We've got over 20 for Hong Kong for Labor Day so far... still plenty of time to add 90+ more folks.

Been there.... done that.... over President's/Valentine's Day weekend 2004!

Right.

Well, I don't think there is a rule against having large gatherings in the same place more than once... particularly when it is a somewhat different crowd of folks, ya know?

I'd like to break the record for the dhammer53 Brooklyn Reality Tour in 2005.
Last April/May, we had 22 Flyertalkers on an airport type shuttle (sponsored by Randy).

Can you say Greyhound?

Like Carol said, anyone who wants to plan one of these 'blowouts', be our guest. It may not be easy, but it sure is fun.

Dan

Dan, IIRC, you already have two of us from this year's tour "on the list" as repeat wannabes for next year's tour!

I actually would not mind attempting this monumental task, but my �FlyerTalk plate� is pretty full right now, as I am:

• Co-organizing a FlyerTalk gathering for (but not limited to) Delta FlyerTalk members
• Keeping score for the Who Will Be The Next FlyerTalk Member To Post? An OMNI Game thread where, in fewer than 24 hours, two FlyerTalk members will be awarded prizes
• Updating The Definitive �How To Earn Delta Air Lines SkyMiles� Thread
• Trying to finish a trip report which, I am very embarrassed to say, is already more than a year old

...amongst other things that I volunteered to do in various areas of FlyerTalk.

I have only attended two FlyerTalk gatherings: the The Great Delta Board PBI-FLL Meet and the New York Delta Flyertalk meet, so I certainly do not have the requisite experience to organize such a major event. I also certainly do not consider myself a well-established FlyerTalk member, so it would be more difficult for me to organize such an event than a well-known FlyerTalk member.

However, I figured that with greater than 37,676 FlyerTalk members (and the membership continues to grow), breaking a record for the most members to attend a FlyerTalk gathering would certainly be possible, which is why I started this thread � to �plant the seed�...

Ah, but Captain Mike and I hosted the SAN DO in 2001 when I had met a grand total of 3 FTers - Mike, AnnaS, and flyerwife. I vividly remember leaving the office on the day SAN DO began, wondering why the heck I was planning a party for over 60 FTers whom I had never met. I didn't have a clue what an FT weekend was meant to be. Amazingly, it came off flawlessly, and I think we all had a heck of a lot of fun.

If you think about it... the biggest DO ever was hosted by none other than Randy Petersen...

The Freddies, 2004, NYC.

Randy and his Inside Flyer staff would have the exact numbers but rumor has it it topped 100. My only problem with this event was that I didn't get to meet a LOT of the attendees. At least one, Cordelli (and his wife) and I share similiar interests, like rescuing cats. I didn't get a chance to talk to him until a smaller dinner later.

Plus someone crashed the table I was at the Freddies and I didn't get a chance to say five words to SPIFF or to Gleff, two Flyertalkers I really wanted to meet.

My Catman Do 3 has 86 attendees (84 who were invited to the dinner, one who was told NOT to come, and two, good friends, Quantum Leap and marie, who could not make the dinner but were able to come to brunch the following day.) I'm very sorry QL and Marie could not make dinner but they made every other event. My biggest regret about that event was that it became too big and there were people I didn't get a chance to say five words to the whole evening.

Because of all the drama, the frustrations, and other stuff I rather not host another MEGA DO. Should I do a Catman DO 4 (and shoot me if I ever do) I have fears of topping the numbers of Randy's Freddies Awards event. The other problem is that I would have to make it public. I would have to post on Flyertalk. And there are Flyertalkers who I really don't like who I really would not want at my event. Hense I'm out of the MEGA DO business. I don't want to be accused of "Well Catman it's a posted event and everyone should be allowed to attend and you are excluding so and so and this one and that one (I got enough of that with CMD3, even though I felt the title says it's MY event, and it's event to see "My FRIENDS.")

I tend to prefer hosting the smaller dinners and, should I attend an event, attend simply a Flyertalker.

This is just my opinion but I have problems with mega DOS:

*A few popular name Flyertalkers get all of the attention
*Flyertalkers who may not have the post count and the familarity and the popularity and notarity of others will be left standing on the sidelines.

That's why I don't attend Seattle, Dusseldorf, carol's London DO, SIN and other events. They become too big. ANd there are people attending who I rather not waste airfare and hotel to be stuck with.

Sorry friends but Bigger is not better. Quality not quantity.

Certainly not!

My post was a simple attempt at jocularity, which may, sadly, have misfired.

Not to downplay the Freddies which I attended for the 2nd time, but I think FTer-organized Dos should be the ones that count on this thread, especially since Randy's got staff/its one evening & usually the folk organizing the Community Dos are doing it on their own.

I know that sandiego1k (London MegaDo) and bernie (Dus Do) did more than just picking venues, but also did spreadsheets on flights, hotels, websites, etc, & organized multiple days/activities & much more. And in bernie's case, he actually fronted the $$ for the boat, trams, jazz activities, meals, etc, acting in good faith that we'd pay him (which we did).

Having said that, to the OP, you want to take on organizing a Mega Do, be our guest & look forward to hearing when, where, etc. Those of us who have organized dos large & small know what it takes & salute you for offering

Perhaps the Freddies 2004 was the biggest gathering of FlyerTalkers ever. I don't have the number of FTers actually in attendance, so I don't know.

But if you think of events that were EXCLUSIVELY for FlyerTalkers, it still sounds like London, November 2003, tops them all. (Is that what you meant, Canarsie?)

ok..i'll come out and be a party pooper about this.

If a future do happens to garner enough interest to beat out the London do, then thats great ..unless you're the unsuspecting do-planner

But to create an event for the sole purpose of TRYING to herd as many of us together as possible just doesn't hold a lot of interest for me personally. Its an unbelievable amount of work and cat herding for the planners, and as an attendee, you have do choose between spending more than 5 minutes with the people you DO know and want to see, or trying to meet as many people as possible.

If 100 people decided to show up for SeaDoo, I'd gladly take on the extra challenge. But I find the smaller events to be much more enjoyable. The planner gets to enjoy the people who've come to their event, and the attendees get to know each other better.

I completely agree, Missy - thus my recommendation of the boutique events. You get to see the same small group of people at event after event thru the weekend, and leave feeling that you've found new friends.

I like both big & small dos for dif reasons.

Usually large ones such as london, sin, sea, dus, etc, have a # of things planned which make them fun - and draw a # of folk from around the globe that gives us a better chance of meeting more & new fters. Smaller dos can be equally fun & give you a chance to get to know some folk a bit more (and are easier when trying to figure out the darn bill post-dinner).

But I just re-read catman's post above & I'm offended by his comment that implies larger dos are quantity & not quality. I think he's ok by saying his preference is smaller dos & that works for him, but to imply that larger do's are just for #s is insulting to those who put a lot of work into organizing them, as well as those attending them.

ps - i've attended large do's - i must have missed the part about the popular folk & wallflowers/folk w/ small posts being ignored - when you're part of 40-100+, too many folk there to actually pay attention to that - and what makes up a 'popular' group anyway - i think we're all popular cuz we're fters

Like Carol, I organized my first do before ever having attended ANY. The well-established part comes AFTER! The way to approach do-planning is to plan a weekend YOU would enjoy, and see who comes along for the ride. Setting attendance expectations is unnecessarily stressful. Size doesn't matter ..at least not when it comes to FT Do's