Additional and follow-up comments are welcome.
I'm not commenting on all items, just the ones I find to be of interest in particular this year.
One overriding theme this year is that we had a lower turnout, those who attended traveled less to get to DLV, and spent less when they were here.
Bottom line: The state of the economy is catching up with our attendees and most definitely impacting our numbers.
The numbers on the Non-Attendee survey agree with this, as do many of the comments.
. . . . . . . . . .
+How many times have you attended Diva Las Vegas?
+Once: 27
+Twice: 15
+3 or more: 50
As is usually the case, this survey is skewed toward those who have attended multiple years. This year, 29% of the respondees indeed were newcomers, so they are represented quite well in the survey.
. . . . .
+About how far did you travel to attend DLV 2012?
+Approximate average miles traveled: 1639.1
One interesting trend is that reported miles traveled has been creeping downward over the past several years.
Year: 2008 Miles: 2301.78
Year: 2009 Miles: 1779.88
Year: 2010 Miles: 1820.67
Year: 2011 Miles: 1783.79
Year: 2012 Miles: 1639.01
One factor in this is that we've been seeing far fewer overseas attendees since the Great Recession has taken effect.
. . . . .
+Average length of stay: 5.16 days.
This figure (length of stay at DLV) has been quite consistent over the years, and did not decrease when we switched from a seven day event back to a six day event.
. . . . .
+What is your approximate age?
+18 - 25: 0
+26 - 30: 0
+31 - 35: 1
Lowest reported age this year was early 30s.
+Approximate average age: 59.8
Our average reported age has been quite consistent over the past several years until this year, when we saw a significant spike!
Year: 2008 Age: 56.6
Year: 2009 Age: 55.9
Year: 2010 Age: 56.8
Year: 2011 Age: 56.3
Year: 2012 Age: 59.8
One possible reason for this is a side effect of the economy, that those of a more mature age are more likely to have the means to attend this year.
Another item of speculation, from a conversation during DLV, was that the younger individuals who were attending over the past few years found few others of their age range and were discouraged from returning due to this.
. . . . .
+Approximate length of experience with regard to appearing in public.
As is usually the case, we attract those over the entire spectrum from those just peeking out to those who have been out for decades.
. . . . .
+I consider myself to be primarily a (an) ...
+Crossdresser: 41
+Transgender(ist): 15
+Pre-op transsexual: 9
+No-op transsexual: 8
+Post-op transsexual: 6
+I do not identify with any of the above labels: 5
+Transvestite: 4
+Significant other: 1
+Admirer: 1
+Friend of the community: 1
+Drag queen: 0
+Genderqueer: 0
+Gender-nonconforming: 0
+Intersex: 0
+H Benjamin Syndrome: 0
+Friend of another attendee: 0
As has been the case since we started this survey, no specific label of self-identity constitutes the majority. This year we did add a few of the more contemporary terms to the answer, but none of our attendees who took the survey identified with them, possibly due to the age range we see at DLV.
"Transvestite", although considered by many to be anachronistic, did garner a small but significant number of responses.
We don't define the terms. We just record and track what people report as their self-identity.
. . . . .
+I am a (an) ...
+Nonsmoker: 78
+Occasional smoker: 6
+Regular smoker: 6
This is a new question this year, which came about from an observation that there appeared to be very little smoking going on at our activities at which smoking was allowed (specifically the opening night at D&D) and fewer people stepping out to get some "fresh air" at the activities at which smoking was not allowed.
This is a very significant shift over the past several decades.
My estimate was that in the mid 1970s, about 80-90% of the active TG community smoked and these numbers indicate that a flip-flop of the count has now taken place.
. . . . .
+I consider myself to be a ...
+Non-drinker: 13
+Social drinker: 67
+Regular drinker: 11
No surprises here.
. . . . .
+Have you ever attended any of the following transgender community
+events? (Weighted relative responses for each event.)
+Southern Comfort Conference 21
+Fall Harvest 12
+California Dreaming 12
+Fantasia Fair 10
+Be-All 9
+Colorado Goldrush 9
+Holiday Enfemme 9
+First Event 7
+Pinkfest 7
+Texas T 6
+Esprit 5
+Dignity Cruise 4
+Paradise in the Poconos 3
+En Femme Getaway 0
Slight shifting in the numbers this year, but quite a "scatter" in the responses, as we typically see. SCC, as expected, was the most frequently reported other event attended. DLV does not tend to attract those who "do the circuit" of TG events.
. . . . .
+If you stayed in a local hotel, were you satisfied with the quality
+and condition of your room and the facilities of the property?
Nothing earthshaking in the responses here. Most everyone was either mostly or definitely satisfied with our suggested hotels.
We did have a few complaints about noise and such at the Artisan, as reflected in the comments.
Looking at the peg counts, about half of those taking the survey stayed in our suggested hotels, with the other half scattered about the city.
If we discard those who reported not staying in a local hotel, we find that 65% of those staying in a hotel did choose one of our suggested hotels.
Of the other hotels reported, 11 individuals reported staying in other Strip or near-Strip casino-hotels, one in a downtown hotel, and one in an off-Strip casino-hotel. 11 reported staying in various nongaming hotels or motels.
+If you stayed in a local hotel, what was your comfort level
+regarding the climate, culture, and attitude that you perceived
+there?
This is one question we try to watch very closely, particularly for any "red flags" which would indicate any kind of a trend of less than hospitable atmosphere.
Fortunately, the "uncomfortable" ratings have been few over the past several years, including 2012.
+Imperial Palace:
+Somewhat uncomfortable: 2
+Somewhat uncomfortable (Desert Rose Resort)
+Very uncomfortable (Sheraton Grand)
Imperial Palace, by virtue of the fact that it attracted the most of our attendees of any local hotel, will statistically get the most ratings in this or any class. IMAO, as long as we continue to see the uncomfortable numbers in the low single digits, we do not have any significant comfort issues.
Specific additional feedback from those reporting any uncomfortable feelings at the various hotels would be most appreciated.
. . . . .
+What was your level of enjoyment at each of the following activities?
+(Scale of 1-5. 5 = highest enjoyment.)
I consider this section to be the most important section of our survey. This reflects how our people enjoyed the various activities which made up DLV 2012 and thus how they enjoyed the event as a whole. DLV is intended to be enjoyed! (So use it, Rosie, that's what it's there for!)
The specific scores give us a very good snapshot of how an activity was enjoyed, and comparing scores from year to year show us how a specific activity is trending, as well as the trend of the overall enjoyment of the event as a whole.
A score of 5 is, obviously, perfect with respect to enjoyment, and is the A+ on our scale. We usually have a few activities get this score and this year was no exception.
+Phantom Of The Opera, Venetian, Thursday: 5.0 (4 responses)
+Fantastic Indoor Swapmeet, Friday, April 27: 5.0 (3 responses)
+Lunch With Alanna, Harrah's Buffet, Sunday: 5.0 (2 responses)
+Katie's Koffee Korner, Imperial Palace, Tuesday: 5.0 (2 responses)
+Dig This, Wednesday, April 25: 5.0 (1 responses)
You'll notice that the activities rated 5.0 tend to have smaller numbers of responses, since any single anything-less-than-perfect 5.0 score will cause the average to be lower than 5.0.
Just under those rating the perfect 5.0 score are those which score between 4.5 and 5 on the enjoyment scale. To get this level of rating, the activity has to accrue more "enjoyed significantly" ratings than all others combined. All of these activities rate a good solid A for enjoyment, and we have quite a few of them this year! (21 - count 'em)
This is about as close to perfect as you can get without actually ringing the bell.
+Macy's Makeovers, Macy's FSM, Friday: 4.91 (12 responses)
+Dancing at Paris, Friday, April 27: 4.82 (34 responses)
+Diva Las Vegas Invitational Golf, Tuesday: 4.81 (11 responses)
+Beginner Open House, Artisan, Sunday, April 22: 4.8 (12 responses)
+Lunch With Alanna, LV Hotel Buffet, Tuesday: 4.80 (5 responses)
+Bahama Breeze Dinner, Friday, April 27: 4.78 (51 responses)
+Lunch With Ginger, Paris Buffet, Thursday: 4.75 (4 responses)
+Farewell Celebration, Bahama Breeze, Friday: 4.71 (53 responses)
+Lunch With Ginger, Stratosphere Buffet, Monday: 4.71 (7 responses)
+Non-Charles Bar, Chandelier Bar, Friday: 4.71 (7 responses)
+Bare Escentuals Makeovers, Wednesday: 4.70 (10 responses)
+Lunch With Ginger, Gold Coast Buffet, Friday: 4.66 (3 responses)
+High Tea, Four Seasons, Thursday, April 26: 4.58 (12 responses)
+Trevi Dinner, Thursday, April 26: 4.57 (35 responses) (2 no-shows)
+Limousine Tour, Caesars, Thursday, April 26: 4.56 (39 responses)
+Diva Mystery Evening, Tuesday, April 24: 4.55 (9 responses)
+Bowling, Drink and Drag, Monday, April 23: 4.54 (22 responses)
+Studio Lites Open House, Monday: 4.50 (14 responses)
+Red Rock Hiking, Tuesday: 4.50 (6 responses)
+Neon Museum, Tuesday, April 24: 4.50 (4 responses)
+Namaste option, Tuesday, April 24: 4.50 (4 responses)
Of particular note, all Friday activities except for one scored 4.5 or over on the enjoyment scale!
Bubbling right under the close-to-perfect activities, enjoyment-wise, anyway, are those which scored between 4.0 and 4.5. These would rate a good solid B+ on the grading scale. Ratings above 4 show a great measure of success in giving the participants an enjoyable time!
22 activities placed in this class this year.
+Erotic Heritage Museum, Wednesday: 4.43 (44 responses)
+PF Chang Dinner, Wednesday, April 25: 4.41 (29 responses)
+Mainstream Common Gathering, Margaritaville, Sunday: 4.41 (12 responses)
+Mexican option, Chapalas, Tuesday: 4.40 (10 responses)
+Beginner Open House, Artisan, Monday, April 23: 4.40 (5 responses)
+Welcome Celebration, Drink and Drag, Monday: 4.37 (56 responses)
+Evening At La Cage, Riviera, Thursday, April 26: 4.33 (6 responses)
+Pistol and rifle shooting, Friday: 4.33 (6 responses)
+Harmony Nail Spa Open House, Thursday, April 26: 4.33 (3 responses)
+Fremont Street Experience, Monday: 4.30 (23 responses)
+Artisan Art Tour, Monday, April 23: 4.25 (4 responses)
+Beginner Open House, Artisan, Tuesday, April 24: 4.25 (4 responses)
+Bellagio Fine Arts Museum, Wednesday: 4.25 (4 responses)
+Mob Bar Dinner, Monday, April 23: 4.23 (17 responses)
+Tony Roma's Dinner, Fremont Hotel, Monday: 4.22 (9 responses)
+Glamour Boutique Open House, Wednesday, April 25: 4.18 (16 responses)
+Volunteer Recognition Luncheon, Artisan, Wednesday: 4.16 (24 responses)
+Mob Museum tour, Monday: 4.15 (20 responses)
+Firefly Dinner, Wednesday, April 25: 4.0 (12 responses)
+Alternative Common Gathering, Artisan, Sunday: 4.0 (7 responses)
+Metro Pizza option, Tuesday, April 24: 4.0 (3 responses) (1 no-shows)
+Religious services, Metro Community Church, Sunday: 4.0 (2 responses)
Since we've been doing these surveys, we found that most of our activities do indeed place 4 or higher on the enjoyment scale. This is what we've learned to expect.
When something places less than 4.0 on the enjoyment scale, particularly when the number of responses is high, it shows that in most cases there's a story to why the rating was lower.
As an aside here, 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, but not enough of a sample size to draw solid conclusions.
Placing between 3.5 and 4 on the enjoyment scale doesn't mean an activity was in any way a failure. We've found that those in this range usually have a "rest of the story" which explains why.
+Sunday Beginner Dinner, Artisan, Sunday: 3.75 (12 responses)
+Margaritaville Dinner, Sunday, April 22: 3.80 (20 responses)
+Late Night Clubbing, Krave, Tuesday, April 24: 3.80 (10 responses)
+Marrakech option, Tuesday, April 24: 3.66 (9 responses)
A good example here is dinner at Margaritaville, which I attended.
When I arrived the situation was explained to me using a very salty metaphor and instead of a nice reserved area upstairs we I found the group scattered all about the very crowded and noisy first floor.
I really enjoyed it once we finally got our table situation under control, and I think others did too, but there were hassles and the group was split up all over the place!
It's kind of surprising that the dinner rated 3.8, but the informal social portion of the evening rated 4.41, both with enough samples to be meaningful.
Anything which scores under 3.5 with a meaningful response count shows that the "dislikes" are becoming significant. Granted, more enjoyed these than disliked them, but our history has shown that there are usually some reasons for enjoyment ratings in the lower 3-is range.
+Luna Rossa Dinner, Monday, April 23: 3.42 (28 responses)
+Karaoke, Beauty Bar, Monday, April 23: 3.40 (10 responses)
+Karaoke, Crewsn/Bills, Tuesday, April 24: 3.40 (5 responses)
+Tuesday Beginner dining option, Artisan, Tuesday: 3.40 (5 responses)
+Insert Coins, Monday, April 23: 3.0 (1 responses)
I attended one of these, karaoke at Bill's, which was originally supposed to be at Crews'n. Yes, there's a story here, as karaoke at Crews'n was cancelled there and we did some scrambling to find a suitable replacement venue.
I also heard of, but did not witness personally, some service issues at Luna Rossa.
Not often, but every once in a while we do have something that rates "out of cluster", to the lower half of the enjoyment scale. We did have one this year.
+Pub Crawl, Begin at Goodtimes, Tuesday, April 24: 2.16 (6 responses)
"A little rain must fall." "Doodoo happens!" "If there are to be peaks there must also be valleys." The reason for this rating was written up in the comments. One venue closed their doors with no notice. Nothing that any of us could have done on this one!
This year we also did a look-back and comparison of our five previous years compared with our current year.
+Enjoyment:
+Year: 2007 Aver: 4.28
+Year: 2008 Aver: 4.47
+Year: 2009 Aver: 4.28
+Year: 2010 Aver: 4.54
+Year: 2011 Aver: 4.53
+Year: 2012 Aver: 4.36
+Enjoyment: Aver: 4.42
Our enjoyment scores have been quite consistent in the 4.2 to 4.5 range for several years and that's what we want to see.
. . . . .
+What was your comfort level at each of the following activities?
Nothing with any significant number of responses scored less than 3.5 on the comfort scale this year. This is a Very Good Thing<tm>.
. . . . .
+Did you find yourself missing DLV activities because you either got
+into a time crunch or were simply too tired from previous activities?
+Seldom or never: 40
+Occasionally: 40
+Frequently: 8
The numbers for "occasionally" are up quite a bit (40 v. 31) from last year and the topic of scheduling and attendee overload will be brought up in the ORG group as we plan the schedule for DLV 2013.
. . . . .
+Did you find yourself missing DLV activities because you were in
+any uncomfortable, unsure, or uneasy about attending?
+Never: 75
+Once: 8
+Occasionally: 3
+Frequently: 2
This is up somewhat, proportionally, from last year's numbers. Again, we'll bring this up in ORG as we plan the 2013 event.
. . . . .
+Were you in any way uncomfortable or uneasy with the request by the
+Drink And Drag door staff to produce a legal ID before being allowed
+to enter?
+Yes, very.: 8
+Yes, somewhat.: 7
+No, not at all.: 46
+I was not carded at Drink And Drag.: 4
+I did not attend any activities at Drink And Drag.: 25
This is a one-shot one-year question on the survey this year. I'll share the story behind it.
I went to the Welcome Celebration at D&D with a group of others, none of whom could remotely pass for underage even in a dark room. We were promptly asked for ID.
My first thought was along the line that this is definitely gonna spook some of our people, particularly the newly-out ones. My second thought went back to that off-again on-again issue at a certain suburban Chicago nightclub where "carding" has been used for discriminatory rejection (where the photo does not resemble the current mode of presentation) and is considered by some to be a form of harassment.
The doorkeeper said it was their policy to card all. I asked to speak to the GM, who phoned Corporate, to see if an exception could be made for our group, at least for those who were obviously of age.
A compromise was reached where they said they would check to see if the individual had an ID on them, but would not look at the photo or the name. This was more or less acceptable to all.
Then a few minutes later it dawned on me that anyone who would be spooked by this would not know they were going to be carded until it actually occurred, so the impact to our turnout would be minimal, which it was.
Even though the staff said their policy is to card everyone ("We Card Hard"), I watched the two doorkeepers off and on out of curiosity. One of them did card everyone he did not appear to recognize. The other one appeared to be more lax about it, but did check anyone who was younger, sometimes waving through those who appeared to be decades above 21.
Fortunately, it was not as much of an issue as I was concerned about, and as I said, those who did not like it would most likely not know about it until it was too late to turn back.
The GM later pulled me aside and explained to me that one reason they are "carding hard" is that they are currently under review for a 18-and-over permit which will allow them to admit those underage for entertainment and games and such, and they do not want to take any chances on lax enforcement.
D&D is one of the few places in Las Vegas where I've seen them card that rigorously. We all know that the bars we frequent (both mainstream and alternative) seldom card those who are obviously of age.
Anyway, that's the story behind the question ...
. . . . .
+What was your primary means of transportation to and from DLV
+activities?
+Taxi: 21
When we started this survey, in the early 2000s, the numbers for "Taxi" were always down in the low single digits. The trend upward over the past few years implies a greater level of confidence in mainstream public.
. . . . .
+Did you have any difficulty finding the locations at which DLV 2012
+activities were held?
+Yes: 10
We would like to see this number in the low single digits! Although this has decreased from last year, it's still high enough that we should consider this to be an issue which warrants our attention.
. . . . .
This year we tried an experiment with the Large Final Mailing, where we placed the text on line and sent out links to it instead of sending the bulk of the text via e-mail.
In memory of Richard Dawson, "Survey Says" {long pregnant pause} ...
+Did you like receiving the Large Final Mailing information on the
+web or would you prefer receiving it via e-mail?
+I prefer it on the web.: 18
+I prefer it by e-mail.: 30
+It doesn't matter. I'll take it either way..: 40
No majority here, but the preference is clearly for the old way of sending out the information via e-mail, with most stating that it really does not matter. We'll most likely be reverting to the old way on this as a result of this survey question.
+It doesn't matter. I'll ignore it anyway..: 1
LOL, at least one person is honest!
. . . . .
+Did you find the other DLV attendees to be friendly and inclusive?
+Mostly yes: 79
+Yes, somewhat: 7
+Neutral: 4
+No, somewhat: 2
+Mostly no: 0
Very good numbers here! Reflects very highly on our people and I want to thank all for helping to make this so!
. . . . .
+In general, were you comfortable being seen with the DLV group in
+general public settings?
+Comfortable most or all of the time.: 65
+Mostly comfortable, but sometimes uncomfortable.: 21
+Frequently uncomfortable.: 4
That "Frequently uncomfortable" number has been creeping downward over the past few years and thats what we want to see.
. . . . .
+Did you participate in our Big Sister program and if so, did you
+find it to be helpful?
+I had a Big Sister and I found the program to be helpful.: 2
+I had a Big Sister and I did not find the program to be helpful.: 3
We've always considered the Big Sister Program to be one of our shining stars!
Historically, the "did not find the program to be helpful" answer is usually zero. When it's not zero, we consider it to be an area of concern and we want to know what we could have done to give the Little Sisters a better experience.
Nora, our Big Sister Coordinator, is aware of this and is concerned about it.
We would like to ask those who were Little Sisters and did not find the Big Sister Program to be helpful to please let us know, in some detail if possible, why.
Please write, in confidence, to: bigsister@geekbabe.com
Your further feedback will be appreciated. Thanks.
. . . . .
+Considering all expenses of all types, what was the total amount
+you spent in order to attend and participate in DLV?
+Approximate average: 1407.5
This is a fairly significant decrease from recent years. This number has been hovering in the $1800-ish range recently and this year it dropped roughly 30%.
This number is influenced, of course, by the fact that the distance traveled this year was lower, more locals, fewer long-distance air travelers, etc.
. . . . .
For the most part, BDR (Behavior, Dress, Restrooms), which has historically been a high-profile, hot-button three-pointed trident of ours, was a non-issue this year, and we do thank all for making this so!
+Which best indicates your feelings toward our level of attention
+to and enforcement of behavior, dress, and restroom guidelines?
+I support a higher level of enforcement.: 7
+I support the current level of enforcement.: 74
+I don't like it, but I understand why it has to be.: 4
+It's a bunch of bullsh*t, knock it off!: 4
The vast majority continue to support our current level of BDR enforcement, which I will admit has lightened up a bit over recent years. The reason it's lightened up is that there have been far fewer issue, incidents, and complaints than there were when this whole BDR scenario came to a head back in 2003.
The Teeming Millions have also made it perfectly clear that they do not want a police state (no Sergeant At Arms, Enforcement Committee) and do not want to feel unsure about being jumped upon for petty infringements or indiscretions.
We have had a few dress and presentation complaints over the past few years.
We've tried to clarify what can be done about it if someone is indeed bothered by it to the degree it's negatively impacting enjoyment.
Over the past few years we've also had others jump to the defense of those whose dress or presentation resulted in such grievances. My personal observation is that the individuals of recent years who push the limits a bit are far more discerning and considerate that those who were blatantly in-your-face about it in the early-mid 2000s.
. . . . .
+Did you personally have any public restroom issues while attending
+DLV 2012?
+I used public restrooms and YES I had issues or incidents.: 2
+I used public restrooms and did NOT have issues.: 60
+I seldom or never used public restrooms.: 18
+This question does not apply to me.: 3
+(Discarded for inconsistency): 5
We haven't had any drama-scene or trauma-case restroom incidents for a number of years now. Our observations and reports of flagrant restroom abuse have been virtually nonexistent for the past few years. Again, we thank all for the lack of such issues and incidents.
. . . . .
+Would you prefer a more or a less structured schedule of activities?
+Would you prefer more activities be in mainstream venues, or more in
+discreet or secluded or alternative venues?
+Did you think DLV was too long or too short?
Most say "it ain't broke, don't fix it" on these, and have said so, very consistently, for some time.
. . . . .
+All in all, did DLV 2012 meet your expectations?
+DLV 2012 exceeded my expectations: 28
+DLV 2012 met my expectations: 57
+DLV 2012 failed to meet my expectations: 3
We want to keep that "failed" count in the low single digits, and this is a lower number than we've been seeing in recent years.
. . . . .
+Would you attend another DLV?
+Yes, definitely: 58
+Yes, probably: 21
+Maybe: 9
+Probably not: 3
+Definitely not: 0
We also want to keep the "not" categories either zero or in the low single digits, and yes, that's where they usually sit, and where they sit this year.
Thanks gang! It was a great event!
Comments?
