OK - one of the things bubbling (in an "eventually maybe be bread" way, rather than an "ooooh! fermentation! BEER!" way) is an earlier casual mention - Perkins and I both did, me following her - about the fact that she has room for a houseguest(s). So do I.

Given the large number of residents in the greater Bay Area, should that be considered as part of the larger expense pool? The fact that anywhere up to X number of potential attendees, who otherwise might find $300-plus in hotel fees burdonsome (edit: burdensome? Feh, both spellings look wrong), if not impossible, might be able to swing it if offered houseroom?

And, if that is a factor, should that be part of whatever proposal I put together, or should it not even be considered a factor until after a formal location vote is taken?

And I'll see after I get back from Costco...

I think that's definately worth thinking about.

Hmmmm...Ok. First instinct reaction: Definately put it in the Big Compendium of Pimpage as "local/free beds available" or somesuch (I think it would be worthwhile for all the locations). I'd assume that there are people who will be on budgets but would rather stay at the hotel, so as to be closer to the action, so, I'm not sure on the hotel decision. We may need to burn that bridge when we cover it, as it may also significantly change how many rooms we need, and, therefore, change what we want in a hotel contract.

Add Zmayhem to the room-for-a-guest list (also to the chauffeurage list). Though I'm really not sure whether that has been factored into F2Fs before -- I vaguely remember some F2Fers staying with DCistas, and a handful the year before staying with LAistas, but I don't know if it's been officially factored into the decision-making process. Though quite possibly it should be.

My, that was a lot of words to say not much at all.

I'm not sure it got counted before, JZ. If we do end up in SF, I might get a room at whatever hotel we choose for Saturday night, since I live outside the city. I did that in LA, and my house guests just crashed with me at the hotel as well.

JZ, I stayed with Vortex during DC, and went up to NYC and stayed the next four nights with Jessica - Nic was out of work, I was on a "count every penny" budget, and I couldn't possibly have done that trip having to pay for a hotel in either city. It was a lifesaver.

I've hosted - I think - two laregeish b.org gatherings here, Halloween and Nilly last summer; I know there were people on both occasions who couldn't have swung the trip if they'd had to pay hotel and airfare.

And there's no way to pretend the Bay Area is cheap. I have no desire to be struck by lightning or watching my nose do a Pinocchio thing for the magnitude of that lie. It's frickin' pricey as hell.

Hence the optimisation of pricing I'm trying for, in putting a proposal together.

I'm trying to think of a way to phrase it in a poll, along the lines of "Could/Might/Couldn't Attend" -- something like "Could attend ONLY if guestage available," so the people getting concrete proposals from hotels would have a better idea of not just general F2F attendance but exactly how many of those will count for the hotel block.

Perkins, yeah. If it turns out to be SF and Deb's initial quote holds good or she finds something better, we might end up hotelling (anyone who needs to could still stay in the apt, though).

(Also be warned, I am speaking totally ex cloaca, with no input from Hec, and I'm really just waiting for him to wander through the thread and flip out like a mammal.)

Dont worry, JZ, he won't. If he does, I'll steal his Flaming Lips cds, or something.

Also, keep in mind that neither Nic nor I drink. So there would be at least two roomy vehicles available for post-alcohol transport after things wind down.

In fact, I seem to remember half past two in the Castro, with a few of our out of towners, at Halloween...

It's not just the booze, Deb, though that is a consideration, it's also the travel time, and being able to dress up on site, and stuff like that.

eta:

In fact, I seem to remember half past two in the Castro, with a few of our out of towners, at Halloween...

I wouldn't win points by saying I was back at my hotel by then, would I?

In fact, I seem to remember half past two in the Castro, with a few of our out of towners, at Halloween...

I wouldn't win points by saying I was back at my hotel by then, would I?

Not with the memory of all of us turning into tracking hounds in the thick of the Castro burned into my brain, no you wouldn't. :)

In in our defense, we had seen literally no cabs until Deb & Nic showed up, and then whoosh! Cabs!

Didn't think so.