule for details.

* For 2015 we've added an additional recurring daily activity, the
Afternoon Social, which will be held each afternoon. This joins Katie's
Koffee Korner, Lunch With Ginger (or an alternate host or hostess) and
late evening dancing as our recurring daily activities..

* We will have automated reminder text messages for any activity that
you choose sent to your text-capable cell phone or e-mail account.

* For 2015, a special room rate is available at the Flamingo Hotel. See
details below.
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New Attendee registration is open:

New attendee registration for members of the mailing list is now open.
(If this message was sent to you via your own personal e-mail, this
includes you.) To register as a new attendee, please visit the following
link:

{link removed in web archive copy}

It takes only a few minutes.

One very important thing to remember: After you register you should
receive a confirming e-mail. If you do not receive this, something is
wrong and we need to know about it! In the event you receive absolutely
nothing via e-mail after you register, be sure to write in and let us
know so we can check things.

Previous attendees can re-register on line here:

{link removed in web archive copy}

If you have any problems with registration, please e-mail
dlv@geekbabe.com and explain the circumstances.
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Special rates at Flamingo - 3 week warning:

The Flamingo Las Vegas is offering a special rate to attendees of Diva
Las Vegas 2015 of $65.00 (us) flat-rate per night covering the nights of
Sunday, March 22 through Saturday, March 29, 2015.

This offers a significant saving over the rates at the Flamingo which
are available to the general public.

Please note that the nights of Friday, March 27 and Saturday, March 28,
which are normally priced much higher, are included in this offer.

To book your room using this offer, please visit the following:

https://resweb.passkey.com/go/SFDLV5

For guests that prefer to phone in their reservations, you may call the
Reservation Center at 1-888-373-9855 to secure a reservation on our
group block. Currently, the name of the group is listed as "Diva Las
Vegas 2015."

Callers may also use your group code to identify the group: SFDLV5

It should be noted that the reservationist booking your room will not be
aware of the nature of our group.

Please note that guests may make reservations in the block at group rate
until February 1, 2015.

Notes about this offer:

1. Booking a room under this offer will not register you for
participation in Diva Las Vegas. You will need to register for DLV
separately.

2. The number of rooms available under this offer is limited and rooms
will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis. The offer will
expire February 1, 2015.

3. Please note that a booking under this offer constitutes a private
arrangement between you and the Flamingo (CET) property and that DLV
organizers and volunteers are not responsible for any issues you may
encounter. Any difficulties regarding your room or booking must be
referred directly to the above phone number or yo the Flamingo staff.

4. If you have already booked the Flamingo at a higher rate, in most
cases it will be possible to re-book using this lower rate. It is
suggested that you first book your stay using the above phone number or
URL and after you receive your confirmation number, cancel your original
reservation using the method you used to originally book it.

5. The $65 rate does not include taxes, fees (such as Resort Fee) or any
other incidental charges.

Big thanks to out to Beverly for making these arrangements!
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Big Sisters (and Big Brothers):

Delaney (Big Sister Coordinator) writes:

As many of you know, DLV has an active Big Sister program, the intent of
which is to provide basic advice and assistance to first time attendees,
or to those who may have attended in the past, and are looking for some
additional support.

If you are new and unsure and would like the help of a Big Sister,
either before the event, during the event, or both, please request the
assistance of a Big Sister by using the Big Sister tab on the DLV
registration screen or by e-mailing: bigsister@geekbabe.com

We currently do not have many Big Sister volunteers, and we would
appreciate some of the more experienced girls would consider offering
to help a newcomer. Please volunteer via the DLV website (on the
registration screen via the Attendee Information Portal), or via email
to: bigsister@geekbabe.com

Thanks.
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Rooms and Roommates:

We're very aware that lodging will be the greatest expense for most of
you attending DLV. Sharing a room two ways cuts this expense in half, in
one third for three to a room, and 1/4 for four in a room.

We invite all who are interested in sharing a room to use the Diva Las
Vegas Discussion forum (or the associated mailing list or Yahoo group)
to indicate interest in room sharing. The DLV Discussion Forum is on
line here:

viewforum.php?f=2

When you post your message seeking a roommate, it will be very helpful
if you include enough information about yourself so a potential roommate
will be able to tell if you may or may not be a good match. Please
include things such as:

* Do you have a reserved room to share or are you looking for space
within one that someone else has booked?

* Do you smoke? If so, will you want to smoke in the room?

* Do you (knowingly) snore.

* What scale or price range of room are you looking for?

* Are you an early riser, late riser, etc.?

* What are your expectations regarding quiet hours?

One important caveat! Please have a contingency plan!

Most room sharing arrangements work out quite well, but occasionally
they don't. Previously-cited points of difficulty have been such things
as smoking in the room, payment arrangements, and disagreements on when
the room is to be used for restful sleep only.

We've also had a few cases over the years where a roommate fails to
show. Your personal contingency plan should take this fact into account!

Please remember that room sharing is a good faith effort on all parts.

Also please remember that matched roommates assume all risks and
liability and that DLV volunteers will not be responsible for such
things as a roommate failing to show, failing to pay, failing to make
reservations, a roommate who does not get along with you, does not make
the room available to you, locks you out, and such things as loss of
money or personal property, or in any other way things don't work out.
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Misunderstandings and disappointments:

We want to be sure that everyone who attends Diva Las Vegas enjoys it
and makes the most of it!

This includes YOU!

We also realize that many of you, particularly those who have to travel
cross-country or overseas to attend, are spending a meaningful amount to
participate in DLV. We want to be sure you have a good return on your
investment!

As well as a monetary investment, we know that many attendees think
about, and dream about DLV during the months leading up to it. We want
to be sure your "emotional investment" pays off as well!

Immediately below is a list of some of the very common pratfalls
experienced over the years by DLV newcomers (and sometimes by
returnees as well):

1. Assuming that Diva Las Vegas is similar to other major TG events such
as Be-All, Southern Comfort, etc. Although we emphasize that we are
quite different, this is the number one reported misunderstanding about
our event!

2. Failing to notice and observe various deadlines and cut-offs, in
particular the deadlines for sign-up and payment for some activities.

Please be sure you note DATES and TIMES for cut-offs!

3. Failing to report things that do not work properly or do not happen
as expected. If something malfunctions when you're on our web site,
please report it. If you do not receive an expected e-mail, please let
us know about it! If someone does not get back to you as you expect,
please report it!

Please proactively follow up on anything which is unclear to you or
anything that does not happen when you expect it!

4. Failing to, or forgetting to print out such things a the schedule,
the map, list of contact numbers, etc. Please do not be a "Low
Information" attendee!

5. "Burning out" by biting off more than can comfortably be chewed. DLV
can be a very intense event and it is never intended that anyone attempt
to do all or most of the available activities.

Please familiarize yourself with our schedule as it develops and plan
your days according to your desires and your limits.

6. Punctuality, or rather the lack of it. Attendees bear all of the
responsibility for showing up late to a DLV activity!

The consequences of showing up late to an activity may be as simple as
having to wait a bit longer for a seat, but may indeed involve such
things as forfeiting a reservation or even being left behind for a
carpool activity!

7. Expecting everything to be "just so".

While we do strive for excellence and consistency, please keep in mind
that our volunteers are just that - volunteers - and not professional
event promoters! Our activities are independently planned and
implemented by different volunteers and there will be differences in
organizational style, leadership style, and yes, some inconsistency can
be expected. If things are not exactly to your liking, you'll enjoy
things much better if you "go with the flow" and ease your expectations
a bit.

8. Couples and groups frequently miss out on things!

Those who attend as a group or couple often skip activities unless
everyone in the group or couple wants to do them. Please do not feel
compelled to be "glued" to your partner or your group! If there is
something that you want to do, then do it!

9. Missing activities by getting into a time crunch. This was reported
"frequently" or "occasionally" by about 45% of those responding to last
year's post-event survey.

10. Procrastination, general and specific. Registering late, waiting to
sign up for activities until some are full or in a waiting list state,
failing to arrange for a necessary ride in time, etc., etc.

11. Assuming a greater degree of structure of the event itself.

Before the event, we're quite structured and very precise in what we do.

Then we launch the event and it kind of runs on autopilot. The event
itself is far more informal and less structured than the lead-up to it.

If anything is wrong or anything is unclear, please let us know as soon
as you can so that we can do something about it!
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Administrivia:

This is the Diva Las Vegas 2015 Announcement mailing list.

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

Replies to this mailing 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

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 dlvdisc@geekbabe.com and state that you wish to receive
the DLV Discussion Forum.

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

viewforum.php?f=2
. . . . .

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

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

Archives of this list appear on the web at:

viewforum.php?f=4
. . . . .

Diva Las Vegas 2015
Sunday, March 22 - Friday, March 27
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
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