Some comments on the 2012 Attendee comments ...

[External Poster]

This posting is from: Rosada Delano
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I think VIP would really make it a pecking order. Very Important Person
up on the top and the others on the bottom. I still like the color idea.
Reminds me that we are all part of a rainbow. Singly we are not much but
together we are one, we are beautiful.

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(This posting was entered by Rosada Delano, an external user of MyDLV.)

[External Poster]

This posting is from: Rosada Delano
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I guess we are at the mercy of those restaurants should they decide to
change to limited menu selection and no separate checks. With all the
people they service daily in Las Vegas, I guess our group would be just
an insignificant number of guest to them. Should they decide to go this
route, I don't think they would change just for us.

If that becomes the case, then there goes the optimum level of enjoyment
standard you're trying to shoot for, and a different question on the
survey might have to be written. Or that puts the pressure on the
hostesses to work out a special deal for our group. Back to the status
quo, no?

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(This posting was entered by Rosada Delano, an external user of MyDLV.)

[annie]

> I guess we are at the mercy of those restaurants should they decide to
> change to limited menu selection and no separate checks.

It's very much a two-way street!

One thing that we (DLV folks) do need to remember is the nature of the basic vendor-client relationship and who answers to whom.

We (DLV, individually and collectively) are the client and they (restaurants and other firms with whom we do business) are the vendor. They answer to us, not the other way around! I'll go as far as to say that at times, some vendors just don't "get it" regarding this relationship, or at least don't appear to want to acknowledge it.

We've found out, particularly as we grow in numbers and as the GLBT/TG community becomes more commonplace, that we do have a certain degree of bargaining power and can use it to give our folks a more enjoyable experience.

> With all the people they service daily in Las Vegas, I guess our group
> would be just an insignificant number of guest to them. Should they
> decide to go this route, I don't think they would change just for us.

They will and they do!

Vendors want our business! They will and do work with us, as has been shown in recent years. Best example is probably Bahama Breeze. Although they try to steer larger groups into that fixed menu thing, that's not what our people want, and we've told them that. They also realize that they will sell more meals to our group from the regular menu than a limited menu, and it's been a win-win.

Another good example is Firefly in 2010. They really wanted our business and met most of our requests. We did have a minimum to meet, but it was an easy nut to crack.

Trevi is kind of a compromise. They don't have the "bandwidth" in the kitchen or the serving staff that Bahama Breeze has. Still, they want to give us what we want, within their limits.

> Or that puts the pressure on the hostesses to work out a special deal
> for our group.

Yes, it often does require the Coordinator to, sometimes assertively, tell the vendor what we want. I was brought in to speak to the GM last year at the Artisan. What did the trick was to tell them "Our people don't want a banquet, they want a nice meal in a nice restaurant..." and to please think of our group not as one banquet or catering customer, but a group of about 80 individual customers, same as they might serve on an otherwise very busy evening.

LOL, what finally convinced him is when I agreed that I and another volunteer would be "first call" to handle any complaints about slow seating or slow service.

Win-win for both sides!

We've done some work-arounds as well. One year the Hard Rock steered us in to a limited menu thing and we heard the requisite griping. A couple years after that we had more or less the same number of people, but we realized it would be a slower night, so we just showed up unannounced, split the group up, and took available tables. Win-win.

Back decades ago, a TG group was indeed at the mercy of a vendor, often times being told the business was not welcome, and if the business was welcome, being in a "take it or leave it" situation. Times have changed!

What's really impressed me in recent years is the degree to which the mainstream cosmetic vendors want our business! I know this is going to be expanded even more for 2013.

[External Poster]

This posting is from: Rosada Delano
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I'm glad we are on the same side. I learn so much from you! Thanks.

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(This posting was entered by Rosada Delano, an external user of MyDLV.)