POZ Community Forums
Off Topic Forums => Forums Gatherings => Topic started by: AMG Coordinator on July 01, 2008, 11:22:20 pm
-
Hello AMG 2008 Attendees.
Please give me your feedback asap regarding options for this years meet and greet.
The first option is to keep this very informal and just gather in one of the lobby bars.
The second option is to have a banquet room within the hotel to ourselves from 6pm to midnight with hor'derves and a private cash bar. The approximate cost for this option would be $20 - $30 per person.
The third option is similar to the second option. The only difference is we would have dinner as a group in our banquet room. We would have the cash bar. This option would cost $40 - $50 per person.
The above costs are only approximate and may be +/- a few dollars depending on the menu. The costs would include tax and gratuity. I've incorporated the cost of the banquet room into the price. Once we decide upon an option I can begin negotiations regarding room rental and menu cost.
Below are some sample menus I used in determining price.
hor'derves
MEXICAN DE LUXE
Pumpkin flower filed with shrimp
Pie filed with chilli pepper
Chicken wings with chilli pepper sauce
Jalapeño chilli pepper stuffed with cream cheese
Chicken and mushroom crêpe
Chilli pepper quiche slice[/left]
Dinner
Fruit salad with kirsch
Minestrone soup
Chicken filled with ham and mushrooms
Opera cake with orange sauce
Coffee and tea
There are other menu items. However, they may cost a few extra dollars. I've included 2 more samples below.
Other sample hor'derves include...
INTERNATIONAL DE LUXE HOT
Vol-au-vent with saltwater crayfish
and asparagus
Rockefeller oyster tart
Filled mushrooms Thermidor
Fried Camembert cheese
Quiche Lorraine
Tempura shrimp
Another sample dinner menu...
Vol-au-vent filled with ham
Black corn mushroom cream
Chicken breast stuffed with Poblano
Chilli pepper stripes
Vanilla cake with strawberries
Coffee and tea
-
Allow me to add if we decide to go with a private banquet room the cost of drinks at our cash bar would be the same price as they are in the lobby bar.
I also just read through our contract and we were quoted a complimentary banquet room with the consumption of food. The banquet manager must have not seen that. The prices I quoted above should remain on the lower side of the spectrum unless we decide to go with a more expensive menu option than the first two samples above.
Dennis
-
I like the 3rd option and I like the 1st and 3rd menus. A sitdown dinner with the group at the hotel is an excellent idea.
I especially like the idea because we don't have to negotiate the streets or night traffic and all that comes with it. We can't forget Mini with just cocktail hour/socializing in a bar as we would exclude the true Queen in attendance (sorry David aka philly267 :D ) and a sit down meal accommodates everyone.
So, I vote for banquet room with group meal (#1 menu is fine). I will avoid any hot peppers, however. ;)
Mike
-
Hi Dennis
Having the M & G in the hotel sounds like a good idea, especially considering the difficulty of trying to locate a place off property.
I agree with MJ that being in a banquet room to ourselves vs the lobby bar is the way to go.
As far as the option of either doing a sit down dinner or Hors d'oeuvres, either one is fine with me. The 2nd dinner option (the one with the stuffed chicken) would be my choice since I don't eat fish/seafood of any kind. With the adjusted cost (since the contract gives us the room without charge), and the fact that the drinks will be the same as in the lobby bar { ;D }, I don't think we could find a better deal.
Thanks buddy.
RAB
(Who has rethought and thinks the dinner option is his first choice.)
-
Mini and I are open for whatever. Either of the 1st two menus sound good and as long as the tea is made with potable water, we'll be fine ;) As far as entertainment, just give Mini a microphone..lol..you'll have a combo of singing, dancing, and comedy. ;D
Seriously, though, whatever everyone is up for, we're just happy to be there.
Queen Mum (what? only David and Mini get to wear a crown?)
-
I like the idea of the complimentary banquet room at the hotel. The menus confuse me.
I prefer the last one: It appears the most 'ethnic' (ie black corn, poblano, chilli peppers).
Vol-au-vent filled with ham
Black corn mushroom cream
Chicken breast stuffed with Poblano
Chilli pepper stripes
Vanilla cake with strawberries
Coffee and tea
You didn't mention a date. Since it appears that everyone will arrive Wed except Nick and me (we're there by Thursday noon) why don't we have this reception Thursday night?
robert
EDITED TO ADD .... Like I said, thee menus confuse me. After reading what Philly said, let me say, if it's cheaper to just have hor'derves and a private cash bar, that's fine. If course I'm can't speak for everyone, but I'm really not a big eater and cheese and crackers do the trick for me. Last year in SF we had wonderful hor'derves that was more like a dinner.
-
Santi and I are fine with whatever the decided option is. I do like the idea of a dinner. I can sample spicy but I can't make a meal of it. Just give me a stack of tortillas and some butter and some booze and I'll be fine...kidding! I like the second dinner menu too, I'll just give the poblano stuffing to Santi.
-
aren't we on a budget? How many folks received grants this year? How much spending money are we actually talking about?
-
aren't we on a budget? How many folks received grants this year? How much spending money are we actually talking about?
David, I will try a repy and hope I understand your post as you intended........because I'm not sure what you are asking in referencing grants money.
This dinner is seperate from any grants committee funds. It's an out-of-pocket expense as is all the things we do in Mexico City. In regards to how much spending money I can tell you that there are the usual expenses incurred with traveling: museums fees, and transport to and fro, eating twice a day (or more), nightlife (as there are door cover fees for men at most nightclubs) which are all out of pocket expenses. Of course, since we are not using an official tour bus to cart us to the pyramids--it'll be a savings of about $45 dollars/per individual on that alone....offsetting the cost of the Meet and Greet dinner.
Mike
-
No problem -- just that there are tighter folks than *I* and am wary of the haves and the haves nots. I'm sure we all understand, and costs for these extracurricular expenses are quickly adding up. There are those of us who don't know of such penny pinching.
I might be a good idea of to make a list of what will coast what in this regard. Many here have been quite generous but even that has it limits.
-
I agree.. the hotel Banquet room with food..dinner would be nice..I am open about the menu....not too big on really spicy stuff....everything else is OK....
Nick
-
Hi everyone
A private room to ourselves..definitely
A sit down dinner..I'm not so sure of.
The whole idea of the Meet and Greet is to meet, mingle and get to know everyone, I think if we have 20+ people sitting around a table it's harder to converse with everyone...I'm sure we will have tables for us "Older" folk to sit down at, personally I like how we did it in SF....just my 2 cents worth, of course I will go with the majority if Dinner is the way everyone wants to do it.
Chili peppers are definitely off the menu for me..also I like spice but it doesn't like me~sigh~
Hugs
Jan :-*
-
There will be mingling even if we have dinner. There will be a cocktail hour, the sit down dinner, and then dancing and mingling afterwards. At least this is what I have pictured.
Hi everyone
A private room to ourselves..definitely
A sit down dinner..I'm not so sure of.
The whole idea of the Meet and Greet is to meet, mingle and get to know everyone, I think if we have 20+ people sitting around a table it's harder to converse with everyone...I'm sure we will have tables for us "Older" folk to sit down at, personally I like how we did it in SF....just my 2 cents worth, of course I will go with the majority if Dinner is the way everyone wants to do it.
Chili peppers are definitely off the menu for me..also I like spice but it doesn't like me~sigh~
Hugs
Jan :-*
-
Well that sounds fine to me, and if that's how you pictured it then it has to be good... ;D.
I just want everyone to have a great time, and if that's what everyone wants then I'm in.
Hugs
Jan :-*
-
Dear Moderator,
Thom and I have discussed the options presented and cast our votes (2) as follows:
On-site Meet and Greet in a private banquet room with cash bar.
We opt for either dinner option as both sound wonderful.
#1
Vol-au-vent filled with ham
Black corn mushroom cream
Chicken breast stuffed with Poblano
Chilli pepper stripes
Vanilla cake with strawberries
Coffee and tea
#2
Fruit salad with kirsch
Minestrone soup
Chicken filled with ham and mushrooms
Opera cake with orange sauce
Coffee and tea
We also like Robert's suggestion that we hold this on Thursday evening. Since everone will be there, why not get things going?
Can hardly wait to see every one. With long distance hugs to all, R&T
-
If no one objects I'd like to keep the Meet and Greet on Friday evening. I will be arriving on Thursday and will have a bit of work to do. All talks with the banquet manager have been with a Friday night event in mind. I will need time that Thursday after I arrive to meet with the banquet manager to discuss the room setup and other needs.
Ciao,
Dennis
-
Dennis,
Friday night it is. You are the man and you know what is best for our group. You have NEVER let us down, buddy! When you arrive, you will have all the help we can deliver to help you.
Thanks for all your planning and hard work.
Hugs guy, R&T
-
Private room gets my vote.
Dinner sounds good. I tend to eat more than anyone else, for some reason. :o
I love spicy food, and peppers, so, I'm good with just about al of it as long as there is no gluten involved.
Friday night sounds just fantastic to moi.
Now that I have that out. what in the world is vol-au-vent filled with ham ?
Just asking ...
HUGS,
Mark
-
Mark this is a Vol-au-vent
hugs
Jan :-*
(http://vol au vent)
[attachment deleted by admin]
-
Just another detail question. How formal is the M&G in terms of dress? I know it's not ball gowns and tuxedoes, but shorts and t-shirts, or slacks and nice shirts?
Mum
-
Hi Mom
It's whatever you feel comfortable in...it's normally just smart casual, and I've seen some pretty smart looking guys in T-shirts and shorts over the years... ;)
Hugs
:-*
-
Just another detail question. How formal is the M&G in terms of dress? I know it's not ball gowns and tuxedoes, but shorts and t-shirts, or slacks and nice shirts?
Mum
Mum
Jan is right, pretty much anything you are comfortable in. We've had everything from tuxedo shirts & pants, kilts, full leather, to shorts and t-shirts.
Me? I'm thinking I'll be wearing these this year (see below). They were given to me by that evil Jody at last year's gathering. :-*
RAB :D
[attachment deleted by admin]
-
I see RAB stuffed his pink undies quite a bit...Don't flatter yourself honey!!! ;)
Always EVIL Jody ;) ;D ::)
-
Thanks, guys. I'm just checking our wardrobes and trying to narrow it down to a managable suitcase.
Oh, and about the undies, I'm not touching that one with 10-foot metaphor. ;D
Mum
-
I see RAB stuffed his pink undies quite a bit...Don't flatter yourself honey!!! ;)
Always EVIL Jody ;) ;D ::)
BLUSH! Guilty as charged.
Thanks, guys. I'm just checking our wardrobes and trying to narrow it down to a managable suitcase.
Oh, and about the undies, I'm not touching that one with 10-foot metaphor. ;D
Mum
BLUSH! (again)!
RAB ;)
-
Mum, I'm packing cotton-khaki pants & jeans, t-shirts, short sleeved shirt or two, frontzip hooded sweatshirt (50's at night), umbrella and tennis shoes. The popular casual mode at AMG in San Francisco last year.
Hope that helps.
Mike
-
Oh, Mike, thanks for mentioning the temps. That was going to me my next question. Yes, I know that I could look it up myself (maybe), but then what would I have to talk about here? :P So 50's at night, little miss will need a sweater and I may need to rethink what she was going to wear to the memorial service. Aren't the daytime highs in the 70's at that time?
And, yes, that does help. I had an idea about what we were going to wear, but just wanted to make sure that it was appropriate.
Are we planning on going to the beach? I'm not even sure how far away the beach would be. Just thinking about wether Little Miss would need her bathing suit. Don't worry, unlike RAB, I keep my privates under wraps :P
Mum
-
We'll be nowhere near a beach. Maybe we should move this over to the Travel Tips thread?
-
Is everyone interested in participating in this years meet and greet. I need to confirm the room and start working on the menu. I need a minimum of 20 people for dinner in order to receive the room complimentary. However, only 1/2 (aprox 10)of the confirmed attendees have shown interest.
Thanks
Dennis
-
Is everyone interested in participating in this years meet and greet. I need to confirm the room and start working on the menu. I need a minimum of 20 people for dinner in order to receive the room complimentary. However, only 1/2 (aprox 10)of the confirmed attendees have shown interest.
Thanks
Dennis
Good lord yes. This is one of the best parts of AMG.
Can you tell us what the cost is going to be yet?
RAB ;D
-
Yes, I wish to participate.
But I almost missed this thread. If you want actual confirmations you might consider a new thread just for that.
Now I'm starting to wonder what else I've missed, as this is all starting to get confusing.
-
Mini and I will be there with tiaras and nametags on ;D
Mum