With all the praise and superlatives being heaped onto this event and its organizers by everyone on this thread, it seems that there is nothing more to say--except that it is all true and deserved.

This DO didn't happen by accident or luck. It obviously took a lot of effort and planning. Eightblack, umg1, mrtdxb, and Emirates really went all-out to make sure everything was fantastic. This is a weekend I will talk about and remember for a long time.

For me, in addition to the events, I also enjoyed meeting so many friendly, interesting, and truly generous people from all over the world. How can you measure the value of an experience like this? (Answer: you cannot.)

Please add my thanks to everyone who made this weekend possible.