THEN lets talk to caterers, etc. and develop proposals.

The problem there, Trudy, is the cyclical nature of "let's be vague for a few weeks while not actually knowing what we're asking the hotel for in the first place" scenario.

If I'm doing the research, I want to know - as far in advance as possible - what people want as a chosen end result. That gives me a better handle on what to ask for, and leads to fewer surprises later on. As for tears and recriminations and whatnots, not in my world. For all we know, it'll fetch up in Vegas and all this will be moot anyway. But if I'm gathering information, I'm doing it from the starting point of assuming it'll end up here. Yes, aware it may not - but without that starting point, why bother?

Your footwork, cold-calling etc mileage may vary. That happens to be mine.

On the phone with the Miyako.

Ooh, the same name as my mother. (Probably different characters though.)

I think that sounds like a blast, Deb. And also, delicious.

Then lets discuss various cities in a general way.

THEN lets talk to caterers, etc. and develop proposals.

ETA: Well, discussion of the cities in general last time involved things like accomodations, pricing, hospitatity options. Don't see the problem with getting information gathered before the date poll. Especially since people other than me are doing it. Go, them.

Don't see the problem with getting information gathered before the date poll.

Total agreement over here. Ideally, if there is such a thing, I'd like to be able to walk in next week with no more than four preferred date options in hand - but if not, no big.

And the Prom information - as in, does it have to be onsite, their catering, etc? - is something I do want in hand. It makes an enormous difference in the negotiations process. If the only place onsite at a given hotel that's suitable for Prom is booked and therefore unavailable for certain dates, it's an additional limiting factor on an already fairly tight list of requirements.

So enquiring minds want to know.

Deb, I think what Trudy is worried about is that people will get enamoured of a picture of the F2F that will turn out to be not feasible, and that will take some of the shiny off what we do end up getting.

That said, I do agree that it would be lovely to not have to do hotel catering, whatever city we end up in, but I'm not sure if it will be possible. I do not like the idea of limos, as I'm a big fan of self-determination (in this case, that being that people can come and go as they please/need, which seems less possible if you have to wait for a group.)

Don't see the problem with getting information gathered before the date poll.

I just see a lot of frustration at not having a date to do the recon with.

Deb, I think what Trudy is worried about is that people will get enamoured of a picture of the F2F that will turn out to be not feasible, and that will take some of the shiny off what we do end up getting.

The F2Fs have always ended up being shiny, no matter what, so I can't fault Deb for being proactive here.

I think we waited too long to nail down DC, partly b/c we lacked a coordinating person for a huge part of the planning process.

It seems (though I wasn't there) that NOLA went well, due in no small part to the fact that we had such good coordinators.

It's probably good to pick the date before picking the city, but since we know we'll be discussing the city soon, and we know it's West Coast, and we know SF is a contender, there's no harm in discussing it now. And the fact that Deb can lay out for us what our potentials are is just a bonus in my book.

An assortment of dates removes a lot of the frustration, so long as it's a manageable assortment. Handing a booking agent four possible weekends is a lot less likely to result in rudeness than saying "oh, not sure, really - say any weekend between April and August, except Memorial Day."

Deb, I think what Trudy is worried about is that people will get enamoured of a picture of the F2F that will turn out to be not feasible, and that will take some of the shiny off what we do end up getting.

Since we don't even know what city it's ending up in, the shiny - or possibility thereof - is moot anyway, surely? I mean, what if it's Vegas? Vegas is ALWAYS shiny. That still doesn't promise a good time. (edta: Teppy said it far more pithily - the shiny is generally built in to the gathering itself. My feeling is to try and make it as area-centric shiny as possible, as coorindator for that particular area. Does that make sense?)

That said, I do agree that it would be lovely to not have to do hotel catering, whatever city we end up in, but I'm not sure if it will be possible. I do not like the idea of limos, as I'm a big fan of self-determination (in this case, that being that people can come and go as they please/need, which seems less possible if you have to wait for a group.)

Good point - but despite what Eddie Izzard says, there really are more than five cabs here....

I just see a lot of frustration at not having a date to do the recon with.

How is that anyone but Deborah's problem?

I just see a lot of frustration at not having a date to do the recon with

But Deb's doing the recon -- shouldn't she be free to gather what sorts of information she needs? It's not like contracts are being signed yet. If those are the boundaries she needs for a SWAG, it seems best to let her do it her way, or have someone else do it their way.