West Coast Mini-Con?

[funkedup]

I'm wondering if there is any interest in having a little mini-con on the west coast?  I know there are a lot of guys from the PNW and NoCal and SoCal in here who couldn't afford to go to Indy.  

Right now I'm looking at October 16-19.  That's the weekend of the California International Airshow.  They have group tickets available which would give us seating in a tent with catering and a bar.  They will have the Thunderbirds and a bunch of other performers.

We could stay in the San Jose area and easily drive down for the show in Salinas.  There are a lot of conference facilities available in the San Jose area, plus easy air connections from the San Jose, San Francisco, and Oakland airports.  

I'm putting some requests out to hotels in that area to see what we could do.  Right now I am looking at Embassy Suites, which is pretty economical if you share the suite and take advantage of free breakfast and free happy hour.  Nice hotels too.

I have no idea what it would cost, but I would go for no frills, just hotel rooms, a conference room, and an internet hookup.  T-shirts, lecturers, meals, all that stuff would be on an individual basis and not part of the fee for the conference.  

If you are at all interested, please let me know.
funkedup308 at earthlink dot net.

[Mark Luper]

I'd be interested next year Funked.

[funkedup]

Duly noted Mark, and thanks.  If this attempt fizzles out then I will probably try for next spring at the beginning of airshow season.

[Mini D]

I can make it.

MiniD

[funkedup]

Cool.  That's 3 of us (Mietla is going whether he likes it or not ).
I don't know what the economics will look like on the conference room rental, but at 20 people the De-Luxe airshow tickets drop from $50 to $35 a head, so I think that would be a good number to shoot for.  Keep this puppy up at the top.  

[Mini D]

We can just have the con at your apartment.

MiniD

[MrLars]

I'm in Santa Cruz and would realy like to attend.

I have an office in the Seascape Resort just South of Santa Cruz, maybe we can have our gathering here. Salinas is only 40 minutes away and I most likely could get a deal on the rooms, food and T-1 access.

Let me know whatever venue is decided on.

[funkedup]

Originally posted by Mini D
We can just have the con at your apartment.

MiniD

I think this is an inside joke because I told MiniD too much about my private life.  I live in a one room cottage I rent from a Chinese millionaire.  The whole complex is wired for ethernet, so connectivity would be easy, but I think you would have to set up the PC's outside.  

[funkedup]

Originally posted by MrLars
I'm in Santa Cruz and would realy like to attend.

I have an office in the Seascape Resort just South of Santa Cruz, maybe we can have our gathering here. Salinas is only 40 minutes away and I most likely could get a deal on the rooms, food and T-1 access.

Let me know whatever venue is decided on.

Lars by all means, look into it!  Santa Cruz would be great too.
See if you can find out what it would cost to get a conference room for 10/16-10/19 with internet connections and space and power for 20 PC's, and what kind of group rate they can give us on rooms.

[MrLars]

I'll work on it the next few days, problem is that this isn't you're typical Sleazy 8 Motel.

http://www.seascaperesort.com/

However, I've just about got the Banquet Chef to subscribe to AH....probably will after he recovers from his hornymoon < g >.

[funkedup]

Whoa those are steep rates.  I'm not sure I could afford that.  Then again, we usually go 2-4 guys in each room on these things.
I think Embassy Suites will be $125 per night tops, probably less.

[Mini D]

Would they even let FDBs in that place?

[Ripsnort]

How far of a drive is that from Seattle in hours if you do 155 mph?

[funkedup]

5.40 hours.  I think you should pick up MiniD and SOB on the way.
Does SOB still have that behemoth SUV?  Ideally you just drive to SOB's house and nap while he drives to Cali.

[GtoRA2]

I could very probably make it, and it sounds fun.