HBB Meet-Up In Las Vegas?
We wanted a little more input on a possible meet-up in Las Vegas. Because of all the variables involved, I was asked to open up the comments. The following was put together by San Diego RE Bear:
It’s time for an HBB CONVENTION!
In order to plan this shindig we need to have an idea of what would best serve your needs. The following 9 questions will go a long way towards helping us determine dates, costs, events, and meeting rooms needed. If you think there’s a good chance you will be able to attend please answer below in the comments section or by e-mail.
It would be easier for most people to come out on a weekend (Friday and Saturday nights) but it would be far cheaper to have the conference during the week (Sunday and Monday nights.) I’ve run several scenarios from San Diego to Vegas for two nights’ hotel and flight, and the prices range from $419 to $814 for the Friday/Saturday nights and $249 to $589 for the Sunday/Monday night combo. Also, we may get better group rates once we know approximately how many rooms we will need.)
1.) Do you prefer to meet on a Friday night/Saturday/Sunday morning when it is more expensive or on a Sunday afternoon/Monday/Tuesday morning when it is cheaper?
3.) Would you prefer a nicer hotel or a cheaper hotel?
4.) Do you prefer to stay on the strip or off? (Please send any good recommendations for meeting hotels/suites to the e-mail below.)
5.) Would you pay extra for speakers, i.e. Chris Thornberg, Robert Campbell, Bruce Norris, etc.? (None of whom have been approached in any way for this.) Other suggestions?
If you have questions or suggestions, or would like to input your answers anonymously, please contact San Diego RE Bear at sd.re.b@hotmail.com
There is a lot for us to consider, so input is appreciated. It should be noted that there isn’t any profit in this for anyone, and I thanks the posters that are volunteering their time. Unlike the California meetings, it would be nice to get into what the future housing markets might look like and what opportunities are out there. We chose LV because it is close to many posters and flights are lower for those that aren’t. Also, it’s a fun town and the temperatures won’t be too high in October.
As we see, people are beginning to understand the world is not ever going to be like it was. But what I am interested in is; what will it be like?
October? Please make it either first or last weekend of October… I’m afriad I’ll be working the other two.
I vote for the last; cannot make it the first…
It’s 108F there now. Move it to end of November or get it right in the Spring before April. ‘Vegas is hot and miserable after April 1. hehehehehehe
Nor can I make the first - am out of country (and off posting) for three months, to return fourth week of October.
The overwhelming response was for weekends so we are planning for a weekend in October. The response was equally split between nicer and cheaper so we are working on two possibilities - two hotels that are easily accessible to each other, one higher end and one less expensive, OR one hotel that is really nice but is giving us a really good deal.
Lots of people have e-mailed me with responses and questions and please feel free to continue to do so at sd.re.b@hotmail.com If you do e-mail me, please, please include your screen name so Ben knows who I am talking about in our data. You can also ask questions below if you think everyone will benefit in knowing the answers.
Thanks!
I can’t speak for others but we have plenty of friends and clients that would be more than happy to put us up ( or put up with us? ) so lodging isn’t an issue in our case. In true BB fashion, ‘wherever’ it is that we congregate ( make sure we lowball the HELL out of ‘em! )
Would anyone be open to looking at places in NW LV? Assuming we can attend, we’d likely be driving and after a long drive from OR it’s a grind to have to deal with the Strip as well. Just a thought!
Oh and just for those that might have an interest, today is the last day to register for Robert Schiller’s CME event on the 10th of September! It will be on the Avenue of the Americas, NY, NY and Mark Zandi, Charles Himmelberg ( Goldman Sachs ) John Labuszewski ( CME ) and of course the man his self ( Saint Robert ) will be in attendance.
cmegroup.com/housingforum
I’d be driving as well. Will resist urge for Fear and Loathing type road mania though. At least until I check in…
Ben,
I understand that for the many SoCal posters, NW LV is something of a pain? After a quick (supervised) visit to bring cig’s and candy bars to Crispy & Cole it’s on to ever exciting Barstow!
Do you still have to turn off your A/C on inclines in Oct?
As for speakers.., personally I’ve had an earful of talking heads and would be much more interested in hearing what fellow posters had to say. Can we get strippers instead?
If I was coming from CA, I would fly. It’s pretty cheap.
As for strippers, I bet LV Landlord could use the money! And there has to be dozens of used house salespeople in the same boat. Wouldn’t that be a hoot??
I will do my best to make it…
I usually drive to LV from LA. It’s only about 4-1/2 hours from here, which is sometimes actually faster than dealing with the airports, cab lines, etc. As long as you manage to miss rush hour and the weekend escape rush, of course.
Besides, it’s a good opportunity to chill out and listen to some music in the car - and when you get there, you are mobile, not dependent on cabs.
Looking forward to the UHS Review.
sm_landlord,
Those are excellent points and some I’d never considered? My problem has always been that everyone that works at the airport keeps acting like they are doing you a favor just by being there!
Add in the logistic hoops you have to jump through and I see where you’re coming from. Even from Salem, OR I would have to drive UP to Portland, go to long term parking and then get cattle prodded etc. Sure it’s a long drive for us but I love the desert and… it seems to get shorter every time? Airfares out of PDX almost always suck.
The good news is that I have arranged for strippers. The bad news is since most of the responders so far to the event seem to be female the strippers will be male.
The first week of October seems to be fairly booked - maybe a large convention(?) but the other three weekends are looking more hopeful. We’ll have to set a date soon because unlike the hotels the airlines charge more closer to the date.
We’ve gotten a few other suggestions for speakers - all who have been realistic about housing for a long time and were instrumental in providing information in the early days. However, unless we had like 100 people interested in attending I don’t think we’ll have the funds to bring any big names in. (We are going to invite some names including other bloggers, but don’t know if any will show up.) But we have enough experts here to have some great discussions and roundtables!
The vote was overwhelmingly for people to stay on the strip (although a lot of people will be staying with friends or family) and many of the people will be flying in and it would be really hard for them to get to NW LV (I think.) Since we won’t be meeting 24 hours a day, a strip location allows people to go off and play and come to the meeting suite (or whatever we set up) when they want to. But we’ll make up it up to you DinOR - I’ll give you some dollars for the strippers.
I’ll be driving in also - mostly so I can run to Costco and load up on cheap drinks for the meeting suite as the hotel prices are insane. I think enough people in San Diego are interested to set up carpools so we’ll be working on that. You might want to see if people in your area (if close enough) would want to carpool in - gives you a few more hours with like-minded people.
Don’t you remember, DinOR? I specifically said no strippers. Jeesh, can’t you just get a girlfriend?
Oh Damn! That’s right, you did say that! LOL.
Good idea “stocking up”. Even in Vegas I do most of my drinking out of a cooler in the trunk that goes up to our room in short order. ( Just getting a coke out of the vending machine to mix rhum is insane prices! )
The “gift shop” for a bottle? Forget it.
Everyone puts up 5 grand in a pot and we go out and low ball some homes. Give me the commission of course. hehehehehehe
Could you make it in the later weeks of Oct? Weather will be cooler then.
hey,
great idea, count me in…
anyone up for a convoy driving up from PHX metro?
i’ve been looking for an excuse to drive up to LV ever since i moved here a couple years back… couldn’t come up with an excuse kosher enough to convince the wife.
I don’t think I’ll be able to make it. My university’s Homecoming is in October, and that’s already taking a big chomp out of my travel budget.
But, to the organizers of this event, a suggestion: Please document what you did, and how well it worked.
I’ve been wanting to organize something similar in Tucson or Phoenix, and a “guidebook” would be most helpful.
If Mr. Big V decides to attend, then we will probably rent a house so we can bring our duck. Someone commented recently that there are a lot of houses being offered as vacation rentals right now, so that might be a good option for a lot of people.
oh. my. god. this would be soooo tight: someone go scout out the territory and find a bitchin mcmansion that’s abandoned. we’ll take it over!
Great idea!!
1.) Do you prefer to meet on a Friday night/Saturday/Sunday morning when it is more expensive or on a Sunday afternoon/Monday/Tuesday morning when it is cheaper?
I can make either set of nights IF it is the right weekend. Oct. 24, 25, 26, 27, 28 works for me.
3.) Would you prefer a nicer hotel or a cheaper hotel?
Nicer.
4.) Do you prefer to stay on the strip or off? (Please send any good recommendations for meeting hotels/suites to the e-mail below.)
Probably on the strip, but will come for the HBB meet so I am open to either.
5.) Would you pay extra for speakers, i.e. Chris Thornberg, Robert Campbell, Bruce Norris, etc.? (None of whom have been approached in any way for this.) Other suggestions?
Yes, I am willing to pay up to $100 extra.
I think it is a great idea. As one of the original posters of this site (way back in the days of anon, etc) I’d like to attend. But I live a looong way from the west coast and being retired I do have to watch the budget (especially since my daughter moved back home after her company went out of business).
Hmmm, unlikely, but maybe.
Ben, could we keep this thread going through the week? I think last week’s “sticky” topic ran through the weekend (and a vacation, at that), and volume seems to be higher during the regular work week.
I could make it any day, as long as the wife is not out of town.
I prefer Old town, but am easy. Golden Nugget.
I’d pay more for a speaker.
George
Seattle
I am reading your blog since you started - Because we thought about buying a place in Las Vegas too - and you kind of saved us - So i would love to meet all you gals and guys - Just tell me soon when it happens and I am going to be there!
R.
Great idea. I particularly like the idea of a large-scale meeting, akin to the national Ben Jones HBB convention. I’ve been in the oil sands for almost two months and experiencing posting withdrawal. My wife has always wanted to go to Vegas, so the tough part for me is done. All that remains is the timing - do I return soon enough. Nevertheless, this is a great plan.
Yeah! I’m going to hag my hubby to go with me. He’s sick of hearing about you all, maybe he just needs to see for himself why I’m so addicted!
1.) Do you prefer to meet on a Friday night/Saturday/Sunday morning when it is more expensive or on a Sunday afternoon/Monday/Tuesday morning when it is cheaper?
Either time is fine with me as long as there are inexpensive flights on these days.
3.) Would you prefer a nicer hotel or a cheaper hotel?
Nicer
4.) Do you prefer to stay on the strip or off? (Please send any good recommendations for meeting hotels/suites to the e-mail below.)
Probably on the strip.
5.) Would you pay extra for speakers, i.e. Chris Thornberg, Robert Campbell, Bruce Norris, etc.? (None of whom have been approached in any way for this.) Other suggestions?
Yes
I am a long time lurker to this site, but have not ever contributed to it. I would love to attend the meet up as an observer. Would that be ok?
I would also like to recommend The Orleans as a great place to stay. It is off the strip but has really nice rooms for reasonable rates, and I think they have shuttle service to the strip.