I can beat up demons until the cows come home, and then I can beat up the cows.

Buffy ,'Dirty Girls'


F2F 3: Who's Bringing the Guacamole?  

Plan what to do, what to wear (you can never go wrong with a corset), and get ready for the next BuffistaCon: San Francisco, May 19-21, 2006! Everything else, go here! Swag!


deborah grabien - Jun 30, 2005 2:33:00 pm PDT #3498 of 10001
It really doesn't matter. It's just an opinion. Don't worry about it. Not worth the hassle.

The time-outs is definitely a consideration. OK, so I factor the possibility of an offsite prom to hotels in the SOMA area, which is where the bulk of the possible rehearsal spaces are likely going to be located. Luckily, there are plenty of hot little hotels SOMA, as well.

Just the sort of thing I needed to know. Thankee, peoples.


Trudy Booth - Jun 30, 2005 2:36:46 pm PDT #3499 of 10001
Greece's financial crisis threatens to take down all of Western civilization - a civilization they themselves founded. A rather tragic irony - which is something they also invented. - Jon Stewart

If we can keep this inexpensive we'll get more people. The lack of Buffistas was Nawlins' only flaw.

There are a couple ways we could try and do that. Not being downtown (Evanston as opposed to Chicago) is one. A less chi chi place that would let us bring our own food -- and making that food simple. Or maybe not having food at the bash -- we could have dinner elsewhere and a cash bar at the prom. There's been talk in the past of a beach house, conference center, vacation condo, or dude ranch. There might be all sorts of ways to think outside the box and include as many Buffistas as possible.


deborah grabien - Jun 30, 2005 2:56:53 pm PDT #3500 of 10001
It really doesn't matter. It's just an opinion. Don't worry about it. Not worth the hassle.

There might be all sorts of ways to think outside the box and include as many Buffistas as possible.

I agree. That's rather what the idea of having the prom offsite, me doing the work and not charging for anything other than the fixings - which would probably be about a hundred bucks to feed fifty people, if it's just materials costs - and freeing up an additional six or seven hundred dollars, some of which can go into the communal pool for communal F2F use, be it hotel or airfare or whatever - was in aid of.


NoiseDesign - Jun 30, 2005 11:29:28 pm PDT #3501 of 10001
Our wings are not tired

Just caught up on this.

A few thoughts.

I suppose hind sight is 20/20, but if folks feel like it was so clear that NO would have a low attendance from such an early point, how come it wasn't brought up the multiple times that we discussed basing our numbers on previous attendance in the 50-60 person range?

Also, there were multiple votes on city preferences and all of those votes had many more than 20 people voting in favor of NO. I suppose I should have added the tag line, "If you have no intention of attending please don't vote for a city." I've learned my lesson on that front.

Saving money on the catering and such didn't seem to factor into the equation for people as much as the simple cost of the hotel room. For the NO trip there was no requirement at all to pay a single dime for anything other than getting there and having a place to stay. All the money for the hospitality suite and for the Prom was done on what was essentially a blind donation basis. In DC and LA part of those costs were offset by large donations as well.

The $100 room price came up in discussions during the DC F2F and also in discussions leading up to the NO F2F. I'd have to do a suck and search to find out if they were discussions on-line, or in meatspace. I'd like to propose that we have a poll, or hash it out in here once and for all, what is the cost limit for folks? I know that for me, personally, I'm perfectly happy with room costs up to $175/night for a nice hotel, and would go as high as $450/night if it was a stunning hotel and I was getting a suite or similar room.

The discussion came up last year about Prom on-site and there was a skew towards on-site. I like it onsite so that I can run away to my room if needed. My experience with other conferences is that booking a room for a large dinner/party with hotel catering can also be used as a negotiating tools to get a cheaper price on the room blocks.

I need to pull up my excel spreadsheet and pull the numbers for the money that was raised and what we spent on catering and such, but I'm tired and will do that tomorrow.

My personal preference is that we choose or gorgeous hotel right in the middle of the action in whatever city and pay for them to deal with the party. I also tend to think that I'm in a minority in being willing to pay the premium needed for that.


Volans - Jul 01, 2005 12:20:04 am PDT #3502 of 10001
move out and draw fire

My personal preference is that we choose or gorgeous hotel right in the middle of the action in whatever city and pay for them to deal with the party. I also tend to think that I'm in a minority in being willing to pay the premium needed for that.

I agree with ND, although I'm not sure that I'll be able to make it, so weigh my votes at 75%.

As much as I'd love to gorge on deb-food, the ability to decompress or change mid-prom would be nice. Of course, if it's at all possible to get the room without the catering, count me in for helping to prepare food.


Steph L. - Jul 01, 2005 5:18:12 am PDT #3503 of 10001
I look more rad than Lutheranism

Also, there were multiple votes on city preferences and all of those votes had many more than 20 people voting in favor of NO. I suppose I should have added the tag line, "If you have no intention of attending please don't vote for a city." I've learned my lesson on that front.

I know people hate the method of ranking votes, but maybe that would have helped.

The vote results, here: Fred Pete "F2F 2: Is there anybody here that hasn't slept together?" Sep 27, 2004 6:00:56 pm PDT were New Orleans -- 23; Kansas City -- 20; Minneapolis -- 17; Toronto -- 10.

Since it's impossible to know, without ranking, whether votes for the other cities also meant "will not attend NOLA," maybe the best number to use for hotels would have been just the 23 votes for NOLA. I don't know.

I like Jon's suggestion here: Jon B. "F2F 2: Is there anybody here that hasn't slept together?" Sep 14, 2004 2:00:46 pm PDT , which is:

I'm all for ranking choices, but we know how well that plays here.

I do think we should ask people to indicate, for each city, if they
a) almost definitely would attend
b) might attend
c) probably would not attend
d) almost definitely would not attend

If a city has a plurality of the vote, but a high negative score, and another city is a close second but with a much lower negative, we should maybe consider the second place choice.

I guess, though, how we vote is up to DebetEsse?


§ ita § - Jul 01, 2005 5:20:43 am PDT #3504 of 10001
Well not canonically, no, but this is transformative fiction.

I guess, though, how we vote is up to DebetEsse?

We're really getting practice relinquishing decisions, aren't we?


brenda m - Jul 01, 2005 5:21:45 am PDT #3505 of 10001
If you're going through hell/keep on going/don't slow down/keep your fear from showing/you might be gone/'fore the devil even knows you're there

If a city has a plurality of the vote, but a high negative score, and another city is a close second but with a much lower negative, we should maybe consider the second place choice.

I'm all for this.


Kate P. - Jul 01, 2005 5:23:47 am PDT #3506 of 10001
That's the pain / That cuts a straight line down through the heart / We call it love

I'm very much in favor of ranked choices, for both dates and cities.


billytea - Jul 01, 2005 5:24:43 am PDT #3507 of 10001
You were a wrong baby who grew up wrong. The wrong kind of wrong. It's better you hear it from a friend.

I'm very much in favor of ranked choices, for both dates and cities.

t makes note for dating technique