SND/Las Vegas launches super-helpful site
Bill Gaspard, the society’s host for next year’s annual workshop in Las Vegas, has been a busy man.
Bill Gaspard speaks into his Sam Adams and
takes a swig from the mic during the casino
night/afterparty in Boston last week.
Photo by Steve Dorsey.
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Not only did he work hard as a member of the SND administration and the blog team last week in Boston, he also launched a web site touting his Vegas gathering.
If you’ve not yet seen it, take a look. Already — with the workshop nearly a year away — the site is full of helpful, practical tips.
For example, if you think you’ll have difficulty selling your boss on the idea of sending you to Vegas, Bill and his team has posted a helpful PDF list of reasons you should attend. Just print and hand it to your boss.
Bill makes several other great points to help justify a trip west:
* The SND workshop will coincide with the annual APME workshop. Bill writes;
We’ll have a couple of joint sessions, but you’ll also be able to attend any APME session (not lunches or banquets) with your SND pass. It’s like getting two workshops for the price of one.
* Bill points out that your hotel rate will include shuttle service to and from the airport. That would have saved me more than $60 in Boston.
The Red Rock’s lobby.
A typical room. Note the view of — ahem — red rocks.
The pool at the Red Rock. Want to scope
out the place? It’s nice. Very nice.
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* Bill points out that food costs may be lower, since we’ll be meeting Sunday-Tuesday this year. Bill adds:
The hotel also has a food court with a number of fast food options if you don’t want to pay hotel prices for your meals. The hotel rate also includes admission to the gym and the pool is free.
The place even has its own movie theater complex, for cryin’ out loud. Sixteen screens.
* Vegas does have one huge advantage over other SND workshop-host cities: The airfare is pretty cheap. Bill writes:
Southwest is the major discount carrier, but look into our hometown airline Allegiant, as well as Frontier and Spirit. Sign up at Airfare Watchdog for Vegas sale alerts.
* If you know you’ll have to pay your own way to Vegas, Bill helpfully suggests you sock away $100 a month, each month, between now and then. That would cover your hotel and registration. I think you’ll find your local credit union very helpful in setting something like this up for you.
That’s a wonderful piece of utility Mr. Gaspard and his team has set before us. Make sure you take advantage of this site and that you thank him for his hard work.
This seems even more amazing when you learn that Bill has had his mind on other things lately…
Meet Ben. Six pounds, 13 ounces. Born early Thursday.
Congratulations, Bill and Nelly! We’ll look forward to seeing you all in Vegas next September.
Read coverage in the SND/Update blog of the launch of the Vegas web site and of the birth of a little Gaspard.
October 24th, 2007 at 1:18 am
Hi Charles,
I’m sure Bill is pleaed with the kind words.
Our best good pal Tyson Evans did a lot of heavy lifting on the site. We’d be doomed without him. Doooomed, I tell you.
For the record, I’m dubious of the scenery in that photo from the hotel window. But don’t forget the epic 72-lane bowling alley in the hotel too!
October 24th, 2007 at 2:48 pm
Thanks Charles… The main thing is that we want everyone to seriously consider coming to the Vegas workshop. This pairing with the managing editors and photo managers is a unique opportunity. We’ll have a hell of a workshop on our own, but the added sessions with APME are an important bonus. I know it’s not cheap, but this will be a good bargain for what you will get. Anyone with any questions should feel free to e-mail anytime.
We’ll also be putting a lot more up on the website soon. Dave is right. I wasn’t the only one busy. I did a sketch of the design, handed over fonts and a couple of things to put up, and offered some design editing suggestions as we went along, but Tyson Evans put the site together. Mind you, he only learned CSS in the last few months. But that’s how he is — someone who learns so quickly that it’s as if he’s always known it. He also did the heavy lifting on the editing of the promo video as well as being instrumental in pulling it off at all. It’s true: We would be doomed without him.
October 24th, 2007 at 6:58 pm
Red Rock is very magical scenery-wise. I have family that lives nearby in Summerlin and that photo looks the pictures I took in the park back at Christmas.
Congrats on the new arrival, Bill!
TALK ABOUT BURYING THE LEDE . . . .
October 24th, 2007 at 8:16 pm
Indeed, Rob. I actually just meant that view of it isn’t exactly one you’d see out of the hotel’s windows.
But the hotel/casino itself is spectacular, to be certain.
October 24th, 2007 at 8:18 pm
Make that Robb.