My first FT DO was in Singapore in January this year. I just happened to be passing through at the right time and was made very welcome. Will be fronting up on Friday night for OzFest No:7 in ADL.

Have also attended a DO from AFF last year and hopefully again later this year.

As frequent travellers we need to remember that strangers are friends we haven't met yet.

Of course always take safety precautions and look after yourself but don't close your self off to opportunities to meet good people.

My first Do was in London in Feb '03 (which has now become a tradition). I had just started reading FT in ernest the month before, was going to be in London anyway, and decided to attend the dinner being organized by wingnut. I remember being nervous (some FTers would be surprised to know I'm a bit shy when in new situations, even though I don't come across that way!), even dressing up a bit to make a good impression, got to the restaurant, and said I'm here to meet...and the hostess said, "oh you're w/ that group of people that doesn't know each other" And my love of FT and friendships w/ FTers (both virtual & in person) began that night.

Since then I've attended small and large dos, organized a few, and attended a lot of meals & get-togethers. Until recently when I lived in LA, I got to see lots of FTers as LAX is a good mileage run location. No one does mileage runs to where I live now I've stayed w/ FTers, they've stayed at my place. I've given advice, gotten advice, and have developed a lot of friends along the way. Some I've met in person; some I hope to at some point, even though we're friends now.

As mentioned, the # & type of attendees varies - from young to old, male & female, married, single, in relationships, gay/straight, with kids, without, gamut of professions, interests, and personalities.

If timing allows, go & enjoy. Plus, IIRC there are some Norwegian FTers. You might want to see if they're organizing anything local, and 'start out small'.

Cheers.

Thanks again for sharing!

You might not believe it, but I started with "data-communication" way before internet was usual, at least in Norway. I think I started calling up BBS in 1992 with a very noisy and slow modem...:-) I was usually the only girl/woman and I went to lots of "real life" meetings, but my husband was usually with me, so it wasn't that scary. I met lots of great people and some of them are still among my best friends today! (But I also met some "weirdos" who called me up in the middle of night etc... etc...)

I admit that going to a "DO" is both tempting and scary, however, I think that's how life is...? :-D My parents and my husband sometimes think I am too simple-minded when it comes to meeting up with people from message-boards. They were just a little bit scared when I, last year, went to Chicago to visit some "internet-friends". :-D I guess that's why I had to ask somebody else how scary it *is* to attend a "DO" :-D

Xxx.

SkiAdcock: Aw, thanks for telling me you were nervous. Everybody here seams to be very confident!

I haven't seen that many Norwegians here, but I will look around. However I am more often in London and the rest of UK than I am around Norway/Scandinavia, so might look for anything happening over there too. Thanks again!

Xxx.

I know exactly what you mean.

My first Do was a meeting of KLM flyers in AMS, about 2 weeks before the London Do in 03 that SkAdcock references (I think - was that the mega do, or am I out by a year?).

Anyway, I was petrified - flying to AMS to meet people I didn't know from the internet, how stupid does that sound?! I didn't tell my parents, as I knew my mother would freak out. I was so paranoid, the only things I left in my hotel room were things I wouldn't mind leaving - so if it was really bad, I could just bail, find another hotel (since we'd confirmed where we were staying) and generally bolt for it.

And the group couldn't have been more fun, had a good chat about all things KLM, the organiser, ralfkrippner was a star and it couldn't have been more reassuring or relaxed. Drinking what seemed like quarter pints of Baileys at the end of the night seemed perfect!

Two weeks later I went to the first megado and was amazed that some people even recognised my handle. Within 2 years, I was organsing my own dos (and always very mindful of how I'd felt on my first do! ), and I've been been a mega Do organiser myself. And I became a mod in the Do forum about 2-3 years back now....

All from a petrified attendance at AMS - which was also, incidentally, the first time I'd been landside at AMS, despite being a top tier elite for a few years. My fellow do attendees couldn't believe me when I told them that

The Great Delta Board PBI-FLL Meet was not only the first organized gathering of FlyerTalk members that I have attended, but it was also the first FlyerTalk event for virtually all of the other FlyerTalk members who attended as well.

Due to our warped sense of excessive humor, a second thread pertaining to the event was necessary: PBI-FLL Meet: The Serious Version.

It is amazing how well we got along even though none of us had met each other. Of course, now that we have all met...I did not know that!

Who Will Be The Next FlyerTalk Member To Post? An OMNI Game LIVE and In Person:LJU DO

You do (no pun intended � ah, all right, it was intended) realize that the idea came from the Who Will Be The Next FlyerTalk Member To Post? An OMNI Game LIVE and In Person:ELP DO while we were in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico when chrissxb asked me where the next Who Will Be The Next FlyerTalk Member To Post? An OMNI Game LIVE and In Person FlyerTalk member gathering will take place.

I simply shrugged my shoulders and said the first thing that came to my mind: �Slovenia?�

The rest is history.

We really need to resume the Who Will Be The Next FlyerTalk Member To Post? An OMNI Game LIVE and In Person series of FlyerTalk member gatherings...Both are listed above.That is amazing when you think about it, isn�t it?!?

By the way, I keep a list of all of the FlyerTalk members I have ever met in person in the A List of FlyerTalk Members You Have Already Met in Person thread.

yes, there are always unknown but if one never tries anything new....

My first Do was a Chicago Do (big one) in the early 2000's. I didn't show up for the Friday or Saturday night dinners as the thread was stating there were issues with seating and who was going to which dinner. So I decided I just go to the Sunday brunch, afterall it is just brunch and if it wasn't my scene I'd just split.

I arrived a bit late and there was only one seat open at the multiple tables that made up the Flyertalk group. I now know why this one particular seat was open as I sat next to the most arrogant, self-absorbed person I've ever met, added with the disdain this person displayed towards most people, I very quickly thought that if this was the typical FT'er, I didn't need to meet any more of them in person. Thankfully she is no longer on the board and the awesome hosts of the Chicago Do 'rescued' me from this person. Been going to FT Do's ever since and loving it.

Whoa--good thing you stuck with it long enough to be rescued by the organizers. I consider myself a social person, but a first impression like that would sap my enthusiasm pretty quickly.

I'll also be attending my first Do in January, and I couldn't be more excited. I frequent another message board/online community, as well, and have attended several meet-ups, an endeavor which has ultimately resulted in some lasting friendships.

I was almost on empty when a friendly "hey are you Willie?" was asked from one of the Do organizers at another table. I don't recall if I went back to my original seat or not

Ok, I think you have convinced me, I will attend a do and maybe the Prague one. Hahahaha, when I asked my husband what he thought about it he said: "Well, I think it can be good for you to meet up with like-minded people (read: geeks, nerds, FlyerTalk-addicts...)!" :-D He even said he might come with me! (He pretends he doesn't care and he teases me because I am a "point-slut", but he likes to travel with me! And I can assure you he was very happy for the FlyingBlue Gold card when we were upgraded to business from Amsterdam to Toronto and met the dreaded ash-cloud on the way back home and we had to use our gold-cards more than three times. :-D)


Xxx.

Welcome to your newest addiction

In 2001, I agreed to host a Do (Sea Doo 3) before I had attended a do, or had met any other Flyertalkers.

Then I attended one in Tucson, just so I knew what I was in for.

Since then, I've probably attended 100 Do's (and one greek tragedy )
and planned/help plan half that many...

The only one I can think of is peppes (think, pizza!) but out of a quarter million FlyerTalkers there must be a few more. peppes is in the Norwegian navy but stationed at a NATO facility in Norfolk, VA.

I attended the Oslo American School for three years and help to arrange reunions both in Oslo (2002 & 2005) & stateside.

For March, 2007, I tried to arranged an Oslo DO to coincide with the annual Nordic competition at Holmenkollen but was thwarted on two fronts:

1. Mention "snow" to FlyerTalkers and they will run like lemmings in the opposite direction. Do not ever tell FlyerTalkers that it will be cold at a DO, nor that there's the slightest chance of snow at a DO, nor that the DO will be centered around winter activities, e.g. ski jumping.

2. Skiforeningen pulled a fast one on us (and lots of other people) and scheduled the annual jumping competition for the third Sunday in March instead of the traditional second Sunday of March. I was one keypress away from buying plane tickets for the 2nd weekend when I figured maybe I should double-check the date. Lucky me! peppes bought his ticket for the wrong weekend.

There's a large DO in London (Presidents Day? next Presidents Day is 2/21/11), and there's also the annual Advents Brunch in Frankfurt (1st weekend in Dec. this year). Those would be great first DOs for anyone.

+1

And I might add that you are unlikely to have time for any further addictions once this one takes hold.

6/28/2000, Rauxa, Somerville, MA. It was very small - maybe half a dozen
people, but then FT was very small then, too.

I will be attending my very first FT Do this year in Saint Louis with a friend of mine who is another FTer and this will be her first Do as well. What finally motivated me to attend a Do was the fact that I am friends with so many FTers online via the forums, FB, and Twitter. I tend to relate with FTers the most and enjoy talking to them the most so it makes sense that I finally venture out and meet some of them. I am always reading posts about all the various Dos that are planned and how much everyone enjoys them. I am a very social person by nature so a Do is something that is right up my ally.

I got roped into organizing the first Do I ever attended in July 2001. I sweated out making the minimum guarantee for our Saturday restaurant that was being held under my credit card. As I left work at midday on Friday, I wondered if I was insane to be throwing a weekend party for 60 people whom I did not know. It ended up being a blast, and I made some great friends. Since then, I've hosted events in three continents and four countries, and attended in a whole lot more.