Re: East meets West in Las Vegas?

[P3D Michael Kersenbrock <michaelk@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

> I have noticed a disturbing pattern... East coast folks are attending 
> east coast conventions and west coast folks are attending west coast 
> conventions with not enough "cross-talking".  When am I going to meet 
> Elliott Swanson or John Bercovitz?  One solution, mentioned on Sunday's 
> breakfast, is to have a convention in Las Vegas.  There are plenty of 
> cheap hotels there, it is within driving distance from S. California and 

I go there about twice a year to visit my parents, it seems that Vegas
adds about 5,000~10,000 rooms each time I visit.  Really!  :-)

The rooms are very cheap (well, for me, my parent's guest room is *real*
cheap :-) particularly if one is there to gamble.  If one is there for
a convention, prices can be higher to much higher.  Some of the real
cheap deals have fine print that says "if you're not there for a convention"
or something like that.  If you're there for Comdex, or Interop, then the 
prices skyrocket (techie types just don't seem to gamble much or tip very well 
-- I know I'm guilty about the not gambling part, but I tip very well, it 
gets me really good seats at shows, etc).

My father had set up a convention for people at his former place of work,
and got quotes from all the "biggie" hotels, and they all quoted under
a hundred per night (including the Mirage which is pretty fancy and possibly
the best one there).  However, when I was there for the Interop convention
they charged me something like $150/night at Treasure Island.  So, it's not even
too bad for the biggie hotels, and the smaller ones (say in downtown Vegas,
rather than the biggies on the strip) are probably even cheaper.  It's also
a town where food is almost free.  All you can eat buffet's as low as 99 cents.

But if you go there and not tell anybody you're  a convention,
the plane/hotel/car deals make trips there are real inexpensive.  Incredible
prices on packages -- not counting the gambling losses which are 
only assumed, but not charged.  :-)

> there are plenty of cheap flights from all over the USA.  Sounds like 
> the place for East to meet West...

Yes, Vegas is "convention city".  Even if the NSA convention grows to
100,000 attendees, they can handle it without blinking an eye.

I like the idea.  Just don't have it anywhere *near* Comdex or Interop
in terms of timing.  And preferably not during the Summer -- it's *REALLY*
toasty there in the summer.  Makes Kodachrome 25 seem like a fast film.  
Spring and fall are very nice, but those extra-biggie conventions need to be 
steered away from.

Mike K.

P.S. - I'll definitely be there (NSA) next year, and maybe the year after next as 
       well. :-)

> 
> George Themelis


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