Re: [AGA-sc] SFBAAPS/2006 Update

["S. Hieber" <shieber@yahoo.com>]

Additional information notwithstanding, I think there's a
clear choice here for hotel. If the hotel is surrounded by
office buidlings, there must be at least lunch restaurants
around the place.

I loved the hills behind Berkeley, when I lived out there.
They are great for hiking and walks. If it's November,
there should be not a problem with rattlesnakes or poison
oak. ;-) Mt. Tamalpai, on the Marin side of the coast is
also nice to see, but not as good for hiking.

I wouldn't mind tripping across the bay and trekking again
to City Lights Bookstore, provided I can afford to go out
west at all :-\ and Gregory Corso is hanging around drunk
insulting passersby ;-)

sh
--- Erik Olson <erik@thekrib.com> wrote:

> Telephone call with Jim Lockhart today.  Posting to
> steering only so as to 
> not bother Michael Skidmore (who I think will be an asset
> ultimately). 
> Most information already known on aga-conheads list, but
> repeating it for 
> the record here:
> 
> They went to three Oakland hotels a week ago (Jim and
> Michael Skidmore). 
> Jack London Inn was in a nice area, but the place was
> pretty run-down and 
> needed work.  Jim says: "I wouldn't stay there".  End of
> story!
> 
> The Marriott was located downtown, nice hotel old-style
> marble and all 
> that.  Huge convention center.  Lots of space.  Rooms
> quoted at $105 per 
> night (occupancy unknown).  Banquet and Meeting room
> rental unknown, 
> comped if $5000 in meals purchased.  Banquet price
> unknown.
> 
> The Park Plaza http://www.parkplazaoakland.com is right
> near the airport, 
> has a 24x7 shuttle to the airport and BART.  Jim saw at
> least three vans. 
> The meeting/banquet facilities have two large rooms.  The
> California room 
> measures up to 29x70' (2030 sq ft), holds 300 people
> according to the 
> website.  One wall has windows looking out -- will need
> to be sure they 
> can be blackened!  A second room, "Monterey" is about 60%
> of that size, 
> located nearby (I think across the hall based on the map
> I'm looking at 
> right now).  Would make a nice vendor room/overflow, but
> has a couple of 
> posts in the middle that make it difficult to use as a
> theater room.
> 
> The Park Plaza is not as upscale as the Marriott, but
> it's got 180 rooms, 
> a pool, coffee-shop-style restaurant & bar.  Jim says:
> "Comfortable 
> place -- we'd probably have the run of it".  It's
> surrounded by office 
> space.
> 
> Banquets quoted at $30, rooms at $99 (occupancy unknown).
>  $1500 worth of 
> banquet/catering will get us the rental space for free. 
> They are willing 
> to negotiate.  And they can hook up a hose to fill tanks
> in the banquet 
> room.
> 
> Michael Skidmore is majorly onboard working on this bid. 
> He is very 
> active, belonging to all the regional aquarium societies,
> "like the 
> cichlid one".  He's also helping with the advertising and
> making sure the 
> committee heads are here.  Bill Harada is also helping on
> advertising -- 
> he's the guy who did that website revamp last week.  Jim
> says there are 
> lots of members interested.
> 
> Gomberg is noticably quiet now.  Jim sez: "I think he's
> sitting back 
> thinking we're all going to fall flat on our faces and
> then he can rush in 
> and save everything."
> 
> Jim asked what they'd need for a preliminary bid.  I told
> him the hotel 
> prelims were very important, so he's doing the right
> homework.  We also 
> need the list of committee heads so we know there's a
> dedicated team 
> that's going to stick with it.  Also any field trip ideas
> (he was a bit 
> surprised -- I reiterated we don't HAVE to have field
> trips, people are 
> quite good at organizing things on their own), and
> speaker ideas.  He was 
> a little skittish about posting speaker names, because
> the last time he 
> did something like that it ended up on APC.  I
> commiserated, having 
> recently seen 13 people sign up for our forum that
> doesn't exist yet, and 
> suggested he could e-mail this to the board privately.
> 
> I reiterated that having the hotel worked out is the most
> important part. 
> >From there on out it's just a matter of staying on
> things, advertising, 
> and following through.  He's going to put something
> together in the next 
> week (away this weekend), and post to conheads.
> 
> 
> OK, so my personal thoughts:
> 
> They are going in the right direction now.  They found
> three difference 
> price ranges & are converging on what is going to work
> for their budget.
> 
> Marriott feels like DC all over again...like we'd be
> running our 
> credit line to the max making that deal.  Loads of stress
> and negotiating.
> 
> I like the Park Plaza.  It sounds really doable.  Take a
> peek at their 
> website.  It looks like a nice place.  They can be
> negotiated (I just 
> checked online and I can get a room for next month at
> $99.  Also, what 
> happens if we bring in $3000 worth of banquets?). But
> even if we are too 
> burned out to negotiate, we're not going to be sitting on
> the edge of our 
> chairs if only 50 people show up.  That would certainly
> make me, at least, 
> "feel good".  :)
> 
>    - Erik
> 
> -- 
> Erik Olson
> erik at thekrib dot com
> _______________________________________________
> AGA-sc mailing list
> AGA-sc@thekrib.com
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> 

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