Who would go to a "superdopefest"

[clayton_e]

This is just an idea, I'm not sure if it has been proposed.

How about a "superdopefest". Planned about a year in advance in a central location (roughly). Maybe even around Chicago for the hell of it (being the Mecca of the doper, I'd guess. hehe)?

Get as many people together as possible and do the local stuff. With a large number of people there is even the possibility of renting a movie theater or other entertainment center for a night.

Just an odd thought that came to me a while back... Would anybody be interested in such a dopefest?

[clayton_e]

:o I thought I was posting to IMHO... Sorry all.

[UncleBill]

"Super" is traditionally smaller than "Mega", so why would we downgrade?

[tiny ham]

I tried to start interest in this about a year and a half ago. Everyone immediately started complaining about the cost. :P

I would definitely attend and I would HELP to plan it. the key is to have a committee to get a block of hotel rooms or hotels, someone to scout flights, committee for entertainment.

Chicago or Vegas seem like the ideal places.

[Coldfire]

Chicago, the Doper Mecca?

Pshaw, as IF. Have you folks ever BEEN to Amsterdam? ;)

[Rubystreak]

If you have a big old Dopefest in the summer, I can probably make it anywhere on the continental US. That teaching thing has its perks... so yeah, I'm interested.

[CuriousCanuck]

I HAVE been to Amsterdam... I love Amsterdam... I would suggest Rotterdam as well :)

[Weirddave]

Amsterdope was a blast, lets go there again!

BTW the NYC Megadopefest every January already fits the bill for what you're looking to do.

[Osip]

Originally posted by Coldfire
Chicago, the Doper Mecca?

Pshaw, as IF. Have you folks ever BEEN to Amsterdam? ;)

I agree Amsterdam is THEholy city of dope....ers.

I hate big cities with Amsterdam one of the few exceptions.

[Coldfire]

Originally posted by CuriousCanuck
I would suggest Rotterdam as well :) You've obviously had a case of Jupiler too many. Seriously, what is so interesting about Rotterdam, other than the fact that it's got the world's biggest harbour? :)

[Ringo]

Just so you have a little bit of data, clayton_e, the two New York Megafests I've attended and the LA Doptoberfest all drew ~70+ people, I believe. The two we've had in Vegas were much smaller, with about 15 the first time (well, the board was much smaller in 2000) and about 25 at the second, last year.

I'm a likely attendee if you put something together.

[NoClueBoy]

I'm interested.

[brachyrhynchos]

Me too.

[MikeG]

I'm in!

[clayton_e]

Where I live (far northern NY) is not an ideal place for a dopefest.. Not much to do around here.

On the list of the perspective places so far suggested are:

Chicago, Vegas, Amsterdam (ah the puns..), and Rotterdam (?).

Any other suggestions? (and why)

[Lyra]

I'm interested. It would seem that Vegas would be relatively cheap for everyone to fly in, however looking at Ringo's attendance numbers it doesn't look good. I can't imagine why though. I've never been to Vegas, but it would seem like the perfect place. I am a semi-likely attendee, if given enough notice. Great idea!

[Lyra]

BTW, I would attend regardless of where it is held.

[GIGObuster]

Originally posted by UncleBill
"Super" is traditionally smaller than "Mega", so why would we downgrade?
You mean Megaman will kick Superman's butt!?!? :D

As for the fest: I am in; if by then I have a good job.

[Smeghead]

I'd consider it, depending on where it was.

[iampunha]

Things to consider:

1) availability, and quality of, mass transit. This mainly includes planes and trains, but also bus and especially subway.

2) eats. A large-enough city is going to have plenty of these, but a large-enough city might also be prohibitively expensive for some of us who have minimum wage (or not much better) jobs.

3) lodgings. Again, a small city probably won't have a huge hotel (maybe a motel or two), but a large city might be cost-prohibitive.

4) US-only or international? If it's US-only, then probably somewhre around Illinois or maybe a bit further south is the way to go. If it's international, I'd go with someplace a bit more northern and definitely more eastern, although I still don't think I'd have it in Europe.

5) Minors. Minors, minors, minors. There's this thing called the drinking age. In Canada it's 3 years younger than here (which, in my mind, along with the weaker dollar there, is an argument for holding it there), but in this country there are many, many dopers are are under 21 (this has been, ah, an issue for me in the past, and will be an issue for my fiancee until 2005). Getting them into an after-dinner bar might not be possible. Hell, getting them into a dinner place that cards might not be possible (cf. chidope, and very nearly another one).

6) planning in advance. A lot of people will say "sounds interesting to me" and then promptly forget about it for the next six months until you say "hey, everyone, remember this?". And then a good number of those people (through no fault of their own) will have that weekend and the five before and six after booked. You have to get definite committments early enough that you know what you're dealing with.

7) all. that. planning. I have never organized a dopefest. I have helped to coordinate carpools to fests, but I have never planned one. Why? Because if I want a headache I can go run into a brick wall. I will go if I can, and I will do my level-headed (ha) best to give advanced notice as much as I can, but beyond that uh-uh.

8) finding a date people can all agree on. Even for a smaller fest (50-75) people, this can be sheer Hell. Planning a year and a half in advance for 100+ people is like trying to fit all those people into one car of a subway bus ... thing ... transporter? No thankyou.

Alllllllllll that said, I'd love to go if I'm free:)

[Coldfire]

You can legally drink "soft" liquor like beer and wine in the Netherlands when you're 16. Although there are laws in place for identification, no one's gonna bother a mature looking 15 year old ordering a beer.

Of course, a 16 year old might have other problems, like how to afford a plane ticket to GET to Amsterdam. :)

[Cerowyn]

Well, the Fests I've planned in Toronto have been relatively well attended, which suggests pretty good local support. As iampunha pointed out, Americans will get more bang for their buck here, it's the most culturally diverse city on the continent, easy to get to (bus, train or plane) and has a wealth of opportunities for activities (the Islands, Paramount Canada's Wonderland, camping [*really* cheap accomodations!], etc.).

Summer-time would be ideal for an event in Toronto -- preferably away from the Big Three (or Four) summer weekends for tourists: July 1[Canada]/4[US], first Monday in August and Labour Day.

[Einmon]

Listen to Coldfire. He's making a lot of sense. Yay Amsterdam! Why are you looking at me like that? No, it has nothing to do with the fact that I'm in Europe, too...
slinks off muttering to herself...ticket...to...Vegas

[jjimm]

A "central" location would have to be equidistant between Hawaii and New Zealand, wrapping the long way round.

Let me consult my globe. I make that... Baghdad.

Hmm... maybe not such a good idea.

[Tusculan]

I'm for Coldfire's suggestion as well. The fact that I live in Amsterdam hasn't affected my judgement in this matter in the slightest. :D

And Einmon, where in Europe is MUC? Middle Urpean Country?

[Billdo]

For those of you who are into long-term planning, we've come to the tentative conclusion that NYC Megadopefest 2004 will be over Martin Luther King Jr. Day Weekend, January 16-19, 2004. Expect an official announcement in August or September.

For each of the three prior years, we've had it the first weekend of January, next year has New Years Day falling on Thursday and the City will still we swamped with New Years revelers. We thought that moving it to MLK day weekend, when many people have a long weekend and we can get into some places that would be booked on the earlier weekend would be better.

[Coldfire]

Well I'll be damned, another Cloggie! Whereabouts do you live, TTT? I live in the Rivierenbuurt, and work in Zuid-Oost. Are you a native, or an expat?

[Tusculan]

Hi there, Coldfire. I live in the Binnenstad, near the Haarlemmerplein, just above the Jordaan. Born and raised in The Netherlands, but non-native Amsterdammer. Are there many other Dutchies around? (I only know of Maastricht, obviously)

[Coldfire]

Non-native Amsterdammer here as well. Are there any natives left? :)

Actually Maastricht may not even be Dutch. But there's a few of us around, although some seem to post rather infrequently. There's Aghris, who even attended the AmsterDope of early 2001. There's SkinnyGuy, responsible for arguably the funniest couple of Pit threads ever - too bad he doesn't post anymore. And of course Dragon Phoenix, Dutchman currently located in Rouen, IIRC.

I also recall a girl who lived in Amsterdam as well. She was very entertaining to read, but seems to have dropped off as well, unfortunately. Perhaps I'm missing some names as well.

[TheLoadedDog]

How about a simultaneous UltraGlobalDope held on several continents, and hooked up via a video conferencing link? Say, NY, Chicago, LA, Toronto, Sydney, Amsterdam, London? How much would this cost to set up?

OK, so I'm at the arse end of the world and getting desperate... :D

[TheLoadedDog]

Coldie, is Aghris still posting? I've only seen one post of his since I met him in Sydney over a year ago. Great guy. I miss him.

[norinew]

I think travelling to Europe would be out of the question for me, cost-wise. But if this SuperDuperMegaUberDopefest were to be held in say, New York, Chicago, or probably even Canada, I could probably swing it, and would love to! I was just telling hubby a few days ago that I would love to go to a Dopefest. He doesn't really get it, but he doesn't have to. He just has to stay home and hold down the fort while I'm gone.

[Coldfire]

Seems his last post was made on May 7 of 2002, the day after Dutch politician Pim Fortuyn was shot. See his profile. (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/member.php?action=getinfo&userid=9396)

Another Dutch poster who pops up occasionally: käse. Fun guy.

[beagledave]

Originally posted by TTT
Hi there, Coldfire. I live in the Binnenstad, near the Haarlemmerplein, just above the Jordaan.

Isn't it cute how the dutch just pull these quaint names out of their ass to describe where they live? It makes it seem ever more exoctic!

..d&r.. :D

[Einmon]

Originally posted by TTT
And Einmon, where in Europe is MUC? Middle Urpean Country?

I don't know about the "Middle" thing as I'm too lazy to get out the map and measure distances but I'm sure closer to Amsterdam than to Vegas. MUC (http://www.lastupdate.com/aircodesm.html)

After reading all this, I somehow wish the name of my city held more vowels.

[Coldfire]

Ooh, I remembered another fun Dutch doper: daffodil. :)

[GingerOfTheNorth]

Originally posted by norinew
I was just telling hubby a few days ago that I would love to go to a Dopefest.
Well, norinew, you're living in the right place. MADs have the most 'fests around. Last one was in Savage a couple of weeks ago, and we do lunch in DC every two weeks. Look for dinner soon!

[norinew]

Originally posted by GingerOfTheNorth
we do lunch in DC every two weeks. Look for dinner soon!

Yeah, this might work for me sometime. It's a two-hour drive, though, so it would take a little planning. Can someone give me a when and where?

[GingerOfTheNorth]

DC is a bit of a haul for us as well. We also have a new evening regular thing, I expect the entire group will be getting together around the beginning of April or something. You'll see the threads in MPSIMS.

[porcupine]

I'm definitely interested in a big giant dopefest, though I get pretty overwhelmed by the giant ChiDopes. I was definitely thinking about going to the next MegaFest in NYC (providing the job situation stays stable). And I'd definitely love to go to Amsterdam again. So I'm game for anything. But I think the logistics and planning would be a nightmare, so good luck to anyone who wants to plan it.

[Green Bean]

I think that one of the reasons the NYC fest is able to attract such large numbers is that there are so many people who who fall into one or more of the following categories:
a) In NYC or close enough that they don't need lodging
b) Live within a day's drive
c) Have a place to stay available in or near NYC
Those things make it easier and cheaper for the participants. If people have to pay for a plane ticket and lodging, they will be a lot less likely to come.

You only get that kind of critical mass in NY and maybe in LA. Just declaring it a "super dopefest" won't change that.

It seems that the NY fest has become the de-facto Mega Dopefest. It's planned far in advance and it's acquired its own momentum. I agree with 'punha that the drinking age thing is a problem. I'm wondering if, as the OP suggests, that renting a place might be a good idea.

[vix]

I would go to this potential uberfest even if it's not in NYC. ;)

[Cervaise]

The Amsterdam hijack aside, my wife and I are planning to be in Chicago in the middle of August. It's our fifth wedding anniversary, and she wants to give me a tour of her home town to celebrate. Any of you Smelly Onion types interested in putting something together while we're there?

[Coldfire]

Amsterdam hijack - surely you jest!

Nah, I understand. As the vast majority of these boards are American, it would be only logical that a mega dopefest took place in the States. As a matter of fact, it should be Chicago for historical reference alone. That's where it all started!

[medstar]

Coldfire says:

Chicago, the Doper Mecca?

Pshaw, as IF. Have you folks ever BEEN to Amsterdam

Is Amsterdam big enough to hold all the Dopers?


::d&r::

[alice_in_wonderland]

Originally posted by iampunha
6) planning in advance.

Well, I would be happy to organize it if it was in Calgary or Banff - I organize conferences for 100+ people as a regular part of my job, so I have quite a few contacts.

Calgary is a pretty large metropolitan city - good restaraunts, mountains are close by, theres a nifty Zoo, with a new africa exihibit which is the bomb, apparently. Other stuff. Beer. You know, all the necessities.

I would, however, require a committee. :D

[Tripler]

I would!

But, I think my dreams of being the Doper to hit the most Dopefests in different parts of the US and world are a bit more easy to reach (Last year PorkDope '02, this year BaghDope '03) solely because of my work schedule.

Tripler
I know. I'm a sick puppy.

[Polycarp]

I dunno ... Amsterdam (http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/genInfo.php?locIndex=95) doesn't look like a particularly good place, despite having pretty passable restaurants and being relatively convenient for clayton_e (I know he's really holding out for us to get together at Saranac Lake, or perhaps Dannemora! ;)).

But I rather like the idea of a large dopefest, and the Carps can probably make any reasonable-length journey to attend one (during good weather, thank you!).

I rather expect to be going north some time this summer to visit my "kids" and could fit in one or more get-togethers along the way -- anything in Virginia, Maryland, eastern or central Pennyslvania, or the eastern half of Upstate New York would be possible for that.

Perhaps East, Central, and West American dopefests and a Eurodopefest, timed to coincide with each other, might be an interesting gimmick -- with volunteer recorder people posting from the locations as the events go on?

[deb2world]

I would be able to go if it is held on a Saturday nite. So I would be up to meeting some people from those foreign lands of New York, Chicago, and even Iowa.

[Gozu Tashoya]

FTR, putting together an All-Dopefest is on my top 10 things to do with my lottery winnings (should I, you know, buy a winning ticket) - I'd pay for everyone's airfare and everything! :cool:

That being said, I'd be down for a superdopefest, depending on how much it would cost. Since I'm still on a bunch of mailing lists for Las Vegas hotels, I can get a room there for $45/night, but anything much more than that would, sadly, be out of range. (Yes, yes, I'm a poor bastard. :) )

[Cervaise]

Originally posted by Coldfire
surely you jest!Not at all. Anyone who reads my total posting output here knows I'm never anything less than deadly serious.

And don't call me Shirley.