1. On your flights to the Do spot the FT tags and walk up and introduce yourself.
2. Before the DO track down some of your favorite posters and see if they are going. Good chance to meet them in person. You can do your very own FT celebrity spotting. (I still haven't recovered from finding out that that teenage girl posting about mileage runs was actually an "unteenage" librarian :))
3. Engage in the conversations. You will find everyone has something interesting to say with lots of "best buy" stories. See if you can find the guy famous for getting $3/day rental cars. Or maybe the Richard Branson look alike. Not to mention the FT'r who is absolutely mad for Swarovski pen sets! :)
4. Be prepared for almost nonstop activity. (You won't even be tempted to snooze off on the flights!)
5. Remember there are probably at least 30 other people there in the same situation. But everyone has the same interest in flying. There will be lots of chances to engage people. Lots of chances to learn some insider tips on flying. Lots of opportunities to interact with the airline officials.
6. If all that fails - look up the geezer contingent. We are follically-challenged guys with the hearing aids :D

Thanks much for the great advice!!

Not sure if I missed it earlier on the thread, have poss dates been mentioned.

The Week of Sept 6 has been suggested. But I would expect the Official SMD 3 Thread with the details will come out afer the launch party.

On the assumption you like airplanes and flying in general, you'll do just fine. :)

Remember that this is FT so when you meet another FT'er, all you have to do is say "Hi I'm [xxxx]. Been anywhere interesting lately?" And the conversation will flow from there!

Last year actually had many components that were optional. There is one event - the charter - on which everything else is predicated because that's a huge cost center and planning a bunch of parties for folks who just want to come out drinking but not pay for part of the charter is a losing proposition for the organizers.

But some folks came to dinner on Sunday in NYC and even the SPG event on Monday and then went to Houston on their own rather than flying over to FRA with the group. Others just met up in Houston. We even had one jerk crash the party in Seattle, but that's a different story; at least he took a shower and put on clean clothes for us.

To suggest that last year was "all or nothing" very much misrepresents what was offered IMO.

LOL!:p^

Folks,

posted a survey here:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/15996823-post66.html

The survey is showing the two weeks after labor day (not one before and one after). Sept 14-17 doesn't work for me.

Count me in for it - I think.

Just as an FYI, the Mods have a get together on Sept 24 in Boston. As far as Asia goes as an idea, while I like the sound of it (for purely selfish geographical reasons), getting someone like SQ involved would be like pulling teeth...

Since I can't vote on MilePoint, I'll just post here:

Sept 7-10

My excuse too.
Sept. 7-10 is bad.
The other dates are fine.

You need to register on MilePoint to be able to vote. Same info needed as on FT.

Is there any reason the organizers can't do a poll here too? They're not banned from FT for crikey's sake.

Cheers.

Yes, but some of us don't want to have accounts on two basically identical forums. Double the trouble/distraction!