dlv Getting started toward DLV 2004 ...

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This is the Diva Las Vegas 2004 announcement mailing list.
This list contains only announcements and high importance items.
See information on discussion list 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)
Returnee re-registration is open
Big Sisters
New for DLV 2004
Getting to know you
Volunteers
Spreading the word
Summary schedule of activities
Web sites
Administrivia
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Only 118 days left, gang!
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Welcome (back):

This is the "kick-off" mailing for Diva Las Vegas 2004. 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. We had quite a few join
recently. If you have any questions or concerns, please let us know.

Plans are going full speed ahead for DLV 2004 and everybody's getting
excited already. It looks like another record-setting DLV is now
underway!
. . . . .

The big question which keeps getting asked is how many people will be
attending. 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 somewhat over 100, and
again, never the complete group in one place at any one time. In 2003 we
had 104 who signed in. We're expecting a modest increase over that
number for 2004.

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 post-op and 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 pre-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? :)
. . . . .

This mailing list will contain only announcements and other items that
are important.

You can expect this list to come out no less often than monthly and no
more often than weekly until April, depending on the need.

Mailings will usually be made on Sunday.

Beginning in April, 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/dlv2004/dlvdisc/

You may read and post via this URL.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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 attended DLV 2001 thru 2003 and registered on the web can
expect a personalized clickable express re-registration link via e-mail
within the next day or so.

If you don't receive this (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 the hard way :) use the url:

http://www.geekbabe.com/dlv/reg2004.html

Pre-registration for newcomers who are members of this list will begin
February 1, 2004. General DLV registration opens March 1, 2004.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Big Sisters:

I would like to take a few minutes (lines) to say a word about our Big
Sister program.

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 about the upcoming trip, the Big
Sisters are here to help, either before DLV, during DLV, or both.

The Big Sister program has been expanded for DLV 2004, and is now
coordinated by Jenni and Nora, who will be focusing their primary DLV
effort toward the Big Sister program.

This is geared primarily toward 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 needs one.

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

Before DLV, if you would like to correspond with somebody one-to-one
about problems or 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) 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. 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.)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
New for DLV 2004:

There are no sweeping changes this year. DLV is still a vacation and not
a convention, no central location, based on reality and not fantasy,
with a mixture of mainstream and alternative venues for activities.

The Big Sister program has been expanded. Details appear above.

Re-registration for returnees has been streamlined. Most returnees can
use a simplified express re-registration which will only take a minute
or so.

One additional step has been added to the registration process. When a
registration is made, a validation e-mail will be sent to you. This
contains (among other things) instructions on how to validate your
registration. The validation assures that it is indeed *you* who is
registering, and that e-mail properly works both ways between us and
you.
. . . . .

Activities:

Our schedule of activities is being put together at this time. A copy of
the working schedule will appear in each mailing between now and DLV,
and appears below in this mailing. Note that there's a good mix of brand
new activities and old favorites. The schedule is still considered very
tentative, and is subject to change, possibly without notice, since
we're still in the planning phase for DLV 2004.

You will find that we will have more multi-tracked activities, that is
more than one scheduled activity happening at one time. Each of you
will have to decide which of these activities you want to do.

Also, beginning next Sunday, we will feature one DLV activity in detail
in (most of) our mailings.
. . . . .

Behavior, dress, and restroom guidelines:

Contrary to some rumors, there is no such thing as a "new very strict
dress code" this year. Nothing has changed as far as our expectations
of dress and behavior at DLV activities.

What has happened is that we will be far less tolerant of those (very
few in number) who intentionally dress or behave improperly and draw
negative attention to the group in mainstream locations.

99% of attendees will not have to be concerned about this. As long as
you make a sincere attempt to dress and behave appropriately, you will
be fine, but if you show up for a mainstream (general public) activity
dressed in a manner more appropriate for the bedroom or for a costume
party, you will be sent back to change.

If you have any questions or concerns about dress or behavior issues,
please ask, we will clarify and assist as needed.

General dress guidelines are published, and detailed dress suggestions
for each activity will be sent out on our final schedule and will
also appear in the activity descriptions in our mailings.

Our behavior, dress, and restroom guidelines have been rewritten and
clarified. If you haven't done so already, please take a few minutes and
review these.

Please don't think of these as "rules", but as helpful hints on how to
dress, act, and deal with public situations.

They will be sent to all who have registered as part of what we call our
"Large Final Mailing", but it might be a good idea to review them at
your convenience. They are on line at:

behavior guidelines: http://www.geekbabe.com/dlv/dlvbehav.html
dress guidelines: http://www.geekbabe.com/dlv/dlvdress.html
restroom guidelines: http://www.geekbabe.com/dlv/dlvrestr.html

The main Conditions Of Participation (the ones you must agree to when
you register) are on line at:

http://www.geekbabe.com/dlv/dlv2004/2004cop.html

If there are any questions or concerns about these, please ask.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Getting to know you:

If you would like to make the acquaintance of other DLV participants
prior to May, 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, 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 your photos in the DLV Gallery. Several people from all DLV
years are already featured. To view the gallery, visit the URL:

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

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

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. No nude 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.
. . . . .

* Again this year we'll be publishing the DLV 2004 E-mail Directory
prior to the big event. This is for those who would like to share their
address with others who will be going to DLV.

This is distributed only to those who submit their names to the list.

If you would like to participate in this, just send in your listing with
your name and e-mail address in the body of a message to dlv@geekbabe.com
with the subject "E-mail directory".

This will be started over from scratch. Names on the list last year will
not automatically appear this year.

One caveat: Although this is done in good faith, and we ask our people
to use it only for personal correspondence with others on the list,
there are no guarantees that it will not be misused.

Assuming we get a minimal number of responses, the first edition of the
DLV 2004 email directory will be sent out in a few weeks.
. . . . .

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

http://www.geekbabe.com/dlv/dlv2004/dlvdisc/

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

Do we have your attention? The first person to show Annie a print-out of
this message at our annual Welcome Celebration will be entitled to a
liquid refreshment of his/her choice. Things like this will be repeated
between now and DLV.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Volunteers:

Diva Las Vegas runs entirely on volunteer help. Although we had an
excellent response to our call for volunteers last summer, 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
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 below.) 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.

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:

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

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 2004.

You can help spread the word in the following ways:

* Posters and flyers. No, you might not want to post these on your
bulletin board at work :) or at the local supermarket, but if you know
of any venue that would be willing to display these, please let us know
and I'll get these to you. Places like a GLBT center, t-friendly
merchant, etc.

* If you are a member of a local support group, put a blurb in the
newsletter or announce it at a meeting.

* 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.

* 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 2004
listings, we're still getting a LOT of web referrals from 2002 and 2003
listings.)

* 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!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Summary schedule of activities:

This schedule is preliminary and is subject to change
without notice.

Sunday, May 2:
10:15am Metro Comm Church service
Ev Pre-DLV Happy Hour
Ev Pre-DLV dinner
Ev Pre-DLV get-together

Monday, May 3:
10:00am Trip to Rhyolite
1:00pm Lunch with or without Ginger
5:00pm Happy Hour
6:00pm Dinner
8:00pm Welcome Celebration

Tuesday, May 4:
12:30pm Boat cruise
1:00pm Lunch with or without Ginger
1:30pm Bowling
5:00pm Happy Hour

Wednesday, May 5:
9:00am Air Tours
11:00am Hidden Woman Open House
12:00n Buffet Lunch
1:00pm Lunch with or without Ginger
2:00pm Shopping expedition
5:00pm Happy Hour
6:00pm Hard Rock Dinner
Ev Secretaries Night
10:00pm Karaoke

Thursday, May 6:
2:00am Charles Bar get-together
10:00am Art tour
1:00pm Lunch with or without Ginger
PM Indoor skydiving
PM Glamour Boutique Open House
4:00pm High Tea
5:00pm Happy Hour
Ev Production show
Ev Limo Tour

Friday, May 7:
AM-PM Golf
1:00pm Lunch with or without Ginger
2:00pm Shop til ya drop
5:00pm Happy Hour
6:00pm Carluccio's Dinner
7:30pm Annual Mixer

Saturday, May 8:
10:00am Claude Hall Gun Show
11:00am SBS Garden Party
5:00pm Happy Hour
12:00m Rocky Horror Picture Show
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Web sites:

Main DLV page: http://www.geekbabe.com/dlv/
DLV People Gallery: http://www.geekbabe.com/dlv/gallery/
DLV 2004 Discussion Forum: http://www.geekbabe.com/dlv/dlv2004/dlvdisc/

Personal web sites:

[your entry goes here]
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Administrivia:

This is the Diva Las Vegas 2004 Announcement mailing list.

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

Questions/answers and discussion items are redirected to the DLV 2004
Discussion forum, which may be subscribed to separately or viewed on the
web. To subscribe to the DLV 2004 discussion forum, send a brief message
to dlv@geekbabe.com and state that you wish to receive the DLV 2004
discussion forum.

To view the DLV 2004 discussion forum on line, visit the URL:

http://www.geekbabe.com/dlv/dlv2004/dlvdisc/
. . . . .

Diva Las Vegas 2004
May 2 - 8, 2004
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/dlv04arc/
. . . . .

To unsubscribe: Simply reply to this message with the word UNSUBSCRIBE
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To send material to this list: Send submission as regular e-mail to
the address: dlv@geekbabe.com
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .