Just curious where the bulk of folx are staying this year, looks like it'll be more spread out than in previous years. Mandalay itself has 3 hotels on the property.

The Hotel @ Mandalay Bay

I know a LOT of people who are staying at the Luxor - thats where I am and im not too thrilled about it...

The Mandalay was booked up so quickly... I know the Westin usually gets booked so I did it early, but usually the Venetian always has plenty of room - I believe I booked in October I think and the Mandalay was already booked - I was really shocked they were out of reservations, Im usually really good about those things...
Rose tours was then putting everyone in the Luxor.

Gary and i booked a 2 bedroom suite in the Luxor a few days ago.

The Mandalay was sold out so quickly because there are 3 other conferences happening at the Mandalay according to the catering manager ive been talking to there over the last few months.

Not to mention the CES show AND the AVN show all happening around the same time as Internext.

IMHO AVN really fucked up the planning of this Internext and, despite the venue change i think its going to have an even more adverse effect on the show in the long run.

I know from my standpoint we wont be holding another Gay Webmaster Bash in Vegas so long as we have to go through the shows 'official' routes, just to damn complicated to get anything done in a timely fashion.

Next year i think our Vegas events will take the form of a nightclub setting that we'll rent out for 3 nights or, we'll book up one of the hotels off the strip and do our own 'mini' show without the need for AVN and their redtape / political bullshit.

Aly sez shes there to help...

Apparently so ;)

We called VERY early, just a week or so after the location was announced, to try to get a suite in Mandalay. AVN had a block on them all, we were told the only way to get a suite was to buy a booth. We booked a suite next door at Luxor instead.

I understand their desire to make sure they get their cut of business that goes on as a benefit of them putting on the show. But if they wont offer what people want at a reasonable price level, they force them offsite or out of the show entirely in which case they get nothing instead of something.

In our case, we do like to have a suite to go to in order to talk business in quiet, do shoots, or just socialize away from the zoo. But I have no need whatsoever for a booth, so trying to force me to buy one just to get the accomodations I want will not work.

aly@avnonline.com

She says shes here to help.
Course we aint seen her since the drive by spam...

is that the same Aly from python? and Aly TV ?

All of WEG is at Mandalay and we got our rooms after they were supposedly sold out. Thank goodness Jason has lost/won some $$$ there :)

We have a suite at the Bellagio, told the same thing, if you were not exhibiting you could not get the suites. No worries for me, perfer the Bellagio anyway. :)

Mandalay for a few days, then Venetian.

Very hectic. The Florida show was a lot smaller, same happening to the Vegas show?

I am going to stay in the venatien. Love that hotel.

I've stayed at the 4 Seasons, and Mandalay Bay before. Not a big deal at all.

I'm trying the Luxor this time and I'm anxious about it. My father in law stays there on his trips to Vegas and says it's a great place but I've never even set foot in that hotel.

We decided to stay @ Excalibur this time. Why? Because everyone is going to be so damned spread out with this year's show that I figured why the hell not. Didn't want to deal with all the show crowds and Expo bullshit so we stayed a couple doors down.

Hoping that Mandalay at least has some decent stopping points to be able to see folks and get some networking done. From what I remember of the layout though, it won't be as advantageous as the Venetian was. For all the bitching that was done, the Venetian became "home base" for many of us over the years - we knew where everyone would be (Circle Bar or Grand Lux) and where to go to find everything.

Oh well... hopefully the change will be good.

Not holding my breath. :rolleyes:

Kath,

Hit me up on ICQ hon need to get your invites for our meals and hospitality suites sorted out ;)

Luxor here. However, thanks to posts on Oprano a month or so ago about the Pyramid being noisy, decided to stay in one of the quieter and new Obelisks (towers) there instead.

Good choice Drav.
I also have heard that it's nothing but Andy Williams and Perry Como being piped through the elevators and hallways in the towers.

:P

Good choice Drav.
I also have heard that it's nothing but Andy Williams and Perry Como being piped through the elevators and hallways in the towers.

:P[/b][/quote]
Sheesh! It's Vegas! You'd think they'd do Dino or Frank. Now those I could live with. B)

Sheesh! It's Vegas! You'd think they'd do Dino or Frank. Now those I could live with. B) [/b][/quote]
:lol: Dino gets a lot of Xmas airplay around here...

Drav / EC..

Shoot me your cell #'s before you leave and lets do lunch one day ;)

Sounds like a plan, Lee. :)

aly@avnonline.com

She says shes here to help.
Course we aint seen her since the drive by spam... [/b][/quote]
Probably because she's been on a vacation she had planned before she took the job :)

staying at mandalaybay, not sure which one tho, ddint realise there was two of them lol in on 2nd out on 9th

mental note to check that before we leave

Lunch? Like a 4am lunch?

Or a regular lunch? :o

You can tell you've been to too many shows, Chris. :D

You can tell you've been to too many shows, Chris. :D [/b][/quote]
Well Drav, I remember the last time I saw you. It was last January, about 4am at the Grand Lux. I was pretty tired, but the food was good.

There's the regular hotel and the new hotel, appropriately called The Hotel @ Manadalay Bay, and Four Seasons is on the Mandalay Bay property.

Well Drav, I remember the last time I saw you. It was last January, about 4am at the Grand Lux. I was pretty tired, but the food was good. [/b][/quote]
How was the company?

The hotel at Mandalay and then The Venetian.

Well Drav, I remember the last time I saw you. It was last January, about 4am at the Grand Lux. I was pretty tired, but the food was good. [/b][/quote]
Come to think of it.... that's when I finally caught up with Drav a few years back... 4am "lunches" at the Grand Lux kick ass... did some of my best business at those middle-of-the-night meetings there over the years... we all end up @ the Lux... wonder where we'll all end up this year?

Sykk - have you cased the joint for us yet? What's good to look forward to @ Mandalay?

hehe Chris, Kath, yep, you can the most interesting biz and deals done at the Lux in the middle of the night!

Come to think of it.... that's when I finally caught up with Drav a few years back... 4am "lunches" at the Grand Lux kick ass... did some of my best business at those middle-of-the-night meetings there over the years... we all end up @ the Lux... wonder where we'll all end up this year?

Sykk - have you cased the joint for us yet? What's good to look forward to @ Mandalay? [/b][/quote]
my wife used to work there, but outside of hitting House Of Blues for concerts, I don't have a lot of knowledge of the place...

Probably because she's been on a vacation she had planned before she took the job :) [/b][/quote]
Thanks Kimmy... Yes, that... and working the logistics of a tradeshow.

Gonzo you bastard, don't call me a spammer! (you're in for it now)

Yes, indeed I AM here to help. A lot of changes are already implemented for future shows, so keep the feedback coming, PLEASE.

Lee, I realise you've had trouble dealing with the Mandalay Bay regarding your suite events; that's a major issue that's being kept in mind for future events, however please fill me in on the 'politics/ bullshit' that effects the show. aly@avn.com

With regards to the block of rooms reserved for AVN itself, they're for AVN staff. Hey, I made the same assumption that we were just holding onto a bunch of rooms... and tried to see if I could help a few people out with them, but they really do have bodies allocated to them already.

Yes Joe... it's me! B)

Again... Please send me feedback! aly@avn.com

Rooms with actual bodies in them! The nerve!! :lol:

See ya in Sin City, Aly dahling. :)

Rooms with actual bodies in them! The nerve!! :lol:

See ya in Sin City, Aly dahling. :) [/b][/quote]
:D Looking forward to it!

Oh no! Ive been excluded from the homie hookup!!

The Hotel @ Mandalay Bay

WOW, look at the % not going!

Oh no! Ive been excluded from the homie hookup!! [/b][/quote]
I know full well you're just trying to make me throw you over my knee and call you a Naughty, Naughty Boy... :o

I know full well you're just trying to make me throw you over my knee and call you a Naughty, Naughty Boy... :o [/b][/quote]
Someone help Aly quick.... Confucy is channeling her deep dark desires thru Aly as a medium!

This sounds like a job for Kevin Mitnick!

Someone help Aly quick.... Confucy is channeling her deep dark desires thru Aly as a medium!

This sounds like a job for Kevin Mitnick! [/b][/quote]
OMG... Everyone in the office stopped what they were doing to see who was laughing so loud! BAHAAHHAAHHAA!!! :lol:

Aly,

you are doing a great job. Good to see you making an effort to help everyone out. I look forward to seeing you at the show.

Did you change messengers? You do not show up for me anymore.

OMG... Everyone in the office stopped what they were doing to see who was laughing so loud! BAHAAHHAAHHAA!!! :lol: [/b][/quote]
Your a good sport.

Why dont you tell everyone your role and future plans for AVN?
How can Oprano help?

Thanks sweetheart. Totally excited to see you too. Such a great guy! Congrats on skipping Phuket for xmas. My brother was there, which was very scary until he got a message through.

My new AIM: AlyatAVN
ICQ: 51504163

B)

Thanks sweetheart. Totally excited to see you too. Such a great guy! Congrats on skipping Phuket for xmas. My brother was there, which was very scary until he got a message through.

My new AIM: AlyatAVN
ICQ: 51504163

B) [/b][/quote]
Has he been able to get a flight out of Bangkok or can he even get there?

I feel terrible for that region, I was just there and really, never could have envisioned such a catastrophe. I would love to hear your brother's account of things. He must have some fascinating stories, albeit sad.

Make sure you tell Kim and Tom hi and that I look forward to seeing them as well. Tom said he was hitting the mountains for a day or two, should be a lot of snow for him.

I will update my messenger.

Thanks for noticing... :awinky:

I'd hate to be accused of spamming though! ..heh..

All kidding aside, I saw an opportunity to fix something that, from my perspective, needed a little fixing. I like AVN, and I think Internext is on the whole a very good show (I certainly couldn't imagine organizing something like that)... The problem was though that, again by my perception, both products have not done a very good job of communicating effectively with their audience... maybe they were just too busy putting out a magazine and organizing tradeshows. lol.. In the past we (adult companies) all bought big noisy booths at the shows, and ads in the mag because we saw it as a crucial part of how we were perceived by webmasters and competitors. During that time, AVN and Internext/ ia2000 had the luxury of taking orders and building accordingly. As we all know, times and marketing budgets have changed, AVN and Internext have to change too, in that they MUST market themselves, communicate well with YOU, provide top-notch customer service and reflect what YOU need these products to be.

There's so much potential value that we can all (in the industry) derive from attending and exhibiting at shows like Internext, and using AVN for promotions. It's important that these things exist, and it's equally as important that they exist in forms that best serve the needs of the marketplace.

...whew...

So... how Oprano can help ME... is to tell me what you want in an industry magazine, tradeshow and conference (Summer Internext is now a conference... so you don't HAVE to get a booth.) ;)

Oh... I'm the Director of Marketing. LOL.. aly@avn.com

Has he been able to get a flight out of Bangkok or can he even get there?

[/b][/quote]
...Actually we haven't heard from him since the first message. We have no idea where he is. He survived the inital disaster though, so I'm confident he's okay... It must be very hard to get out of there.

Im at the Luxor

Letssss get readdyyyyyy to PARTYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYy

:rokk: :bdance: :bwave: :cdance: :bjump: :hic: :purpdance: :stout:

In that case can you please post the 'official' dates of the show and is it at the same hotel?

I want to start planning our Gay Webmaster Bash events at the end of January / start of February so any info you can share would be a great help in helping me budget for the show etc :)

In that case can you please post the 'official' dates of the show and is it at the same hotel?

I want to start planning our Gay Webmaster Bash events at the end of January / start of February so any info you can share would be a great help in helping me budget for the show etc :) [/b][/quote]
No problem, Lee.

The Summer Internext Conference is August 5-7, 2005.

It's at the same hotel, The Diplomat, Hollywood, FLA.

There will be a new site up soon for it... and I'm all over getting detailed information up on the site in good time before the show.