Comments on the 2013 Survey comments

[Valorie]

There are a couple old activities that might be fun to revive (Night of Soiled Doves, Pity Party, etc). Doves was one of my favorite activies when I started attending, even as it was getting large and less intimate. Just being to talk to the working girls in the bar was really cool.

I am really glad that pole dancing was such a success. I will definitely try to bring it back next year. There are other dance classes we could do as well. For example: there are several belly-dancing studios near the strip. Would anyone be interested in doing both?

One person mentioned more Paris dancing. We actually had a group of girls dancing at Paris / Balleys almost every night of DLV. The same band plays at the Balleys' the first half of the week and Paris on weekends. By the end of the DLV they knew most of us on a first name basis. I will also push to go to other more mainstream clubs (such as Surrender at Wynn). Studio Lite clubbing wear might not be appropriate for every day ware but is appropriate for clubbing.

In the end, we still need a volunteer to organize each activity. This was my first year organizing new activies and it was a blast. I encourage other people to do the same. As for making things even smoother, I think it is a great idea to have hostess headshots in the schedule. My apologies to the girl who missed pole dancing due to no transportation. As the rental agency gave me a minivan, I already had my soccer-mom carpooling hat on much of the week and would of gladly given a ride. I will work harder to make sure I get all the phone numbers of girls for my events, both those on the waiting list and those needing rides.

Thanks to Annie for all her hard work! Only 11 more months till DLV 2014. I can't wait!

[annie]

> There are a couple old activities that might be fun to revive
> (Night of Soiled Doves,

One of our volunteers is indeed looking into just this.

> Pity Party, etc)

The Pity Party began as a simple low-cost second-track alternative to the big show and Limo Tour, which we used to do the same evening. It grew into a stand-alone anchor activity which was quite popular.

All it would take to bring it back would be for someone to "adopt" it and make it happen.

> In the end, we still need a volunteer to organize each activity. This
> was my first year organizing new activies and it was a blast. I
> encourage other people to do the same.

I would echo this. If you would like to volunteer and have not done so yet, just send in a brief note to dlvorg@geekbabe.com and state that you would like to volunteer.

> As for making things even smoother, I think it is a great idea
> to have hostess headshots in the schedule.

As long as the Coordinators will consent to having their photos used, this will happen. I agree that it's a very good idea.

> Thanks to Annie for all her hard work!

You're very welcome, and thank you for taking charge of two of the highest-rated activities this year!

> Only 11 more months till DLV 2014.

And, if you don't want to wait that long, we have Pinkfest in Chicago from October 16-20. Stand by for a major announcement on this!

[annie]

Here are a number of various comments on the DLV 2013 Attendee Survey.

I am not commenting on all of the questions, just those which I find
to be of some significance this year, or those which show significant
changes from last year, or changes in trends from previous years.

81 responses this year, compared to 92 last year. Somewhat of a decrease
in responses despite an increase in attendance. NBD, still well within
the expected response rate.

Overall, the survey results were very encouraging, with higher scores
and upward trends showing.
. . . . . . . . . .

+How many times have you attended Diva Las Vegas?

+Once: 15
+Twice: 11
+3 or more: 55

Lower percentage of newcomers represented on the survey this year.
Numbers were 27/15/50 last year.
. . . . .

+About how far did you travel to attend DLV 2013?

+Average miles: 1670.62

Essentially unchanged from last year. Still down from the mileage we
were seeing prior to the Great Recession. Major influence is that we're
seeing far fewer longer-distance attendees in recent years.
. . . . .

+Average length of stay: 5.41 days.

Slight increase in length of stay over 2012 (5.16). Five-dot-something
has been consistent ever since we started this survey, and it did not
decrease when we went back from a 7-day event to a 6-day event.
. . . . .

+Approximate average age: 58.75

About the same as last year, but following the trend of increasing over
the past several years. It's assumed that those of a more mature age
will have more disposable income and more time to do things like DLV and
are less affected by economic swings.
. . . . .

+I consider myself to be primarily a (an) ...

+Crossdresser: 35
+Transgender(ist): 19
+Pre-op: 5
+Post-op: 4
+No-op: 4
+Transvestite: 3
+Friend of another attendee: 3
+I do not identify with any of the above labels: 3
+Genderqueer: 2
+Significant other: 1
+Admirer: 1
+Gender-nonconforming: 0
+Intersex: 0
+H Benjamin Syndrome: 0
+Drag queen: 0
+Friend of the community: 0

No real surprises here. This is, however, the first report of attendees
identifying as genderqueer. Again, no majority of any self-identity
label.

We've been updating the terminology to keep up with current trends, and
have recently added a number of more contemporary self-identification
labels. One of these (H. Benjamin) has raised some eyebrows.

The term "trans(s)exual" appears to be falling out of favor among some
factions of our community. It may be phased out. It's been noted that
a more correct and descriptive term is "transition-track individual",
and several variants of this are appearing in contemporary usage.

It's been noted many times that the term "transvestite" is considered
by many to be anachronistic. We continue to keep it as an option mainly
because some contine to state it as a label of self-identity although
more contemporary terms are offered as choices as well.

As always, we do not define these terms, just track what people report
as their self-identity.
. . . . .

+Do you belong to a local transgender support group?

+I am currently a member.: 28
+I have previously been a member.: 24
+I have never been a member.: 27

Plurality are now current members.
. . . . .

+Have you ever attended any of the following transgender community
+events? (Weighted relative responses for each event.)

+Southern Comfort Conference 24
+Esprit 16
+Fantasia Fair 12
+Be-All 11
+Dignity Cruise 9
+First Event 7
+Fall Harvest 6
+California Dreaming 6
+Pinkfest 5
+Colorado Goldrush 5
+Paradise in the Poconos 5
+Holiday Enfemme 4
+Texas T 1
+En Femme Getaway 1

There was a definite reshuffling in the reported other events this year,
with Esprit zooming into the second most reported event.
. . . . .

+Did you find our web site to accurately depict what you experienced at
+DLV?

+Yes, definitely.: 67
+Yeah, kinda.: 12
+No.: 1
+I have not viewed the DLV web site.: 0

This is one I watch closely.

Although the survey has consistently said that the web site is very
accurate, there was a question raised and a jump aboard a bandwagon
last year right after DLV stating that the web site may have been
ineffective in telling people that we are a vacation and not a
convention.

A quick grep through the files showed that those very words did in
fact appear conspicuously in many places on the site.

I do ask for feedback on the web site and the biggest issue I hear about
is the inconsistency in look and feel from page to page. This, I admit,
is somewhat true.

One tweak made over the past year was to add a plain-jane black on white
option to the FAQ, mainly due to a report that it would not print
cleanly on some printers.
. . . . .

+If you stayed in a local hotel, were you satisfied with the quality and
+condition of your room and the facilities of the property?

Biggest surprise here is that the IP/Quad garnered more write-in
responses (16) than any other hotel, including any of our three
suggested hotels.

No major reports of dissatisfaction with any hotels. A couple of the
lower-end ones received neutral satisfaction ratings.
. . . . .

+If you stayed in a local hotel, what was your comfort level regarding
+the climate, culture, and attitude that you perceived there?

+Harrahs: very uncomfortable: 1

+Somewhat uncomfortable (Plaza)

It would be very helpful if those reporting discomfort at hotels would
post a note or write in giving details. If there's something about a
hotel which is potentially uncomfortable for our attendees, we sure want
to know about it.
. . . .

+What was your level of enjoyment at each of the following activities?

I consider this section to be the most important part of our survey.

The trend this year is upward for enjoyment!

We tracked 57 activities this year.

I consider an enjoyment rating of 5.0 to be the A+ on the grading scale.
Several activities "rang the bell" this year!

+Pole Dance Lessons, Pole Fitness Studio: 5.0 (9 responses) (**DING!**)
+Scavenger Hunt, Start at Mob Bar: 5.0 (6 responses) (**DING!**)
+Absinthe Show, Caesars Palace: 5.0 (6 responses) (**DING!**)
+Macy's Makeovers, session 1, Macy's FSM: 5.0 (4 responses) (**DING!**)
+Macy's Makeovers, session 2, Macy's FSM: 5.0 (4 responses) (**DING!**)
+Macy's Makeovers, session 3, Macy's FSM: 5.0 (4 responses) (**DING!**)
+Katie's Koffee Korner, Betty's Cyber Cafe: 5.0 (2 responses) (**DING!**)

Of special note, the Pole Dance Lessons and the Scavenger Hunt were very
clear winners this year.

Shows also tended to do well in the ratings this year, with Absinthe
scoring a perfect 5.0 on the enjoyment scale. Nathan Burton scored
just under 5.0 on the enjoyment scale as well.
. . . . .

Bubbling just below the perfect 5.0 are those whose enjoyment ratings
are in the 4.5-4.99 range.

Any singular rating of less than 5.0 will put that activity's rating
into this range. To place in this range is about as close to perfect
as you can get without actually ringing the bell.

I consider enjoyment ratings in the 4-5 to 4.99 range to be the A on
the grading scale.

We had 26 activities (26 - count 'em - 26) score in the 4.5 to 4.99
range this year! This compares to 21 in the 4.5-4.99 range last year
and is a very encouraging trend.

+Ruth's Chris dining option, Ruth's Chris - Harrah's: 4.90 (10 responses)
+Nathan Burton Comedy-Magic, Planet Hollywood: 4.86 (15 responses)
+Farewell Celebration, Bahama Breeze: 4.85 (57 responses)
+Pamplemousse dining option, Pamplemousse: 4.83 (6 responses)
+Trap (shotgun) Shooting, CC Shooting Complex: 4.83 (6 responses)
+High Tea, Four Seasons: 4.80 (10 responses)
+Lunch With Ginger, Gold Coast Buffet: 4.80 (5 responses)
+Dancing at Paris, Paris: 4.77 (35 responses)
+Flamingo Buffet option, Flamingo: 4.77 (9 responses)
+Carla's Boutique - Wine And Cheese, The Center: 4.76 (13 responses)
+Diva Las Vegas Invitational Golf, Desert Rose: 4.71 (14 responses)
+Lunch With Ginger, Makino LVPO-N 4.71 (7 responses)
+Hofbrau dining option, Hofbrauhaus: 4.70 (10 responses)
+Lunch With Ginger, Stratosphere Buffet: 4.70 (10 responses)
+Shopping With Ginger, LV Premium Outlets North: 4.66 (9 responses)
+Mob Bar Happy Hour, Mob Bar: 4.66 (6 responses)
+Religious services, Metropolitan Community Church: 4.66 (3 responses)
+Oscar's dining option, Oscar's - Plaza: 4.66 (3 responses)
+Trevi Dinner, Trevi - Caesars: 4.64 (28 responses)
+Girlfriend Party Makeovers, Bare Escentuals FSM: 4.62 (8 responses)
+PF Changs Dinner, PF Chang - Planet Hollywood: 4.60 (30 responses)
+Limousine Tour, Caesars Palace: 4.58 (29 responses) (1 no-shows)
+EHM Reception and Swap Meet, Erotic Heritage Museum: 4.50 (28 responses)
+Katie's Koffee Korner, Betty's Cyber Cafe - The Quad: 4.50 (4 responses)
+Piano Bar Happy Hour, Harrah's: 4.50 (4 responses)
+Sin City Happy Hour, Flamingo: 4.50 (2 responses)
. . . . .

Many activities typically place between 4.0 and 4.49 on the enjoyment
scale, but this year there are fewer. Why? Because there are more in
the higher 4.5-4.99 range this year.

On the grading scale, I would call this a solid B or a B+, as a rating
between 4.0 and 4.49 shows more "enjoyed significantly" or "enjoyed"
than all lesser categories. These activities are very much commendable
successes. 19 activities placed in this range this year.

+Satay dining option, Satay: 4.42 (7 responses)
+Newcomer Open House, Artisan: 4.40 (10 responses)
+Mexican dining option, Ricardo's: 4.37 (8 responses)
+PT's Happy Hour, PT's Pub Sahara: 4.33 (6 responses)
+Studio Lites Open House, Studio Lites: 4.31 (19 responses)
+Newcomer Open House, Artisan: 4.30 (20 responses)
+Hard Rock dining option, Hard Rock Cafe Harmon: 4.25 (12 responses)
+Art Tour - Andy Warhol, Bellagio: 4.25 (8 responses)
+Welcome Meet And Greet, Artisan, Monday: 4.22 (58 responses)
+Quiet Evening At Home, Private facility: 4.14 (7 responses)
+Newcomer Open House, Artisan, Monday: 4.11 (27 responses)
+Fremont Street Experience, Fremont Street Experience: 4.0 (11 responses)
+Artisan dining option, Artisan: 4.0 (10 responses)
+Non-Charles Bar, Cosmopolitan: 4.0 (8 responses)
+Lunch With Ginger, Harrah's Buffet: 4.0 (4 responses)
+Lunch With Ginger, Harrah's Buffet: 4.0 (4 responses)
+Mainstream Common Gathering, Margaritaville: 4.0
+Lunch With Ginger, LV Hotel Buffet: 4.0 (3 responses)
+Titanic and Bodies, Luxor: 4.0 (2 responses)
+Audrey Tour, Start at Paris, Thursday: 4.0 (1 responses)
. . . . .

Although most activities place 4.0 or greater, we typically see some
which place in the 3.50 - 3.99 range on the enjoyment scale. If an
activity places in this range, it does not mean a failure by any means.
Those who reported enjoying the activity outnumber those who did not
enjoy it by a good margin.

This year we saw 5 activities place between 3.5 and 3.99 on the
enjoyment scale. This compares to 10 activities which placed less than
4.0 on the enjoyment scale last year. Again, a very positve trend!

+Alternative Common Gathering, Drink And Drag: 3.86 (23 responses)
+Katie's Koffee Korner, Betty's Cyber Cafe: 3.85 (7 responses)
+Just You Open House, Just You: 3.71 (14 responses)
+Volunteer and prospective volunteer Luncheon, Artisan: 3.70 (10 responses)
+Pub Crawl, Start at Buffalo: 3.50 (6 responses)

One surprise to me was the Volunteer Luncheon, which I had expected
to place higher.

One other surprise is that we got 6 responses for the Pub Crawl when
only three of us actually made it to the first stop as a group. The Pub
Crawl sucked this year! I did not rate it highly on my personal
response. I'm assuming that the three additional responses were those
who appeared to be following us and zoomed off into oblivion, or maybe
those who visited some of the Pub Crawl stops after we left.
. . . . .

Only one activity placed lower than 3.0 this year, and that had only
one response, so we can safely disregard this as a one-off.

+Katie's Koffee Korner, Betty's Cyber Cafe: 1.0 (1 responses)
. . . . .

Let's circle back to Katie's Koffee Korner for a few minutes here.

This was the first year that it was a daily activity. I personally
attended once. I wanted to support the concept and support those who
were putting it on. I did wake up in time Tuesday morning to do it.

Let's look at the enjoyment scores for over the week:

Katie's Koffee Korner, Betty's Cyber Cafe, Monday: 4.50 (4 responses)
Katie's Koffee Korner, Betty's Cyber Cafe, Tuesday: 3.85 (7 responses)
Katie's Koffee Korner, Betty's Cyber Cafe, Wednesday: 5.0 (2 responses)
[Thursday, no responses]
Katie's Koffee Korner, Betty's Cyber Cafe, Friday: 1.0 (1 responses)

If we average all of the enjoyment scores for Katie's Koffee Korner,
including the singular 1.0 on Friday, round off to three digits, we
get 4.00 which is actually not bad. If we throw out the 1.0 for being
"out of cluster", we get 4.23, which is quite respectable.

I'm a bit surprised at the lower rating on Tuesday. Everyone there
appeared to be enjoying it.
. . . . . . . . . .

The comfort level at our activities, in general, was very high this
year. 22 activities placed a solid 5.0 on the comfort scale and 29
placed between 4.0 and 4.99.

+What was your comfort level at each of the following activities?

We did have a handful of activities which placed below 4.0 on the
comfort scale.

+Non-Charles Bar, Cosmopolitan: 3.83 (6 responses)
+Shopping With Ginger, LV Premium Outlets North: 3.70 (10 responses)
+Lunch With Ginger, Harrah's Buffet: 3.66 (3 responses)
+Pub Crawl, Start at Buffalo: 3.50 (4 responses)
+Mainstream Common Gathering, Margaritaville: 3.33 (3 responses)
+Lunch With Ginger, Makino LVPO-N: 3.14 (7 responses)
+Titanic and Bodies, Luxor: 3.0 (2 responses)

With only one exception (Pub Crawl) all of these were very exposed
hardcore mainstream general public venues.

I'm considering the following to be a one-off:

+Religious services, Metropolitan Community Church: 1.0 (2 responses)

I don't really know what the issue was with comfort here. MCC is about
as "safe" a venue there is. Only two responses, so even though the
comfort level is valid from the perspective of those two respondees,
it may not be representative of a larger sample size.
. . . . .

Activity timing and time crunch issues are something we need to pay
more attention to.

+Did you find yourself missing DLV activities because you either got
+into a time crunch or were simply too tired from previous activites? [sic]

+Seldom or never: 50
+Occasionally: 23
+Frequently: 4
I'll say a bit more on this when I respond to the comments, some of
which refer to just this.
. . . . .

This next one was a one-time question, mainly brought about by a comment
on last year's survey and some subsequent discussion and speculation.

Over the past several years, we've had 150+ attendees in town, but
the headcount at Lunch With Ginger has remained in the single digits
for the most part.

+If you did NOT participate in Lunch With Ginger, which of the following
+best indicates your primary reason for not participating?

The top two reasons, by far, indicate that nothing is "wrong" with the
current model of LWG but simply not fitting into one's plans for the
day.

+Inconvenient for my personal schedule.: 21
+I had other specific plans for lunch.: 17

We do have a number of people who, for a variety of reasons, only
come out at night and eschew the daytime things.

+I avoided all or most daytime activities.: 10

Even though this next one is way down in the lower single digits, it
still bothers me!

+I did not feel that I was welcome.: 4

I don't know what more we can do to assure our people that LWG is indeed
intended for THEM and that they are most definitely welcome.

Related was this answer:

+I did not know anyone else who would be there.: 2

Yes, it's human nature to feel uneasy walking into something without
knowing anyone else. We really need to emphasize that our culture is
very welcoming to those who are new and who do not know others (yet).

However, most of the reasons that we speculated upon as being the causes
for the lower turnouts for LWG were way down on the list:

+I do not care for buffets and would prefer sit-down restaurants.: 3
+Too expensive for me.: 3
+Too exposed to the general public for my comfort.: 2

This next option was included due to a report last year that a Big
Sister had actually talked a Little Sister out of attending LWG.

+I was persuaded by others to skip this.: 0

Fortunately this did not happen this year.
. . . . .

+Did you use the activity reminder service (e-mail or text messages to
+your cell phone) and if so, did it work well for you?

+Yes, and it worked fine.: 5
+Yes, and it worked off and on.: 0
+Yes, but it seldom or never.: 0
+No, I did not use it..: 37
+I do not know what you are talking about.: 3

We unfortunately had an error (typo) in the HTML behind this question
which prevented the scores from being registered. It wasn't discovered
until a preliminary run of the scoring script showed all zeros for this
question, which unfortunately was half way into the run of the survey.

I would ask for anyone who had any issues with these text messages to
please let us know. We would like to go back into the logs and see what
happened on any text messages which did not make it.
. . . . .

+Did you have any difficulty getting a ride to DLV activities?

+Yes: 3
+No: 70

I personally heard two reports about people having trouble getting a
ride. One was in person, another was in an e-mail exchange which I was
copied on.

Neither of the two individuals stayed in our suggested hotels.

Ladies, if you want to share a ride, you really need to stay near where
the larger groups of our attendees will be staying! Enough said in this
one.

A comment expressed interest in resuming the discontinued Ride Share
Program and I'll comment on it in my response to that.
. . . . .

+Did you have any difficulty finding the locations at which DLV 2013
+activities were held?

+Yes: 10
+No: 67

+Did you have any difficulty finding the group at any of our venues?

+Yes: 11
+No: 66

When the "bad" responses on questions like these start to creep up
into the double-digits, it shows that there are indeed issues.

One lesson learned this year is that we need to be very explicit
and very particular about EXACTLY where in the venue to meet. Just
saying "main reception area" or "first floor" is not enough.
. . . . .

+Did you find the online maps to be helpful?

+Yes: 40
+No: 6
+I don't need a map: 26

We moved from a manually-drawn map to a Google map with markers in
2012. Response to this appears to be good again this year.

+What maps?: 5

It still surprises me that so many do not know of the maps and such!
. . . . .

+Did you find the lack of a printed map and schedule to be an
+inconvenience?

+Yes, a major inconvenience.: 5
+No: 56
+Maybe a minor inconvenience.: 16

For two years we did print and hand out a hardcopy map and schedule. It
was very labor-intensive to produce and distribute, and these cost real
money to print.

If anyone would like to volunteer to again produce a hardcopy version of
the map and schedule, keeping within the real-world constraints of the
way DLV works, of course, please say so.
. . . . .

+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.: 20
+I prefer it by e-mail.: 29
+It doesn't matter. I'll take it either way..: 30
+It doesn't matter. I'll ignore it anyway..: 0

It's much easier to produce the Large Final Mailing as a set of web
pages. Since there are no major objections, and the combined "on the
web" and "do not care" constitute the majority, it will most likely stay
that way for the immediate future.
. . . . .

+Did you have any difficulty contacting DLV volunteers by phone?

+Yes: 7
+No: 26
+I did not attempt to phone.: 42

I was one of the contact people this year. Yes, I missed a number of
calls simply because the background noise was so loud. When I selected
the phone I was using for that line, I went through a whole junk-box
full of various cell phones and selected the one that had the absolute
loudest and most annoying ringer I could find. It still could not cut
through the racket of a casino or many other areas.

I always tried to return all calls ASAP. I try to be very discreet when
phoning members of our community. I don't leave voice mail messages
unless I'm VERY sure of who the phone belongs to and that it will be OK
to do so.

Since there's no practical way to attach some kind of a klaxon horn as a
cell phone ringer, I don't know what to do about this, and a few missed
phone calls will probably happen.

+I never received any phone numbers.: 4

Although this and most of the other "low information" answers are way
down in the single digits, this indicates that about 5% of our people,
which is small but significant, either did not read the Large Final
Mailing at all or just skimmed it lightly and missed any reference to
local contact phone numbers.
. . . . .

+Did you find the other DLV attendees to be friendly and inclusive?

+Mostly yes: 63
+Yes, somewhat: 8
+Neutral: 5
+No, somewhat: 2
+Mostly no: 1

My personal observation was that, for the most part, everyone appeared
to be inclusive. I saw no cases of someone sitting alone looking lonely
or somebody looking that they were about to bolt for the door.
. . . . .

We did have some re-organization of our Big Sister Program prior to this
year's event. We now use a team model.

+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.: 3
+I had a Big Sister and I did not find the program to be helpful.: 0
+I was a volunteer Big Sister and had a positive experience.: 4
+I was a volunteer Big Sister and my Little Sister was a no-show.: 1
+I was a volunteer Big Sister and did not have a positive experience.: 0
+I did not participate in the Big Sister program.: 71
+I was unaware the Big Sister program existed.: 1

No "derogs" at all this year! Congratulations to Delaney and team for a
good job well done! Only one no-show reported and apparently our Big
Sister Program is of such a profile that we got only one "clueless"
response this year.
. . . . . . . . . .

All "money" answers show a significant increase from last year.

+Approximately how much did you spend on accommodations while you were
+attending DLV?

+Approximate average: 581.94

Up about 13% this year from last year.
. . . . .

+Approximately how much did you spend on food and non-alcoholic
+beverages while you were attending DLV?

+Approximate average: 394.44

Up about 27% over last year.
. . . . .

+Approximately how much did you spend on alcoholic beverages while you
+were attending DLV?

+Approximate average: 153.47

Up about 18% from last year.
. . . . .

+Approximately how much did you spend on gaming (total bets or coin-in,
+not win or loss) while you were attending DLV?

+Approximate average: 577.39

Up about 29% over last year.
. . . . .

+Approximately how much did you spend on local transportation (rental
+car, taxi rides, Monorail pass, donation to others' fuel funds, etc.)
+while you were attending DLV?

+Approximate average: 123.28

Up about 26% over last year.
. . . . .

+Considering all expenses of all types, what was the total amount you
+spent in order to attend and participate in DLV?

+Approximate average: 1921.52

Up about 34% over last year.

Yes, airfare and hotel rates are up. Local transportation costs are up
too, and strictly discretionary expenses such as alcohol and gaming are
up as well.
. . . . .

+In general, did you consider DLV 2013 to be reasonable and affordable?

+Yes, definitely: 45
+Yes, somewhat: 24
+Neutral: 5
+No, somewhat: 0
+No, definitely: 1

Slight decrease in the "affordability factor" this year over last.
. . . . .

+Which best indicates what DLV is to you?

+An opportunity to dress.: 13
+An opportunity to socialize.: 45
+An opportunity to party.: 5
+An opportunity to express myself.: 12
+An opportunity to learn.: 5

Small but significant shift from "socialize" to "dress" this year when
compared to last year.
. . . . .

+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.: 6
+I support the current level of enforcement.: 67
+I don't like it, but I understand why it has to be.: 5
+It's a bunch of bullsh*t, knock it off!: 3

For several years this was a real hot-button issue, but attention to
this has eased off. I do admit that any enforcement efforts have been
very low-key in recent years. We really don't need anything more
intense. Let's keep it that way, please.
. . . . .

+Would you prefer a more or a less structured schedule of activities?

+More structured: 11
+Less structured: 0
+It was fine as it was: 68

Most say it's fine, but in recent years the "more" has been outnumbering
the "less" by some degree.
. . . . .

+Would you prefer more activities be in mainstream venues, or more in
+discreet or secluded or alternative venues?

+I would prefer more secluded venues.: 8
+I would prefer more mainstream venues.: 17
+I think the balance was about right.: 55

Most, by far, continue to say the balance is about right. Mainstream
venues are obviously more popular, but there's a significant number
of people who wish to see more safe venues.
. . . . .

+Did you think DLV was too long or too short?

+It was too long: 8
+It was too short: 4
+It was just about right: 69

This has been flip-flopping the past few years, but the majority state
that it's about the right length. I agree that 6 days is a very relaxing
vacation and is within our limits as far as the volunteer workload is
concerned.
. . . . .

+And what about the request to wear name tags?

+I found them to be helpful: 40
+I don't really care either way: 36
+I did not like them: 5

I thought that Vera and Dennis did a very good job with the name tags
this year. Getting them out to the people was more challenging, since
we had only one set of tag inserts and could only do check-in at any
one location at one time.

Several people commented that they liked having the years of previous
attendance noted.

Personally, I need name tags. As I get older I tend to be less and less
able to put faces with names.
. . . . .

+Did you personally have any public restroom issues while attending DLV
+2013?

Very few issues. No incidents. Next question, please.
. . . . .

+All in all, did DLV 2013 meet your expectations?

+DLV 2013 exceeded my expectations: 31
+DLV 2013 met my expectations: 44
+DLV 2013 failed to meet my expectations: 2

These numbers are exactly what we want to see.
. . . . .

+Would you attend another DLV?

+Yes, definitely: 57
+Yes, probably: 15
+Maybe: 8
+Probably not: 0
+Definitely not: 0

And again, this is what we want to see!

[annie]

Here are some thoughts on the comments received on our DLV 2013
Attendee Survey.

I'm not responding to all comments, just those on which I (think
I) have some relevant thoughts.

Overall, I think that our 2013 event was the smoothest-running and most
enjoyable event we've had in recent years.

We learn quite a bit from these surveys each year. They tell us what
is enjoyed about our event, what falls short, and very importantly,
what our attendees would like to see.

The DLV event has been continuously evolving since 1997. Although we
value a degree of consistency, each year's event is unique.

I hope that you, the attendees and potential attendees will see the
survey as a learning experience as well. It lets you know what the
others did and did not like, and what they wish to happen.

One thing to please keep in mind is that DLV, organizationally speaking,
is very participative. If you want to see something happen at DLV, then
please feel free to take the initiative to look into it and make it
happen. DLV has a very high ratio of active volunteers to rank and file
attendees, more so than any other major TG event.

Thanks again to all who particpated in the survey, and in particular
to those who took the effort to write the verbal comments and make
suggestions.
. . . . . . . . . .

Let's discuss the BDR items here first, and this will be very brief,
'cuz there were very few this year! I and the other volunteers thank all
for making this the case. In fact, BDR issues have been few and far
between over the past few years.

It appears that the in-your-face rulebreakers, troublemakers, and those
with axes to grind have pretty much self-excluded themselves, leaving us
with a core of fun-loving good-natured people who respect the feelings
of others. No drama scenes, restroom incidents, tantrums, anything like
that this year! Thanks to all for helping out with this!

Only one restroom comment, and I really don't know much about it.

+Artisan caught me off guard this year,

I'm not really sure about this one and what it means.

One significant "reverse restroom incident" this year, not part of the
survey, was the personal observation and report of the situation at the
Freezone. According to reports and a personal visit, there are no longer
any issues with using the restroom of your choice. Whether or not this
has anything to do with recently-enacted legislation is a subject of
speculation.

One "dress" issue is covered in multiple items in the comments. I'm
planning to comment on that one separately.

I'm also planning to comment about one "lack of information" item in
some detail.
. . . . . . . . . .

Now that we have the BDR stuff out of the way, let's look at the general
comments and suggestions. We had a lot of excellent suggestions this
year, and some comments about some rough spots.

+need a way to get from waiting list ro participating in activity

There's really no comprehensive solution here. Circumstances vary quite
a bit between activities.

If you find yourself on a waiting list at the time of the Large Final
Mailing, what you really need to do is to contact the primary
Coordinator of that particular activity in person at DLV. Some
activities are very easy with regard to capacity, some have very "soft"
limits, others have some very fixed limits.

The Coordinator of each activity will be listed on the final schedule
and more and more of them are getting very good about allowing their
numbers to be listed.
. . . . . . . . . .

The Artisan sure took it in the shorts on the survey this year!

+Let's ditch the Artisan. I found the cost for drinks Monday night
+criminal.

+The Artisan is taking advantage of the group, terrible food and
+drinks. Being in a dark hotel/bar is depressing to me.

+Get rid of the Artisan as a venue. Too expensive and there was no
+attentive service.

I personally have mixed feelings about the Artisan. I don't have any
personal issues with it.

However, if the consensus of the group is against it, I must agree that
there may be better choices out there.

"The Artisan is the absolute worst venue we've ever used, except for all
of the others."

The Artisan kind of reminds me of Mr. Boddy's mansion from Clue/Cluedo.
It's dark I admit. That also gives it a degree of class. I've enjoyed
relaxing at the bar and in those oh-so-comfy chairs around the bar area.
I've had to literally force myself out of them on occasion.

However (comma) the drink prices were high. It was somewhat amusing to
listen to JoAnn negotiating the price of a drink. What I was drinking
mostly this year (bottled domestic beer) was priced about the same as it
was at the bar at the Cabaret Lounge at the Paris, and I heard no
complaints about the Paris being pricey on drinks.

This year's Welcome Celebration scored 4.22 out of 5 on the enjoyment
scale. This is considered good, but certainly not outstanding, by our
history-derived standards.

If we look back 5 years into history we get the following on the
enjoyment scale for our Welcome Celebration:

2012: 4.37 (Drink And Drag)
2011: 4.51 (Artisan)
2010: 4.52 (Firefly Plaza)
2009: 4.52 (Blue Ox)
2008: 4.44 (Blue Ox)

Yes, this year's Welcome Celebration scored lower than any of the
previous 5 years. However, it did not score so low that I think it's a
matter of some concern, as we have had way in the past.

We have to go back to 2007 to find a low-rated Welcome Celebration:

Dinner and Welcome Celebration, Suede, Monday: 3.81 (60 responses)

IMAO, the enjoyment score of 4.22, in and of itself, is nothing to be
concerned about. However, the number of complaints we received,
specifically about drink prices, is!
. . . . .

Some are pinin' for the Blue Ox, perhaps as a replacement ...

+Get together @ blue ox, we still go there while in town, great food
+cheap drinks; Dee and Dani are still awesome.

+go back to the Blue Ox, for newcomers get togeather they would love to
+have our group back

Well, the Blue Ox we used previously is now closed, so we really can't
go back to that one.

There are three Blue Ox facilities left in the area, all owned by
members of the same family. I personally spoke to the GM of the one out
west about having the 2011 Welcome Celebration there. At first he
agreed, but later respectfully declined, stating that they just did not
have the staff and capacity to serve a group of "up to 100" at one time.

There are two other Blue Ox locations in the valley. One of them may
have the physical capacity to hold a larger group, but they have not
been contacted. If anyone wants to take the initiative to reach out
to them about a major gathering in 2014, please feel free to do so.

You don't need anyone's permission to reach out to them. Just be sure
not to commit to anything until you have the "OK" of the ORG group.
. . . . .

Here's what I consider to be a biggie!

Prior to this year's DLV, I **SWORE** that we were not gonna get gigged
on this one yet again this year, but unfortunately it seems to happen
each and every year.

IMAO, this is one of our most important needs for improvement!

I (thought I) made a special effort to reach out to newcomers this year,
and I watched the group, and I never once saw the classical case of a
newbee sitting there alone looking lonely.

However, I'm not everyone.

+Many groups of the attendee's where very "clanish" as where many of
+the DLV organizers and greeters.

+I saw many new B's lost and wanting to talk to someone. and yes they
+where the ones that needed help with clothing, make-up ETC.

... and ...

+... The leaders were very sensitive and considerate to those new.
+Especially Annie and Ginger were total sweeties. Answered all of
+questions and didn't talk down to you. The regular DLV girls were
+stand-off-ish especially at first. They had their own little circles
+and stayed with them. ...

The only thing of note which I saw along this line was an obvious clique
at one of the Happy Hours who camped out at their own little table and
gave obvious "closed" body language signals while all of the others were
at the bar mixing and circulating. However, when dinner time came, these
three joined the group and interacted with the others quite well.

I want everyone, even the greenest newbee, and yes, even those who are
obviously climbing the learning curve of style and presentation to feel
included and part of the group from the minute they first walk in!

+I know first hand how neglect can hurt the same as bad words and looks.

The one thing I really wish we could eliminate at TG events, including
DLV, is that some attendees do feel left out!

I also wish that these "just a few of us" groups which go off and do
dinner on their own and such would be more inclusive, particularly with
those who are new or do not have close circles of friends.

I really don't think our people are intentionally being rude, but that
they're just so caught up in the small talk with their BFFs at the time
that they obvlivious to the fact that one or more in the immediate area
are in need of feeling included.

We're really going to need everyone's active cooperation if we're gonna
make headway on this issue! I think that the answer is to raise the
level of awareness of this among everyone.
. . . . .

+Don't go to studio kites [sic], why would you tour a place that
+didn't have any plus sizes and only had club wear - which is
+banned at every function?

I'll comment on this one on a separate item.
. . . . .

We did (and rightly so) get gigged on the lack of description of some of
the activities.

+The Audrey Tour should have been explained better.

... and ...

+Suggestions. Tell us exactly what things like Charles Bar,
+Audrey Tour, Alternatve Gathering are.

I agree with these items. Yes, in the future, we'll need to be very
explicit as to what things like this are supposed to be. The "Audrey
Tour" was a reference to Audrey Hepburn, little black dress and the
like.
. . . . .

A few comments similar to this were received:

+Had difficulty locating the group at PF Chang's, until a bar patron
+directed me upstairs

Yes, we need to be very specific and explicit as to where to meet the
group, keeping in mind that many (most?) attendees will be unfamiliar
with the layout of the venues at hand.
. . . . .

+I'm not sure if the locations for lunch with Ginger were noted.

They sure were, on the main schedule.
. . . . .

+More opportunities for dancing. Paris was fun.

+I would like to see Dance At Paris become a daily event, like
+Katie Coffee and Lunch with Ginger. Not everyone wants to do the
+expensive nightly events and this could be a good place to meet.
+No cover and no minimum and the band is great.

One year we did Dancing At Paris the last two nights. If you want to see
this expanded next year, please volunteer to host(ess) it for one or
more of the additional nights. (This would be an easy one, almost
trivial.) Now that they have apparently expanded the nights that the
live band performs, this may work out well.

And as an aside on the NC/NM, both the Bally's and Paris lounges state a
two drink minimum, but it's seldom if ever enforced.
. . . . .

+On the schedule of events or other such help aid, please include
+a thumb nail photo of the person we are supposed to contact,
+sign-up or pay-up, so we have a chance of recognizing/identifying
+them at functions or activities.

Now that we're doing the main schedule and the Large Final Mailing on
the web (that will most likely continue) yes, we can do this as long as
the individual Coordinators consent to having their photos used.
. . . . .

+Bring back the boat trip!

All it takes for this to happen is for someone to volunteer to
coordinate it.
. . . . .

+Whatever happened to the poker tournament?

The lady who was going to coordinate this has taken a (well-deserved)
"sabbatical" from the DLV volunteer scene. She was present this year but
did not coordinate anything.

If anyone else would like to grab the ball and run with it, please
feel free to do so.
. . . . .

+Miss night of Soiled Doves. Enjoyed it very much some years back.
+Chance dress sexy or festishly and played games with the ladies.

... and ...

+Bring back Soiled Doves!

One of our volunteers is looking into doing just this. Film at 11.
. . . . .

+Make sure the Hosts are there on time and be all encluseve

I know all of the activity Coordinators personally, and I can't think of
a single one who does not intend to be punctual or does not intend to be
attentive to all who attend, both newcomers and previous attendees.

Unfortunately sometimes there are circumstances which are difficult to
work around. I was late for one of my activities, the Hard Rock Happy
Hour. Doodoo happens occasionally.
. . . . .

+a gay/gay-friendly restaurant night or two.

I honestly have trouble thinking of a restaurant in Las Vegas that is
not LGBT-friendly! Seriously. As of this time I can't think of any
restaurant in the Las Vegas area that caters mainly to the LGBT
community, except perhaps for a bar that serves food on the side.
. . . . .

+Lets have more fun!!

I'm all for that!
. . . . .

+Would have liked to do an excursion to Grand Canyon ...

We haven't had a side trip for a few years. Last one we did was to the
Shiloh Horse Ranch a few years back, which is actually an easy drive.

Grand Canyon has been discussed, but the big deal is that it's about a
four-hour driving trip each way, meaning that 8 hours out of the day are
taken up driving.

Some suggested alternatives have been a helicopter tour to Grand Canyon
($$$$$) and a trip to the Grand Canyon Skywalk, which is much closer but
has a long stretch over unpaved roads.

Another suggestion has been Zion, about a 2 1/2 hour drive.

+or Neon Museum or other attractions.

We did Neon Museum both in 2011 and 2012. It's a bit more awkward to
book tickets now, apparently the only option is on line with a credit
card, and some reported that they were shy of doing that.
. . . . .

+I think if you were to charge a small registration fee to cover mailing
+and where able to send out a few of those "las Vegas" guide mags before
+it would be helpful. I might form a committee to do just that.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. If DLV adopts a registration
fee, it will be over my dead body!

Seriously, I've been willing to listen to proposals of this, but in our
17 year history I've yet to hear anything that justifies the formality
and the complexity that a fee structure would bring upon us.

If you're talking about those "What's On" magazines and the like, keep
in mind that about 20% of our attendees are local and have no need for
them. Many of our other people are frequent Las Vegas visitors and
probably don't want to pay for them either. I know that What's On is
available on line for those who want it, and I'm sure most of the others
are too.

We also need to focus our efforts on our event, and not try to replicate
what's readily available from the LVCVA or any hotel concierge desk.
. . . . .

+Would like to see an option that provides those without vehicles to
+connect with those that do. Like a Big Sister program for
+transportation.

+I cancelled one activity (pole dancing) because of the cost it would
+have been to get there, pay for the event, and then get back because I
+could not find a ride.

We had a more organized "Ride Share Program" during our early years.

It worked quite well up through 2004 or so, but as we started growing
well past the 100 mark it did not scale well and generated all kinds
of complaints, both from our volunteer drivers and from those who
needed rides.

Following DLV 2008 a motion to kill the Ride Share Program passed
unopposed. Since then, we've actually received far fewer complaints
about rides, or more specifically, not being able to find them.

The most important thing about sharing rides is that you really need to
be staying in the vicinity of other DLVers. IMAO, anyone who does not
stay in our suggested hotels, or at least in the immediate area, should
not be complaining about not being able to find a ride!

If you (or anyone) wishes to volunteer to be a "Ride Share Coordinator",
please do so. The only thing we'll insist upon is that what you propose
will pass muster with our resident "Hold Harmless Wonk", who will insist
that DLV organizers and volunteers are totally insulated from any
potential liability. If you want to pursue this, please coordinate with
our ORG group.
. . . . .

+"Happy Hour" to me means reduced drink prices, yet when we arrived at
+the scheduled time we found out the bar's "happy hour" was the hour
+before our scheduled time.

... and ...

+In the future please clarify that happy hour is a social hour and not a
+reduced-price drink hour.

To DLV, the term "Happy Hour" has always meant, as you say, a social
hour and over the years has sometimes occasionally coincided with
venues' reduced drink price times. We will be sure to clarify this in
next year's mailings.
. . . . .

+Might I suggest a visit to a wig salon. (Serges was GREAT) and very
+acommodating. Perhaps arrange a lesson in how to style and care for your
+wig, and learn about different types and their durability.

and

+Yes, Serge Wigs. West Sahara. Do a car pool.

We did a wig styling workshop back in 2002 at the now-closed Hidden
Woman boutique. It was well-received.

Since Serge moved out west on Sahara they are far less convenient than
they were. If anyone wants to reach out to Serge and arrange for
something like a "Serge Wigs Open House" or something more involved such
as a styling workshop, please do so.

More on this below.
. . . . .

+A bit more lag time between events to allow time to enjoy one event
+and still make the next

We hear you on this, but unfortunately it's not always practical, in
particular with the activities which have fixed start times.

One thing that's often overlooked is that we don't intend for someone to
do everything, and in many cases it's simply not possible to create a
schedule which allows all combinations of two sequential activities to
be done.

And, unfortunately, when one activity runs "long", it can cause a
chain-reaction and subsequent activities run late as well.
. . . . .

+Please keep in mind that socializing is important. So for venues like
+the Artisan, we probably don't want the piano player as we want to hear
+each other. Noise is only appropriate for venues like the Hofbrau
+where it is part of the ambiance.

The pianist was unknown to us until that evening. I ventured into the
restaurant a few times and he did not appear to be loud at all. Kind of
a moot point now since we probably will not have any major activities at
the Artisan next year.
. . . . .

+How about a Rockabilly party. 50-s outfits, hairdos shoes music. Elvis,
+Link Wray, the like. Bettie Page looks, like that.

Great Balls o' Fire! Do it! If somebody wants to take this on, please
do so.

We did have a "Retro Theme" ending gathering at the long-defunct Elvis
Bar and Lounge back in 2006, IIRC. My guess is that maybe 25-30% of
our people dressed in somewhat-retro outfits.
. . . . .

+If you could introduce the new girls at the welcome mixer it could be
+nice.

In our early years, yes, we would have a "Mouseketeers roll call, count
off now" type of thing at our WC. It really hasn't been practical in our
recent years.
. . . . .

+You need to keep in touch with the Center. They have the Trans-Lations
+group every Friday and Diva would certainly be invited.

Yes, there were several comments to this effect made during and after
DLV. The one activity we had there (Carla's) was highly rated both for
enjoyment and comfort.
. . . . .

+You ought to do another of the real Vegas-y shows like Splash, Follies
+like you used to years ago.

And ... all it takes to make it happen is ...
. . . . .

+Would also like to be informed of a meal plan for the week. Learned on
+my own at the end of the trip that I could have eaten for much less than
+what I spent by getting coupons or buying multiple buffet visits in one
+package.

The group meals, large and small, should have been well noted in the
final schedule. This year we were vigilant in putting the approximate
price ranges in the schedule notes.

Price is one of the factors we use when selecting a dining venue, but
that single factor cannot trump all others.

A related comment:

+There are some lower cost options for food we might consider adding
+to the suggestions.

One thing that has happened throughout our history is that prices for
food in Las Vegas have been creeping upward. That plus the fact that in
recent years we have been picking more and more of the higher priced
dining venues.

I would suggest that if you believe that price is a priority for a DLV
dining venue, please seek out what you consider to be good lower-cost
options and agree to host(ess) dining activities at those places.
. . . . .

+First, I think your DLV ROCKED! But, I found navigating thru old emails
+to find a link, then having to google DLV to locate other details to be
+confusing!

+What I would like to see is: A DLV page that has every possible thing
+linked FROM THERE!

I'm planning to comment in detail on this issue separately.
. . . . .

+Hey, how about we get the drag queens at Drink & Drag to show us
+some tips where we can utilize some of the techniques they use,
+but not to look like a drag queen, but to import into our own
+"make-up" techniques, such as contouring, shading, highlighting,
+ect.

If you (or anyone) wants to look into this, please do so.
. . . . .

+Under TG Community Events Please add: The Keystone Conference
+which just celebrated it's Fith Annual conference this past March
+13 through 16.

We haven't had a general "other events" list for several years. It was
dropped because it was very high-maintenance and got few hits.

If you mean the "upcoming events" in the Large Final Mailing, Keystone
usually happens prior to DLV each year, and it's not very effective to
list an event which has already happened.
. . . . .

+Also, and this is not a complaint but observation. Some of the younger
+girls, their makeup was very artificial looking. It wasn't too much
+makeup, it just didnt look right. It's hard to explain but very
+un-natural looking.

Uh, I'm not really sure what you're talking about. Yes, there is a
learning curve to doing a basic face, but this year I don't remember
any specific "artificial" looks.
. . . . .

+It amazes me that so many girls will pay thousands to fly to Vegas, stay
+in the hotel, and not even print out the schedule of events. I ended up
+going to the business center at Harrah's upstairs and zeroxing several
+copies which they snatched up.

You're preaching to the choir here!

We do have, unfortunately, a number of low-information attendees. Many
of them do get left out of things simply because they do not know what
is happening.

Our people do arrive in various states of preparedness, or lack of same.

The worst case this year was someone who drove several hundred miles to
DLV, did not bring any schedules, maps, contact info, or anything, and
could not locate the group.

It still amazes me how many don't even view the LFM, let alone print
out the map and schedule. I think we get quite a few who think they
can "wing it", thinking that we're similar to other events that they
have attended, and have quite an awakening when they have absolutely
no clue as to what is going on!
. . . . .

+Absynthe show was confusing. My schedule said Tuesday but found out it
+was reallw Wednesday

It's really important that everyone use the official final schedule and
not the many preliminary or working schedules! Absinthe was indeed
originally scheduled on Tuesday, but was rescheduled to Wednesday.

If only we could get those preliminary schedules to self-destruct after
so many days.
. . . . .

+I think one of your phone numbers was wrong.

Okay, I give up. Which one?
. . . . .

+Have Coffee at a reasonable hour, like 9.

I might agree that Katie's Koffee Korner is too early to get a
consistent meaningful level of participation. However, I doubt if I
would participate regularly at 9:00am. Still to early for me when
I'm on vacation.
. . . . .

+Annie needs to dress up like she used to.

Uh, ok, so noted.
. . . . .

+Make the name tags more available. I didn't get mine until the last
+nite.

The ORG group will need to discuss the name tag and check-in issues
again. This year, yes, we had only one set of tag inserts, which made it
more challenging to catch everyone for a formal check-in.

I don't know what the answer is.
. . . . .

+Keep adding new thing activiites. Love it!!!

Yes, we intend to do just this!
. . . . .

+We need a new venue for golf next year. The course is closing for
+renovations for two years. It was not in good shape. Let's ditch the
+Artisan. I found the cost for drinks Monday night criminal.

I don't golf, but I support the activity for DLV. Before the gang
settled on the current course they used the Las Vegas Golf Club out
by the Siegfried and Roy estate. We'll bring this up in ORG.
. . . . .

+Ruth's Chris Steakhouse was a wonderful dining experience conveniently
+located in Harrah's. Definitely a keeper in my opinion.

Yes, I heard this from multiple people.

We had a number of higher-end dining options this year, and all of them
were rated highly. I was actually planning on doing Old Homestead, but
changed it due to the number of high-end places in proportion to those
more reasonable in cost.

I do think we need a good balance, and for the most part have it.
. . . . .

+I will send you suggestions as soon as I have a chance to reflect.

I shiver with antici ... ... {say it} PATION!
. . . . .

+I would suggest a visit to the MOB Museum might be fun. My wife and I
+did it on Monday 4-23. I was not "dressed" that day (it was like 90
+degrees!)

We did this in 2012. Highly rated. All it takes to make it happen
again is for somebody to agree to coordinate it.
. . . . .

+My only comment is about a slight inconsistency in the survey ...
+Transportation to Vegas in someone else's vehicle is not an option
+to choose. I therefore selected personal vehicle yet when it comes
+to getting around Vegas, I caught rides with others.

We'll adjust the terminology for the servey next year. Thanks.
. . . . .

+I know this isn't what you want to hear, but you need a more formal
+welcome or orientation for the new gurls. The welcome sessions were
+good but it was everyone all standing around just shooting the bull on
+everything else but what they needed to know. There's a lot of
+confusion on what to do, where to go, who to go to, things like this.

Our Newcomer Open House sessions are an evolving concept. Yes, the ones
we had this year were informal and there was no "program" of any type.
Yes, there was a lot of chit-chat going on. I do think, however, that
any questions or concerns about DLV were covered in as much depth as was
needed.

We also tried to plan these so that all but a few of those who were new
would have the opportunity to attend at least one of them this year.

My guess is that between 1/2 and 2/3 of the newcomers we had this year
attended at least one of the sessions. I did ask a couple of those who
skipped them why they did not attend. One said to the effect of "I come
to Vegas all the time, I don't need it", and another thought that it
would consist of a lecture on how to dress and the like.

We'll revisit the concept again and ORG, and what happens next year may
be quite different.
. . . . .

A couple of related comments regarding getting some of the vendors
more involved.

+Please get Amy of Glamour Boutique involved in more DLV activities.

+Get Chris from Studio Lights to fly out to Vegas and put on a makeover
+demonstration.

Vendors such as these typically put on one big Open House session, but
on occasion they have put on other activities, such as makeup demos,
wig styling workshops, etc.

One thing we do need to keep in mind is that DLV week will be very busy
for these two particular firms (and a few others). There may be some
practical limits as to what they can and cannot do.

We have ongoing suggestions and requests for such things as makeup
demos and hair/wig styling. Those who are in touch with the vendors
should feel free to get the ball rolling on any of these.

We also have a few more vendors who have expresed interest in becoming
more involved with DLV, specifically one local "civilian" spa and
another from the SF Bay area. This is in addition to a couple of others
we've picked up the last few years. I would expect the level of vendor
participation to be increasing in the near future.
. . . . . . . . . .

As with previous years, comments such as these that follow are very
much appreciated and let us know that we are indeed doing something
right.

+Another year, another well done event.

+Thanks understates how great the experience.

+Thanks to the volunteers!

+I say this each year and I'm sure your tired of hearing this, but this
+is the best girl time on the planet. DLV ROCKS!

No, we are not getting tired of hearing it!

+Thanks again for all your wonderful efforts Annie!

+Thanks to the volunteers!

+GREAT DLV this year!!!

+Another year and another fun and well-organized event, my thanks and
+gratitude go out to all who made it possible.

[External Poster]

This posting is from: Vera Delmar
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Regarding Here's what I consider to be a biggie!

I know this year I made an extra effort to go out and reach out to
anyone I saw that appeared to be 'Lost" or alone. I don't remember her
name but she was the vey young Black girl, she barely looked of age, was
one that I reached out to and introduced myself to her and tried to make
her feel welcome. There were even several gals that I've seen at
previous DLV gatherings whom I had perceived to be a little cliquish or
stand offish, but this year I had managed to make contact them either on
FB or My DLV, and when I saw them this year I said hi to them and felt
comfortable around them.

Hopefully, I will continue to communicate with them throughout the year
and when I see them again in 2014, even ask to join them for a meal.
Then, of course there was my dear Little Sister Linda, who I immediately
took under my wing. She's such a sweetie. I'm sorry that we didn't do a
lot of the smaller day activities together but I did try to introduce
her to many of the local girls like Nora, Tonie and Joanne so she could
hook up with them after DLV. I will try to be a little more flexible
with my schedule next year and hang out with her more and do a few more
daytime BS/LS activities.

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(This posting was entered by Vera Delmar, an external user of MyDLV.)

[External Poster]

This posting is from: Katie Wilson
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>+Have Coffee at a reasonable hour, like 9.

If anyone wants to have Katie's Koffee Korner at 9AM then you might want
to rename it (Xxxx's Coffee Corner) and run it yourself because Katie
will have already moved on and likely be somewhere else at this time in
the morning.

This is not a retaliation. Just a notation!..... **If I had not
organized this then it would not have happened at all** so all you have
to do is volunteer to run your own coffee session at 9AM and who knows.
I may even show up one day too but likely only once As I will be well on
my way by then most days.

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(This posting was entered by Katie Wilson, an external user of MyDLV.)

[External Poster]

This posting is from: Kandi Dolfen
----------

I think we are Very Fortunate to have Annie as our mother hen!! She's
done a great job with this group.

I respond here to her post with some ideas I have;

-I can see why some restaurants shy away from groups with +100 people to
serve up. It gets confusing in a hurry. Since we have enough people, can
we hire a convention or meeting room with a buffet dinner? This new
event could target Nubies, maybe with a DLV version of 'speed TG'ing'
where we rotate table seating in between meal courses. We might need the
LV Convention center in upcoming years (;-0))

-I hear the need to connect up wait-listed DLV'rs with open seats. I
suggest using a email service called www.MailChimp.com I use this email
newsletter service and love the new 'Drag' & Drop editor. It is also
mobile-device friendly. Annie might want to use it to replace the text
emails she now uses. MailChimp provides activity links that can be setup
into an A/B split. This creates a separate group for each activity. When
a seat opens up, the group leader opens the newsletter and sees who's
waiting in the split. The best part of MailChimp is that it's free (up
to a certain size)!

The generosity of Annie has no bounds! Keeping this a free event is most
gracious. Maybe a donate PayPal button could be added to the DLV site
for donations to offset expenses.

I'm so sorry I couldn't join you this year due to my schedule conflict
occurs every mid-April).

best wishes,

kandi

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(This posting was entered by Kandi Dolfen, an external user of MyDLV.)

[annie]

> I think we are Very Fortunate to have Annie as our mother hen!!
> She's done a great job with this group.

Thanks {blush} and I hope you won't take that back after I respond here.

> Since we have enough people, can we hire a convention or
> meeting room with a buffet dinner?

Unless I've been totally reading the group wrong for the past 17 years, this isn't what the group wants.

My impression of what the group wants is something out on the town as opposed to being cooped up in the archetypal Moapa Room down the convention hall at {fill in a hotel name}.

A good example is the Bahama Breeze. Our people love it! They do a great job with a crowd of close to 100 and they give our people what they want. Our people love to be able to order from the full menu, and they love having separate checks. Yes, we're picky, but we have found vendors willing to give us what we want.

Another good example, which may be back on the radar screen again, is the Blue Ox, if they can handle our business. It's a bit downscale I admit, but they did a great job for two years, one slightly under 100 and one slightly over 100. Both years they did a simple optional buffet which was actually quite tasty. For those who just wanted a salad or something, they let them order those separately.

We're getting the staff at Trevi well trained as well. This year they gave us separate checks, and handled a gang of 40-some handily. The dining area could easily hold twice that. We're good customers and the vendors recognize it.

There, Ginger, I did that without once using the "RCB" term!

> It is also mobile-device friendly. Annie might want to use it to
> replace the text emails she now uses. MailChimp provides activity

We do have countless e-mail options available, and if going to a more visual model for our general mailings would be more effective, we could easily do it. When we started DLV, most everyone had e-mail, but adoption of the web was still not as universal. We are migrating some content from text mail to web, such as the Large Final Mailing and the interactive drill-down schedule.

I would like to be able to communicate more effectively during the event, but it appears that only about 15% of our (out of town) attendees have a reasonable-size laptop, netbook, or tablet with them at DLV, and a number of them do not regularly have network access, mostly due to the confiscatory daily rate charged by the hotels.

More and more of our people now have smart phones or text-capable plain-jane flip-phones. We did a test reminder service this year which actually worked quite well, and we'll probably expand that next year.

One way I do envision technology helping us in the near future is for such things as check-in and Limo Tour payments, both which we now do using error-prone manual methods.

> The generosity of Annie has no bounds! Keeping this a free
> event is most gracious.

I'm really not trying to be generous, I've been pushing back against adopting a fee structure simply because I think that doing it would create more problems than it would solve. I have worked on traditional-model TG events going way back into another life. I've seen the work it takes to avoid taking a bath, and unfortunately I've seen the much-too-common abuses as well.

> I'm so sorry I couldn't join you this year due to my schedule
> conflict occurs every mid-April).

And please be sure to note this and speak up when we have the Call For Comments on our 2014 dates.

[External Poster]

This posting is from: Vickie Stone
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Just a few two cents about this event. My wife and I were bowled over.
We loved it. We liked the choices. The informality. I wouldn't change a
heck of lot, sure try new places and things but the general outline of
the event was wonderful. There was another event that followed ours and
most of my local friends went to that one and had events at the same
places we were at, so Trevi, Chang's, paris and the Artisan definitely
cater to our types and apparently are more than happy for our dollars
whether its our group or the many other TG groups that have envents in
Vegas throughout the year. Blue Ox sounds terrific by the way. We were
especially happy with all the nice people we met, and to add to that,
most in our age group or close to it. Some of the other events we've
considered were too young for us to be comfortable in. I can't believe
the great job Annie and the other planners did.

Sincerely...a happy customer!

Vickie Stone

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(This posting was entered by Vickie Stone, an external user of MyDLV.)