[dlv] Diva Las Vegas 2012 ...

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This is the Diva Las Vegas 2012 announcement mailing list.

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In this mailing:

Happy New Year
What you need to do to attend
About our mailings
Contacting us - Getting answers
Se habla Espanol
Misunderstandings and disappointments
Changes and updates for DLV 2012
Differences between DLV and other events
Returnee re-registration is open
Things to come
Administrivia
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Only 105 days Until DLV 2012!
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Happy New Year:

Welcome to those who just joined the list!

Welcome back to those who have been with us!

Hope to see all of you in April!

If you have any questions or concerns, please let us know.

This is the "kick-off" mailing for Diva Las Vegas 2012, which
will happen in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, from Sunday, April 22
thru Friday, April 27, 2012.

This will most likely be the longest mailing prior to DLV 2012
and quite a bit of information appears below, so please read
carefully, and let us know if there's anything that requires
any clarification.

Newcomers will want to read this mailing thoroughly, and those
who attended before should note the changes planned for DLV 2012.

Our next general mailing (about a week from now) will cover
things such as newcomer registration, our suggested hotels,
Big Sisters, room sharing, MyDLV, etc.
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The big burning question in the minds of many is along the line
of how many people will be attending DLV 2012. At this point in
time, we don't know, we can only guess. Here are our attendance
totals for the past 5 annual events:

2007: 136
2008: 176
2009: 149
2010: 179
2011: 169

The best guess as of this time would be somewhere around the
average attendance of recent years, which would be 160-some.
As registrations come in and this year's trend starts to
develop, we'll keep everyone updated with turnout projections.

As of this mailing we currently have 86 attendees signed up,
but returnee registration has only been open for less than a
week so far.

So, please read this mailing thoroughly, make your plans as
needed, and join us in April for our 16th. Diva Las Vegas!
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What you need to do to attend:

For those who are new, the steps you need to take if you want
to attend DLV 2012 can be summed up as:

1. Read the web site (http://www.geekbabe.com/dlv/) to be sure
you know what Diva Las Vegas is, what it is not, and if DLV is
something you would want to attend. Please note that DLV is NOT
based on the model used for Southern Comfort, Colorado Gold Rush,
Be-All, etc.

2. Register for DLV. Re-registration for returnees is now open
(see notes below), and registration for newcomers who are members
of this list will begin on or about February 1. (MyDLV members can
register or re-register at their convenience by following the
appropriate link.)

3. Make your travel and/or hotel reservations, if necessary. Info
on our suggested hotels is on line and a summary will appear in
next week's mailing. Many attendees do this before they register
for DLV.

4. Show up and have a great time!

Simple, isn't it? :)

Any questions? Concerns? Please let us know.
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About our mailings:

Information, news, updates, etc. about DLV is sent out to all
mailing list members in our regular general mailings.

You can expect our mailings to come out every 1-2 weeks until
around the first of April.

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

Yes, some of our mailings tend to be lengthy, but in almost all
cases, any repeated material will be "pushed down" below new and
updated items.

General mailings are archived on line at:

http://www.geekbabe.com/dlv/mydlv/mainforum/viewforum.php?f=4

The archives go back to the very early years of Diva Las Vegas
if you wish to read up on the history of our event and get an
idea of what to expect.
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Contacting us - Getting answers:

We know that many of you, particularly those who have never
attended DLV before, have questions and concerns about the
event. We have a very extensive Frequently Asked Questions
section on our web site which contains answers to about 140
frequently-asked and anticipated questions about Diva Las
Vegas.

The FAQ section is on line here:

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

Well over 90% of the questions we receive by e-mail are already
covered, often in depth, in our FAQ.

In the event you have a question or concern which is not covered
in the FAQ, the quickest way to get an answer is to post your
question in the Diva Las Vegas Discussion Forum, on line here:

http://www.geekbabe.com/dlv/mydlv/mainforum/viewforum.php?f=2

If you have a question or concern which you don't want to be made
public, you can e-mail us at: dlv@geekbabe.com

Our e-mail correspondence will be answered by one of our volunteers
and there is no way to know, in advance, what e-mail address the
response will come from. If you e-mail DLV and wish a response,
please be sure that the e-mail address from which you send is "in
the clear" for incoming mail. E-mail screening systems (in particular,
boxbe.com has been especially troublesome) are often times very
unpredictable and difficult to work with.
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Se habla Espanol:

Bienvenidos! Si el espanol is su lenguage nativa y Ud. tiene
dificultad comprendiendo qualquier cosa sobre DLV, Ud. nos puede
mandar sus preguntas por correo electronico en espanol, y se los
mandaremos a uno de nuestros voluntarios que hablan espanol. - La
direccion electronica es: dlv@geekbabe.com - Muchas Gracias.
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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!

One of our goals this year is to reduce and hopefully eliminate
the disappointments we've observed in the past, which often
occur due to misunderstandings about our event, what it is, and
the way things work at DLV.

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. This is covered
in depth below, and has been since the early days of DLV, but
is often reported as a very frequent misunderstanding.

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.

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, even 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 40% of those
responding to the DLV 2011 attendee 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.
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Changes and updates for DLV 2012:

This pertains mostly to those who have attended before. Here's a
summary of the major things which have changed or are new for
DLV 2012:

1. There will be significant changes in what we call the Large
Final Mailing, which is sent to registered attendees a few days
before the start of DLV. Much of the material previously contained
in the Large Final Mailing will be replaced with links to that
material on the web.

2. There will be several new options available to view, print, and
query the DLV 2012 schedule.

3. The DLV 2012 activity location map will be replaced by "hooks"
into Google Maps from the new schedules. Those needing turn-by-turn
or visual directions can easily obtain them from Google. Viewing
the new tabular schedule will allow you to click and "drill down"
to activity information, venue information, and the map. In
addition, one comprehensive activity location map, in the form
of a Google map with locations marked, will be available.

4. There will be certain advantages to using MyDLV to register
and to sign up for activities. (Details on MyDLV will appear in
our next general mailing.) Long-term plans are to phase out things
like registration and sign-up e-mails in favor of the portal that
MyDLV provides.
. . . . . . . . . .

There are a few legal items which may affect DLV 2012 attendees:

1. Heads up! In Nevada, it is now illegal to drive while talking
on a hand-held cell phone or to text using a hand-held device.

2. Anti-discrimination legislation (Nevada Senate Bill 311,
signed into law in May, 2011, effective October 1, 2011)
prohibits discrimination in public accommodations on the
basis of gender identity or gender expression.

It is unclear as of this time as to what effects, if any, this
legislation has on the use of gendered restrooms by TG people.

It is strongly suggested that DLV attendees continue to follow
our long-standing restroom guidelines until an authoritative
legal opinion on the effects of this law emerges.

3. The Las Vegas Metro Police Department has announced plans to
step up drunk driving enforcement over the coming year. Things
such as DUI checkpoints can be expected to be more frequent!
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Differences between DLV and other events:

One of the most common misconceptions about Diva Las Vegas is to
assume that our event is very similar to the other popular TG
events. Even though we emphasize this over and over, we've had
countless reports over the years from those who arrive expecting
DLV to be like a rewind-replay of Be-All or Colorado Gold Rush!

Several of these points below expand on this basic principle.

* First and foremost: Diva Las Vegas is not centered around a
hotel. Our activities occur all over the Las Vegas metropolitan
area.

* Most other TG events occur under very protected and controlled
conditions. Diva Las Vegas has a much higher degree of exposure
to mainstream public than any of the other major TG events. We
will have a number of activities which will be very "safe" for
those new to public exposure, but the overall setting of DLV is,
for the most part, in mainstream public.

* Diva Las Vegas is very much a "distributed" event with activities
happening all over the Las Vegas area and with multiple activities
happening simultaneously in many cases.

* Diva Las Vegas will have no central "Office", "Information Center",
Hospitality Suite", or any continuously-staffed walk-in common
location.

There will, however, be DLV contact people, immediately available
during most reasonable hours. Contact information will appear in
the Large Final Mailing.

There will also be a number of recurring "touch-base" activities,
such as the daily lunch, at which regular contact with the group
may be made and at which questions and concerns may be asked and
expressed.

* Never will all DLV attendees be in one place at the same time.
There will be only 1-2 times when MOST DLV attendees will be
present in the same location.

* Diva Las Vegas utilizes and depends upon technology far more
than do other TG events. No, you don't have to be a computer
expert to participate in DLV, but you'll need to be able to use
e-mail, point and click on the web, and, if you wish paper copies
of any DLV material, use a printer.

* When you arrive and check in for Diva Las Vegas, you will
receive NO PRINTED MATTER OF ANY TYPE! If you desire printed
copies of such things as schedules, maps, etc., please do so
prior to leaving for DLV.

If you should forget, the best we can do is to point you in the
direction of a hotel business center or a Kinko's type shop
where you can print these out.

* Diva Las Vegas requires a greater degree of in-advance
planning by you, the attendee, than other events. Everyone
should have a good idea of what they plan to do prior to
arriving. At DLV it will not be practical to simply "go down
to the lobby and see what's going on today" as you can with
many of the other events.

* Diva Las Vegas does not provide local transportation to and
from DLV activities. All attendees are responsible for their
own local transportation. Rides with others (at the rider's
own risk!) will usually be available to those staying in our
suggested hotels. Using a taxi in Las Vegas is quite "safe",
even for beginners. Sharing a taxi ride is encouraged.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Returnee re-registration is open:

Re-registration for returnees is now open.

For those who attended before, in most cases you will be able to
use express re-registration, which only takes a minute or so.

Most of you who previously attended have received a personalized
clickable express registration link via e-mail.

If you have previously attended and didn't receive this, if it
does not seem to work for you, or if you just want to do things
the hard way :) use the url:

http://www.geekbabe.com/dlv/regdlv2012.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 on or about February 1.

If you attended before and don't receive a personal invitation
to re-register, please don't feel snubbed. There are many
reasons why this might not happen. Change of e-mail address is
the most common reason but there are others as well.

Please remember, when you register you should receive a
confirmation e-mail very shortly afterwards.

PLEASE READ THE NEXT SENTENCE VERY CAREFULLY:

IN THE EVENT YOU RECEIVE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING VIA E-MAIL
AFTER YOU REGISTER, SOMETHING IS WRONG AND WE NEED TO
KNOW ABOUT IT!

If you don't receive anything, write to dlv@geekbabe.com and
explain the circumstances.

We cannot over-emphasize this! Each year we print this over and
over in bold type, and a few people miss it.

The most common problems we see, and we do see a number of them
each year, are mis-typing your e-mail address when you register
and undeliverable e-mail due to "mailbox full", "user not accepting
mail", etc.

One particularly troublesome item is cross-registered couples,
where both members of a couple register, each listing the
other as an attending SO. This confuses things and inflates
our numbers. This year when we come across cross-registered
couples we will convert these to two single registrations,
as that is the easiest for us to do.

Please remember, couples only need to register once, and the
one registration gets both of you on the roster.

Your understanding is appreciated.

If you have any questions, concerns, or issues regarding
registration, please let us know. Just reply to this mailing.

If you are a MyDLV member, newcomer or returnee, you may register
at your convenience by following the link on the MyDLV home screen.
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Things to come:

Here are some important red-letter dates:

(on or about) February 1: DLV 2012 registration opens for all
newcomers who are on this mailing list. If you're reading this
via your personal e-mail, this does include you.

(on or about) March 1: General DLV 2012 registration opens. Please
note that you must be registered to attend DLV 2011. We will not
be admitting unannounced "walk-in" attendees.

(on or about) April 1: Activity sign-up begins. Those who are
registered will be sent a mailing with a clickable link to a
screen for all optional activities which require a hoop-jump
or a headcount. This is a one-stop-shop for all of these.

There will be a number of activity-specific deadlines and cutoffs
which will occur late March and early April. Details of these will
be announced in the mailings as the dates approach.

April 18 (Wednesday): Registration closes, activity sign-up closes,
Large Final Mailing is sent out.

April 22: DLV! :)
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Administrivia:

This is the Diva Las Vegas 2012 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:

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

http://www.geekbabe.com/dlv/mydlv/mainforum/viewforum.php?f=4
. . . . .

Diva Las Vegas 2012
April 22 - 27, 2012
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
. . . . .


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