View Poll Results: Will you go back to Vegas for HostingCon?

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  • Yes

    49 53.26%
  • No

    30 32.61%
  • Yes, But Different Hotel

    13 14.13%
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  1. #1

    Will you attend if at the Mirage Next Year?

    This should be the real question to see if Vegas is viable option
    Tony Holloway
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  2. #2
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    To those who vote, would it make a difference if some of the concerns raised about Vegas were addressed? For example:

    - Meeting rooms available for booking on an hourly basis
    - Catering available for small group lunches in the meeting rooms to avoid restaurant lineups
    - More tables and chairs just outside the exhibit hall
    - An area in the reception area marked "HostingCon" to provide a clear meeting place

    I don't know if any of those or other ideas will be implemented. But while we're being hypothetical, why not be hypothetical about possible solutions to problems too.

    Lois
    "Do what you can, where you are, with what you have." – Theodore Roosevelt
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  3. #3
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    Yes, definitely.

    Whilst granted there were a few minor inconveniences, i thought it was great.
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  4. #4
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    I will probably attend wherever it is... but if it is in Vegas next year I probably wouldn't stay at the Mirage again.

    - Chris
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  5. #5
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    The longer I'm home, the more relieved I am not to be in Vegas. Like I said in the other thread, I think the conference was successful in spite of its location. I like the conference, but the thought of returning to the city in which it was held, which consumed the conference and made it difficult to enjoy, is strongly disagreeable. At this point, I'm not sure I can hack it.
    Studio1337___̴ı̴̴̡̡̡ ̡͌l̡̡̡ ̡͌l̡*̡̡ ̴̡ı̴̴̡ ̡̡͡|̲̲̲͡͡͡ ̲▫̲͡ ̲̲̲͡͡π̲̲͡͡ ̲̲͡▫̲̲͡͡ ̲|̡̡̡ ̡ ̴̡ı̴̡̡ ̡͌l̡̡̡̡.__Web Design
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  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rochen
    I will probably attend wherever it is...
    Yeah. That. (Well, except for the probably bit)
    There is no best host. There is only the host that's best for you.
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  7. #7
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    I'll attend wherever it is held.

    In truth this year a the Mirage was much better than last year at the Hyatt in several ways except the added distractions of Las Vegas (which in some cases were good e.g. good places to eat).

    1) The Mirage and Hyatt are very expensive compared to other hotels I've stayed at when I travel.

    Now this isn't necessarily a big problem, but two things come to mind when having a convention or going somewhere.

    A) Internet access charges in addition to the room fee.
    B) Parking charges for in addition to the room fee.

    Both the Mirage and Hyatt charge about $11 per day for Wifi or Ethernet. That is just uncalled for when they charge as much as they do for the room. If the Holiday Inn Express (yes I like my room reasonably priced with free parking and wifi) can pull this off then why can't the hotels the convention is at do the same?

    Parking and wifi will decide where I stay in 2007. That is a potential $200 over a week which is enough to make me stay somewhere else.

    (Note: I don't care if other comparable hotels in the area do the same. I don't want excuses about why the charges are there. I just don't want to pay the charges. )

    2) Las Vegas and Chicago are hard to get around in.

    Without renting a car you are forced to use public transport and the occasional taxi.

    In Las Vegas the Monorail isn't bad per se, but it isn't very convenient about where it stops. An example would be from the Mirage to the LV Convention Center. The monorail stops about 1/3 mile from the convention center main entrance and stops on the opposite side of Harrah's forcing you to walk quite a bit.

    Chicago's Hyatt was way out of the way forcing a walk to the nearest subway and then bus + walking to get where you wanted to go.

    3) Mirage's convention center is fairly out of the way in the hotel.

    This is one place where the Hyatt was better than the Mirage. The Mirage staff had no idea what I was asking about when I asked about the location of the HostingCon on Sunday and that did not impress me at all. This convention is over 1000 people and the bell staff wasn't informed where it was being held?

    At the Hyatt we could easily find the exhibit hall. The lecture sessions were a bit confusing though.

    I hope that 2007 improves even more with better lecture sessions that make me want to go full conference instead just exhibit hall only and I'm sure it will.
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  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by LP-Trel
    1) The Mirage and Hyatt are very expensive compared to other hotels I've stayed at when I travel.
    Most hotels on the Strip are expensive. However, 2 (comparatively) budget options are across the street: Imperial Palace and Barbary Coast. IIRC IP is getting torn down in the near future, though.

    An option some people might want to consider for next year is sharing a room with someone. If you're just there to sleep and shower and you want to keep costs down, you could save a lot of money that way.

    A) Internet access charges in addition to the room fee.
    That was a problem in some places.

    B) Parking charges for in addition to the room fee.
    That's the first I'd heard of that. I thought all Strip hotels offered parking for free, for non-guests as well as for guests.

    2) Las Vegas and Chicago are hard to get around in.
    True. But at least most things are close in Vegas. In another city, you'd have to travel further and (if using public transportation) take more than one bus to get to many places.

    3) Mirage's convention center is fairly out of the way in the hotel.
    Yeah. That's one long walk through the casino and past all the shops and restaurants and everything else.

    For those who drove to The Mirage and parked in the parkade, there may be a shorter way. I just realized when looking at a map of The Mirage that our walk was roughly 3/4 of a circle. If we stayed outside after exiting the parkade, we could probably get to the conference area in 5 minutes instead of 15. That would depend on where the doors are, though. The map doesn't show that.

    The Mirage staff had no idea what I was asking about when I asked about the location of the HostingCon on Sunday and that did not impress me at all. This convention is over 1000 people and the bell staff wasn't informed where it was being held?
    I had to ask where it was on the map when I got one. I think I just said I was attending a conference, and the staff member circled the area on the map.

    Lois
    "Do what you can, where you are, with what you have." – Theodore Roosevelt
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  9. #9
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    Just a bit of clarification.. I was referring to the Hyatt when I wrote about the parking charges.

    I believe most of the parking in the strip hotels is free.

    Also..

    Most hotels on the Strip are expensive. However, 2 (comparatively) budget options are across the street: Imperial Palace and Barbary Coast. IIRC IP is getting torn down in the near future, though.

    An option some people might want to consider for next year is sharing a room with someone. If you're just there to sleep and shower and you want to keep costs down, you could save a lot of money that way.
    The room price wasn't all that bad compared to some hotels in "tourist trap" locations. I believe the last Holiday Inn Express I stayed in at the beach was $119 per night for two queen beds, free wifi, free parking, and a fairly good breakfast.

    When I say expensive I mean.. The restaurants in the hotel charge a good bit for everything (wifi, cleaning clothes, bringing packages, and so on) while other hotels that charge less for rooms will do that sort of thing or offer that sort of thing for free. (Some of the budget hotels offer laundry facilities much like a laundromat for the usual price of those in most major cities instead of charging $8 per shirt.)
    Last edited by LP-Trel; 07-23-2006 at 06:46 PM.
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  10. #10
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    I will attend as an attendee wherever the conference is held. However, I would never get a booth at a Vegas convention... years ago I worked for a software company that sold business software to the "green" industry (landscapers, nurseries, etc). One of the larger trade shows for that industry is at the Las Vegas Convention Center; that company did that show (as an exhibitor) for several years, but finally dropped it because the amount of leads that came out of the show - despite the high attendance - was far lower than any other show they did of comparable size in other cities.

    I was thinking of getting a booth there next year, but probably not if its in Vegas again. Although I'll definately go as an attendee. I didn't mind the prices at the Mirage; with the convention rates it wasn't so bad. $10/day for net access isn't a big deal.. sure, I'd prefer it were free, but I won't stay in a hotel farther away from the trade show to save $50 or whatever.
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  11. #11
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    There are certainly things which can be done better - and George and Frank will address those year on year until things run perfectly (is that possible?).

    I dont think the points raised so far are necessarily an indication of the need for a location or even hotel change... just for more consideration in the way certain areas are handled. The Mirage will do whats required to run the conference to everyones needs.

    Personally id go wherever the conference goes, but im hoping its again in Vegas. I think I may stay at the Belagio next year though purely because it looks awsome and the water show is amazing
    Matt Wallis
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  12. #12
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    Overall, I vastly preferred the Vegas location to the Chicago location. A few points about each:

    1) The Chicago hotel was far away from any restaurant or anything downtown. You pretty much had to have a rental car to get anywhere, and they charged for parking. That sucked.

    2) The Mirage was nice. I wouldn't mind having the conference there again, but I likely would not personally stay at the Mirage -- IMHO it was WAY overpriced for what we received.

    3) I would think an off-Strip location in Vegas that is not too dumpy would work well for next year.

    Vegas is a short flight from San Jose and I really enjoyed our stay there -- I just got back this morning, and spending a week in Vegas was fun. I just wish I would have had more time to play poker!!
    Erica Douglass, Founder, Simpli Hosting, Inc.
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  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by SoftWareRevue
    Yeah. That. (Well, except for the probably bit)
    Dennis and Loooooois... sitting in a treeee... K I S S I N G...

    (I told you I was going to find a chance to use that icon on you! LOL!)
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  14. #14
    I'd like to attend, however the problems of casino's and under-18-year-olds can be rather annoying .


    Alex
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  15. #15
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    There is a common direction in Las Vegas on the strip.
    Visitor: Hi, I’m looking for <insert place>
    Staff: Oh, that’s through the casino on <left or right> next to the slot machines

    I understand the logic behind it, they want you to gamble, but come on, over a mile from the back of Harrah’s to the back of The Mirages?
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  16. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by The Prohacker
    There is a common direction in Las Vegas on the strip.
    Visitor: Hi, I’m looking for <insert place>
    Staff: Oh, that’s through the casino on <left or right> next to the slot machines

    I understand the logic behind it, they want you to gamble, but come on, over a mile from the back of Harrah’s to the back of The Mirages?
    Mirage got me exercising everyday
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  17. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by UH-Matt

    Personally id go wherever the conference goes, but im hoping its again in Vegas.


    Ditto. I stayed at Treasure Island and I didn't think the tram/walk was too bad, but I'd probably try to stay at the Mirage next year if possible.
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  18. #18
    Quote Originally Posted by JKLIVIN
    Ditto. I stayed at Treasure Island and I didn't think the tram/walk was too bad, but I'd probably try to stay at the Mirage next year if possible.

    I'm not sure you'll save much time unless your room is close to the elevator!
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  19. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by writespeak
    To those who vote, would it make a difference if some of the concerns raised about Vegas were addressed? For example:

    - Meeting rooms available for booking on an hourly basis
    - Catering available for small group lunches in the meeting rooms to avoid restaurant lineups
    - More tables and chairs just outside the exhibit hall
    - An area in the reception area marked "HostingCon" to provide a clear meeting place

    I don't know if any of those or other ideas will be implemented. But while we're being hypothetical, why not be hypothetical about possible solutions to problems too.

    Lois
    My reply is not to argue, just to point out some inacuracies as 3 of the 4 points you bring up here were already met this year. Especially in regards to seating for smaller meetings.

    Meeting rooms were available on an hourly basis, several people contacted us for such.
    Several companies did special meals and such will also be available next year also.
    We didnt want everyone hanging out in the Rotunda which is why we had so many tables and chairs in the wifi area which were heavily utilized during the entire show..
    Not sure what is meant by the last suggestion, if you could elaborate on that we would certainly be glad to consider it.

    Anything we can do to make the show better we will of course strongly consider and our surveys will be going out soon..

    Mouse
    Frank Spaulding COO Purity Networks
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  20. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by DaWiseMouse
    My reply is not to argue, just to point out some inacuracies as 3 of the 4 points you bring up here were already met this year. Especially in regards to seating for smaller meetings.
    Thanks for pointing that out. I was mostly responding to points that other exhibitors brought up.

    Either that information could be presented more clearly or some exhibitors didn't see that information in what was given to them. While I worked in an exhibit booth, I didn't see what information was given to exhibitors, so I don't know.

    Not sure what is meant by the last suggestion, if you could elaborate on that we would certainly be glad to consider it.
    Someone mentioned not being able to say, "Meet you in the lobby" because the lobby sprawls quite a distance and there's more than one entrance to the hotel. If we were able to have a "HostingCon Meeting Area" sign somewhere in the lobby, perhaps with a few chairs and a table, people would be able to say, "Meet you at the HostingCon sign in the lobby."

    Anything we can do to make the show better we will of course strongly consider and our surveys will be going out soon.
    Sounds good! I know from my own experience in organizing events that ways to improve appear after each event.

    Lois
    "Do what you can, where you are, with what you have." – Theodore Roosevelt
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  21. #21
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    Not sure that we could get a sign in the main lobby, but alot of people we doing meetups at the elevators I recall from a few of the threads during the conference.. Mouse
    Frank Spaulding COO Purity Networks
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  22. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by DaWiseMouse
    Not sure that we could get a sign in the main lobby, but alot of people we doing meetups at the elevators I recall from a few of the threads during the conference.. Mouse
    Perhaps a map of the Mirage main floor could be given out to exhibitors and everyone else. (Or maybe there was one?) I got a map when I asked at the information desk where I could buy postcards. As I wasn't staying at The Mirage, I never saw the elevators until I saw that map.

    Is there more than one set of elevators? The information person referred to the "guest elevators" when she showed me on the map where to look for postcards. Guests will know which elevators are the guest ones, but non-guests might not.

    But if "Meet me at the elevators" works for everyone, then the problem is solved.

    [Edit] We could also say, "Meet me at the information desk across from the reception desk." The reception desk is about a quarter of a mile long IIRC, but the information desk is a normal size and not difficult to find.

    Lois
    "Do what you can, where you are, with what you have." – Theodore Roosevelt
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  23. #23
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ariel74
    I will attend as an attendee wherever the conference is held. However, I would never get a booth at a Vegas convention... years ago I worked for a software company that sold business software to the "green" industry (landscapers, nurseries, etc). One of the larger trade shows for that industry is at the Las Vegas Convention Center; that company did that show (as an exhibitor) for several years, but finally dropped it because the amount of leads that came out of the show - despite the high attendance - was far lower than any other show they did of comparable size in other cities.
    That might depend on the industry. Almost all the exhibitors I talked to said that they had gotten a lot of leads at the conference. One that hadn't commented that that conference hadn't been the most suitable one for his target audience. That had nothing to do with it being in Vegas.

    Lois
    "Do what you can, where you are, with what you have." – Theodore Roosevelt
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  24. #24
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    Quote Originally Posted by writespeak
    That might depend on the industry. Almost all the exhibitors I talked to said that they had gotten a lot of leads at the conference. One that hadn't commented that that conference hadn't been the most suitable one for his target audience. That had nothing to do with it being in Vegas.

    Lois
    What kind of exhibitor would admit that they didn't get a good amount of leads at a show? I would hope it was better for everyone than last year, since the attendance was significantly higher.
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  25. #25
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    Quote Originally Posted by DaWiseMouse
    Not sure that we could get a sign in the main lobby, but alot of people we doing meetups at the elevators I recall from a few of the threads during the conference.. Mouse
    Frank - remember the old addage - you cant please all of the people all of the time. I think it went fine and I had a good time and I got a lot of business done and I got a lot of time in at the pool and the spa - blah blah blah - so all is well. no worries man- you guys did a good job and I am sure you will figure it out in the coming years.

    I am sure everyone knows it wont always be in vegas either -but if it is for a few more years - heh - wore things have happened.

    right on man.
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