Buzzcon 2014 Here We Come! Hey Guys Been Doing Some Research This Week. Still On The Fence About Buzzcon 2014? Maybe these Las Vegas Travel Hacks I Have Found May Help You Make The Decision Much Easier! If You Have A Travel Hack Of Your Own PLEASE SHARE! Would Love To Meet As MANY Have As Many "BUZZTOUCHERS" I CAN! (boy that sounds so wrong but heck it is Vegas right!) Hack # 1: Lodging. I don't want to step on any toes because Warren has provided a great Hotel for us at the Platinum. It's literally an apartment with a kitchen! Unbelievable price too. More importantly it doesn't have a "resort fee" which is a stupid fee that Vegas let's some hotel utilize because the the recession BLAK! Some hotels are ridiculously charging up $50 bucks a day just in this fee SOOOO LAME! Warren has done such a great job and finding a snazzy hotel that DOES NOT CHARGE THAT! We are so lucky. But what if $150 bucks a day is still too much ---- to be honest it is for me so I did some digging and being an army girl all I need is a place to shower and sleep and I am good and for under $500 for 8 days I am in vegas I found that at Super 8 and is RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO PLATINUM! FREE INTERNET FREE SHUTTLE FROM THE AIRPORT AND NO RESORT FEE---- I AM IN! There are some Incredible Deals out there but the best place I found was at Booking.com. There you can reserve your room without a charge on credit card (unless they have a ridiculous resort fee) you can find lot's of cheaper hotels in the area http://www.booking.com/searchresults.html?city=20079110;aid=383561 Hack #2 Dining. There are so many amazing restaurants to choose from in Las Vegas for every budget! Las Vegas is known for the all you can eat buffet. The biggest hack I can share with you is to eat late at night or early in the morning there are tons of restaurants that have early bird specials for $3.99 Hack # 3 Free Drinks! Did you know that most resorts offer free alcohol just play there? Yup just make sure you tip your cocktail waitress! $1 will do normally Hack #4 Free Wifi - Unfortunately not all hotels in Vegas have that great of wifi it's good to map out the places ahead of time before your trip---- pppst there is an app for that or http://www.lasvegasadvisor.com/showtable.cfm?id=18 Hack #4 COMPS! Complitary gifts from the casinos! They want you to spend spend spend so they give out all of the above for free! There are tons and tons of websites out there that will help you win comps before you go even apps on facebook and ios! Anything from free monorail tickets free drinks to free rooms! Below are some Helpful Forums I found with TONS of info http://www.advantageplayer.com/lasvegas/index.html?content=/lasvegas/promotions/slotsignups.shtml http://blonde4ever.yuku.com/directory http://www.vegasmessageboard.com/forums/ http://bit.ly/1lf0FqP And of Course Don't forget the App where you can play for comps! http://bit.ly/1fafIRQ There really is tons and tons of information out there to travel to Las Vegas on a budget. I really hope you guys can make it! I am also offering a FREE Bed to share with me (females only sorry guys) at the fancy Hotel 8 all you have to do is pay for your ticket to Las Vegas and you have free lodging! Just ignore the snoring middle aged chicka in the room :) - Man I got work on my selling points huh? Ok Buzztouchers how about it? You ready for Buzzcon 2014!!!! Let's CODE!!!!! Hope this helps Sheri

erg make that sharing a room not a bed! This is what I get for posting two am ---totally sober guys really ;P~~

Lol I thought 'wow that's pretty intimate for a stranger!". Thanks for the tips!

I'm sticking with you, I am on such a low budget I might have to sell my ass on the street to a chubby chaser.

Nice tips, lol humor -- thanks! :-)

Airbnb.com has some decent deals for rooms in peoples homes. Seen some for as low as $25/night. There are even whole houses for rent. Seen some in the $100-200/night range. Transportation to the platinum would be an issue though as most of them are in the Vegas suburbs.

So far I have "comps" for 2 for 1 buffet Shark Aquarium free admission Monorail Pass 1 day pass MyVegas on FB that's where you find me :) Also I am signing up for all the cards I can get! Buzztouch Vegas Party be prepared I coming with comps hope I can share with the group! ---trying for a room let you know :) Truth be told I will be the one in my room most the time studying code since I am not much a true gambler --I am surrounded by casinos in my area and donated my fair share to the tribal office---don't mind passing them to the gamblers in the group

@sheri you should sort mine out as your my kinda my Buzztouch wife

I am right there with you Sheri -- this one is a learning activity, not an entertainment one. Meet you at the cocktail table -- with Xcode of course! :-)

@kittsy I am old enough to be your mom but thanks so much for the compliment! BTW you are grounded ;) @Niraj So glad you said xcode and not eclipse! Eclipse possibly will drive me to drink!

Sheri, you are so funny! Thanks for writing this up.

Let me throw in some info here to help put some of this in perspective: Back in November, we worked with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Bureau to request bids from hotels that were interested in accommodating our group for the week. Four hotels responded positively, and another four were not able to host us. Of the four, all worked out to be within $1,000 for the total cost of the event. The Platinum Hotel was not the lowest, but also not the highest overall cost. I felt it was the best choice for a few reasons: 1) It is not a casino and has no age restrictions, which would have prevented teenagers like Thomas Boyd, Jake Chasan and others from attending. 2) The "rooms" are actually individual condo units, which are very large and would allow for people to share the room and expenses. 3) The rooms are fully equipped with a full kitchen. If you're on the road for a week, meals are a killer. Stock the fridge and save a ton. 4) The hotel location is off the Strip, but only by about two blocks. So if someone has the urge to see the sights, it's right there. 5) The weekend rate is in line with other hotels in Vegas, which more than double the charges on Friday and Saturday. For example, the Platinum is $138, Caesars Palace is $175 if you include the taxes and resort fees. (not including internet access, which is free at the Platinum, $10 - $20 per day at other hotels) 6) From a budgetary standpoint, the Platinum Hotel waived charges for the meeting rooms and had no catering requirements, which would have added $3,500 to $7,000 at the other hotels available to us. To put together what we think will be an amazing week of training and networking, we contracted the Platinum Hotel for a total of 90 rooms (10 per night Sunday through Thursday, 20 per night on Friday and Saturday). We really need attendees to stay there, especially if you're coming for Buzzcon '14, to fill those rooms. They are a great overall value and in line with what you will find at other locations in Las Vegas. To me the value of being together as a group far outweighs the few dollars you might be saving. Thanks - Warren

Warren- I am eternally grateful for all the hard work and dedication you put into buzzcon. Many do not know the intense time and personal money it takes to put on something like this. I am rather shocked that 90 rooms were booked do we have that much participation? Wow bigger event than I thought would be! Great For Buzztouch! With that said, it is pretty poor insight to DEMAND that attendees stay at the Platinum. What you DO NOT MENTION although there is no required resort fee THERE IS a requirement a deposit upon checkin. Cost of the the tuition and room rate with deposit is more than BOTH my mortgages. Flight: $398 Tuition: $795 Motel Cost for 8 days (btw AARP rate is lower than group rate) $998 Deposit $ 1000 (held on card until check out) Not mention Food and Entertainment --- and I am coming from the US not Europe Warren, I received a total of 3 emails requesting lodging alternatives by Code Camp attendees. I am not the only one that did not get this message. It is unfortunate that you gambled with other peoples money here.- Pun Intended-- Clear boundaries make misunderstandings like this not happen. If it is requirement for me to stay at the Platinum I personally WILL NOT ATTEND. I am requesting my tuition back of $795. If I had known that it was a requirement that I stay at your hotel choice, my application would have not been submitted. I can't speak for other but if I am not valued and have my own personal thoughts and choices within being "together" then as much as I appreciate networking events . My personal values outweighs ANY "networking" event. This could been handled way different and not in a public forum. Why not mention all of this PRIOR to application process? To me it doesn't seem right. This is learning lesson for all for sure. Best wishes to everyone and Good Luck in Las Vegas. When my choices are limited and I feel I am being corralled -- ---To quote David Book --- "I'm out"

Sheri - It is not a requirement for you or anyone else to stay at the Platinum Hotel. I was simply trying to lay out the reasoning behind the choice of hotel for the event. I am not now, nor have I ever demanded anyone to do anything related to this or any other event or activity. In reality, I think I have really tried to be cost-conscious here by having the event in Las Vegas, which is travel-friendly, and lower total cost than other alternatives like Dallas, Orlando, New York, etc. Particularly for the attendees who are coming for Friday and Saturday night ("Buzzcon '14"), the Platinum does not raise their rates or charge resort fees like other hotels. Again, that puts them right in line with everybody else. Buzztouch will have to pay for all of the 90 rooms not picked up by Code Camp or Buzzcon attendees. Again, I'm not telling anyone what to do here, I'm just encouraging people to take a look at the Platinum for Friday and Saturday. Buzzcon '14 is a networking event, but Code Camp has to be looked at as an investment in the attendee's personal growth. You are correct in saying that it is a huge undertaking for us to do this. I personally spend a couple of hours a day on Buzztouch-related activities, and will be taking ten days off to drive to Las Vegas. I have spent about $4,000 out of pocket so far (and not done yet) to build out the classroom and meeting area (monitors, displays, sound, video, streaming, servers, etc.) - and none of that is being passed on to attendees or Buzztouch. It is simply a cost of doing business for me and one I am doing with no expectation of return. It's an investment by me in the mission of Buzztouch and because I believe so strongly in what David Book is trying to achieve. I will take you to task on one comment: "This could have been handled way different and not in a public forum." That is true; however, I was responding to your post... in a public forum. You are free to stay wherever you would like, and I hope you enjoy your time in Vegas. See you in a few weeks. Warren

Thanks again Warren for all the "behind-the-scenes" efforts -- truly appreciated ! ( booked it at The Platinum ) Gosh -- it is arriving rapidly! -- Niraj

This thread was created to give opportunity to those folks who have contacted me saying they could not afford to go but love the thought of the community. It was placed here to help others. Many of these folks are actual top 25. This thread was to give options and voice the perceptive of the consumer. Guess I didn't think about the good of Buzztouch profit. People signed up for Code Camp in hopes to learn and grow and be taught the craft. This thread was intended to lighten the mood and get more of a positive response than I have had in the background. "behind-the-scenes". Since you want this public- let's openly discuss the Buzztouch's transparency. I do appreciate the transparency of budget and would like to continue that discussion..... Along with concerns of housing. I have also been approached regarding the lack of a curriculum or clear agenda for what to prepare for Code Camp or Buzzcon. No benefits have discussed and there is a lot of ho hum of why should we go? Why would this benefit me? Honestly, it is with a heavy heart but a clear head that I withdraw from this kind of participation. No you will not see me at Code Camp or BuzzCon nor any other event. Please remove me from class participation. I am an independent developer. I use Buzztouch as a tool like many other tools. The friends and business associates I make is personal. My personal life is personal. Where I sleep and where I eat is personal. Business is Business. These emotional tantrums are not not in my business plan.

Business is Business. These emotional tantrums are not not in my business plan. Not sure what's considered a tantrum exactly? Is it Warren's comment? Because that seemed pretty straightforward and honest to me. Sorry to hear this discussion is causing you to withdraw Sheri - I was looking forward to meeting you. Maybe next time...

So shines a good deed in a weary world...

Sheri - Buzztouch is, in fact, a business. It consists of an amazing product and an amazing community, but in the end, it needs to be at least self-sustaining to be viable. Code Camp is no different, either; we need to at least break even on the event. If Buzztouch has to pay for most or all the rooms at the Platinum Hotel, you can see the effort will lose a lot of money. I was simply suggesting that people consider staying at the Platinum Hotel, but I will say again, I am not demanding anyone do anything they do not want to do. Believe me when I say nobody on our leadership team is making a fortune here. Like the rest of us, we put far more into it than we get back, we have full-time jobs (and this is not it), but we all do it because we "get it" - we understand and support the mission of Buzztouch and the vision of David Book. In addition, you comment: "I have also been approached regarding the lack of a curriculum or clear agenda for what to prepare for Code Camp or Buzzcon. No benefits have discussed and there is a lot of ho hum of why should we go? Why would this benefit me?" Regarding Code Camp, that is absolutely correct and by design. The class is not and was never intended to be a "one-size-fits-all" week. The course is being specifically crafted to the remaining thirteen attendees based on their knowledge, experience, and interests, from information gathered in the application process. David has been and is continuing to work on the curriculum and agenda, and the attendees will begin participating in regularly scheduled pre-class webinars to get up to a certain level-set before April 21. Those webinars will begin on or about March 21. Everybody who participates in the class will have input into the direction of the class. Buzzcon is a little different, in that the schedule has not been put out there yet, although people have been aware that it would happen since last October. I can tell you that for those that attend, they will interact with the Buzztouch leadership team, Code Camp graduates, and other Buzztouch enthusiasts. They will have multiple "lobby learning" sessions, a tech session with Chris Robbins, David Book, and a special session with Rob Woodbridge from untether.tv, another live Buzzcast, along with whatever else we can put together I believe it will be an amazing day. With that said, I'm sorry you chose to give up your investment and your spot in Code Camp. The remaining thirteen attendees will gain far, far more value than the cost they spend. Good luck to you. Warren

Some good points have been made by all here, for myself attending any "cons" there has always been material that provides not only the intent of the event but the benefits, the confirmed speakers and attendees, that make the investment a good decision and reason to go or participate. I attended Buzzday San Diego to get my feet wet with meeting the leadership team and other devs. But without something predefined and not winging it, I would need to see if attending Buzzcon would be worth my time. If Buzzcon is comprised of learning lessons, tech sessions, etc. I have my macs at home and I don't see the need for me to purchase a macbook in order to participate with the learning at the event to follow hands on. If attending Buzzcon is to network with others, I can easily do that in the forums or webinars. Since the release of v3.0, I had to consider my backup plan to learn the native SDKs and IDEs as standalone development tools. After many nights of online training and demos, I believe and am confident in my developer skills, I possess the design element already. Like my lady boss reminds me of, my time is money and anything that takes me away from that needs to be justified. I guess I'll wait till the Agenda for Buzzcon is released to see if there is anything outside of the learning lessons that I can benefit from. Accommodation wise my godmother has a time share at the Venetian, which will save me money. So hopefully with the event less than a month away more information will be forthcoming, even a confirmed attendee list would be helpful. I'm sure the event will be a success for those committed to going, wishing everyone a fun time. I'm sure Niraj will return with some cool stories from his experience. Cheers, Ed

Like many others here, I have attended several major "cons" (Like Photoshop World, etc) that cost several thousand for 2-3 days. And there is definitely value in them, or else they wouldn't happen year after year. Granted, they are put together by huge teams that create conventions for a living. Very talented people for sure. At Buzztouch, we have always been dedicated to both the product and the community. Buzztouch is not a convention-building company. We just happen to be blessed with people like Warren who can dedicated enough time to put together what will surely be a great convention. Also, in our leadership meetings regarding Buzzcon, the word "profit" has never been mentioned. In fact, I believe the exact phraseology was "lets lose as less as possible" in regards to the event. Take a moment to really ingest that statement. Seriously. ----------------- The rest of the views below are the views of "Stobe" (long time Buzztouch user and enthusiast), not "Chris Robbins" (Buzztouch leadership team person). ----------------- I understand the time and money investment in attending an event like this. And I understand the desire to see some sort of itinerary, etc. And everyone has to make those decisions for themselves. But for me personally, if the cost of travel and lodging was feasible for a FREE event related to Buzztouch - it's a no brainer. I wouldn't care if it was 100% informational, 100% social, etc. I would just be there. And that's the type of people that I would most value meeting and spending time with. Like minded enthusiasts. People who would make the statement: "a Buzztouch event? Where and when??? I'll be there!" And I know several of those type people will be at BC14. @Ed, I have to disagree with your statement: "If attending Buzzcon is to network with others, I can easily do that in the forums or webinars." ("disagree" is probably not the right word here... I'm not telling you that you're wrong, rather saying that the statement doesn't hold true for me.) If you ask anyone who attended Buzzcon '13, I think they would disagree also. It was invaluable to be able to put a face to a name in person. I'm sure you experienced that as well at Buzzday SD. As strange as this may seem, if I see a question posted in the forum from one of the many Buzztouch "friends" that I have met in person, I fear that I subconsciously make an effort to answer that question quicker and more thorough, rather than say to myself "ahhhh.... Mark (or Chris1, or Kittsy, or....) will answer that soon enough" lol. I'm not saying that the above example is a good thing. But that's the type of value I put into meeting others in person. As for Code Camp. I don't think anyone really needs to "defend" it's value. I understand that its a big investment for most (both time and money). But I think everyone that is attending understands the value in spending a week with a true industry pioneer. That's a very short list of people. I don't care if David spends the whole week teaching us how to master the armpit fart! There will come a day where I can tell someone "I was at the first Buzztouch Code Camp - (and my armpit has never been the same!)" and I will have an enormous amount of pride in making that statement. Also, no one is expected to buy a Macbook for Buzzcon. Take a look at any of the videos from last year's Buzzcon, and you'll see that the general subject matter did not require following along with a computer. (After-hours, of course, is a different matter. I expect there to be hacking-a-plenty). Counting down the days.... -Stobe

omg, totally forgot about the armpit fart. trying it now, can't remember if there needs to be some moisture. It's gotta be on youtube. that's a classic. Just got that visual of seeing David actually doing that. LOL

This is all really about one's needs and priorities. Simple as that. We all make choices that might make others a bit puzzled. We just have to be respectful of their decisions. If y'all make it to the BuzzCon, please seek me out to say more than "howdy!" :-) -- Niraj

Can we knock this thread on the head now. Sheri kindly started this thread as a way of finding ways to make our experience going to Las Vegas a little cheaper, a couple of tip, voucher codes, etc. It has spiralled into a justification of going to BuzzCon14 thread, we know why we are going to Buzzcon every one has there opinions and there own different reasons for going. And guess what I don't care what your reasons are just go if your going and get out of it as much as you can, learn drink, gamble and be merry. I'm thinking start this thread again with some tips, because other than sheri's initial post no one has posted me a darn hack or anything usefull for this Englishman going to Las Vegas. And let's not forget why you are coming really, It's because I'm going. That is all

As always, Kittsy is right: 1. We are, in fact, going to Las Vegas mostly to meet you. I'm especially excited, because I'm told that you (Kittsy) are the only one that has a sense of humor as demented as my own. Our two minds in close proximity (in Las Vegas, no less) should open a wormhole or something! 2. This thread has derailed from it's initial intent. Words were said. Feelings were hurt. It happens from time to time in any internet based forum. It will surely happen again. And especially when everyone involved is so passionate about the subject matter (Buzztouch). We will move on. So henceforth (wow, thats a cool word to use on a Friday morning), if anyone has some more tips on how to maximize one's time and money in Vegas, please start a new thread. Any further replies in this thread should only be in the spirit of tomfoolery. A good weekend to all!