I think Manuel's is probably the best idea. I'll bet they could do something for us music-wise if we asked. It's just too bad the hotel won't let you rent part of the space but not all.

Oh! Should also offer that I'll have a car with room for 3 passengers if we do pick a separate prom location (and for jaunts at other times over the weekend too, though I'm not familiar enough with Atlanta to offer airport rides).

The easiest thing for most people flying in will be to take MARTA to the Inman Park station, which is only a little more than a mile away. I figure we can have some people shuttling back and forth between the hotel and the station. We can always work out airport rides for people who don't think they can manage the train or pick them up somewhere on the north-south line if they don't want to manage changing trains. The station is actually in the airport, so it's easy on that end.

They can't really only rent part of the ballroom. It's just one big room without any dividers.

I'm not sure what vehicle we will be bringing, but we would have room for at least a couple extra people for jaunts.

Would it be terrible to do another poll/headcount now that people have tickets and reservations? I know that I have said I wasn't coming on all previous polls, but now I am.

I also said I wasn't coming before, but now I am. We could end up with more than 20.

Weighing in on the prom location issue:

I would be totally willing to pay $60-$70 for Prom in the hotel -- I think that's comparable to prices at past F2Fs. However, Matt has a good point about a small group of people in a large space; I'd rather have a smaller and more cozy space that we can more or less take over, even if some Muggles non-Buffistas are also present. And I'm certainly not averse to paying *less* for Prom. I wonder, though, if we might lose some of the uninhibited nature of the event if we have it in a more public area. Will we have a hospitality suite at the hotel to retire to afterwards?

I'm in Kate P.'s corner.

I wonder, though, if we might lose some of the uninhibited nature of the event if we have it in a more public area.

This is my main concern. Is there any way to get an actual headcount, say from the hotel itself?

Which reminds me, I suppose I should make my reservations today.

I wonder, though, if we might lose some of the uninhibited nature of the event if we have it in a more public area.

That's my concern as I look at other places.

Will we have a hospitality suite at the hotel to retire to afterwards?

Yes. The suite itself is pretty small, but I think we can pretty much take over the lobby/sitting room area next door.

I don't think the small party in a large room would really be a problem in the ballroom. It's considerably smaller than the room used for the Prom in SF and it's old and funky. Also, it can be kind of visually divided, I think.

I wonder, though, if we might lose some of the uninhibited nature of the event if we have it in a more public area.

That's my concern as I look at other places.

Maybe we should look into that Moulin Rouge place? I can call Monday and see what's the what. There's a transportation issue there, but the atmosphere would be great.

It's considerably smaller than the room used for the Prom in SF and it's old and funky. Also, it can be kind of visually divided, I think.

Good to know - I had pictured it quite a bit larger. That eases some of my concerns on that issue.