New for TAM 6: JREF Forum Dining Room

[Jeff Wagg]

While the Flamingo is much larger than anyplace we've held TAM before, the dining room is a bit small for our crowd. To alleviate this, we'll have TWO dining rooms for lunch.

The smaller room, which holds about 200, will be designated the "JREF Forum Dining Room," and you're all invited to have lunch there amongst your old and as yet unmet forum friends.

The food will be identical, so there's no worry there.

Of course, this is just a suggestion.. everyone is free to dine in whichever of the two rooms they wish, but we think it will be fun if most of the forum people gather together in real life as they do online.

Enjoy!

[RecoveringYuppy]

Don't want anyone to see us, do you?

[grayman]

Can I sit at the adult table this year?

[Kochanski]

A cool idea, my only question is what is the distance from the main speaker area and are both dining rooms next to or near each other? Just remembering the crazy distances at the Riviera from last year.

[Tamazon]

What is the general ratio of forum members to non-forum members?
Not that I need to know for any particular reason. Just curious.

[Kil]

While the Flamingo is much larger than anyplace we've held TAM before, the dining room is a bit small for our crowd. To alleviate this, we'll have TWO dining rooms for lunch.

The smaller room, which holds about 200, will be designated the "JREF Forum Dining Room," and you're all invited to have lunch there amongst your old and as yet unmet forum friends.

The food will be identical, so there's no worry there.

Of course, this is just a suggestion.. everyone is free to dine in whichever of the two rooms they wish, but we think it will be fun if most of the forum people gather together in real life as they do online.

Enjoy!This will only confuse me...

;)

[Luciana]

Great idea. It's incredible, but it's common that you get home regretting that you NEVER met this or that forumite you like so much, or that you only had 2 minutes to spare in-between talks. A smaller place at lunch will allow people more chances to meet up. So any initiative to promote this "togetherness" is very welcome.

[KingMerv00]

Sweet. Thanks Jeff.

[Tressa]

That is very sweet of you to think of! Thanks Jeff!

[Dicon]

I think it's a trap.

Jeff is using this as a quick way to reach Diamond status in the Amway hierarchy.

[kittynh]

It's great, plus it would be nice if we could say to someone NEW, hey...come eat with me at my table!

Forum or just interested in the forum!

[UnrepentantSinner]

If, for some reason we run out of seating I gladly offer my lap to any Skepchick who needs a place to sit.

[MLynn]

Sounds interesting. :)

[Jeff Wagg]

A cool idea, my only question is what is the distance from the main speaker area and are both dining rooms next to or near each other? Just remembering the crazy distances at the Riviera from last year.

Last year, the dining and conference were like 2 feet from each other. This year, they're quite far apart. However, the bathrooms are right near the convention center this year. :)

[seismic_cowgirl]

Can I sit at the adult table this year?

:eye-poppi Why do I get the feeling I'll end up at the kiddie table?

[noblecaboose]

What a great idea. Now all of the people who complained about not being in the in-group can have something real to whinge about. :rolleyes:

I'll be in the cool room, of course.:cool:

[Wowbagger]

Errrrmmm... I don't know. As much as I love my fellow Forum members, I might be inclined to sample what the other fine non-forum attendees are like.

For my first two TAMs, I was not even a member of the Forum at all, and I was always able to strike up an interesting conversation with random folks at the event.

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Could we create a Rebecca Dining Room? A closet would work, since it would only need one chair.

[GUS]

The food will be the same, but how much food will you give the forumites? 1 stake and we just all fight for it?

[Wowbagger]

Could we create a Rebecca Dining Room? A closet would work, since it would only need one chair.I think a liquor cabinet would work better.

[grayman]

Could we create a Rebecca Dining Room? A closet would work, since it would only need one chair.

We could use the one Toby's in if he ever comes out. :)

[hcmom]

If, for some reason we run out of seating I gladly offer my lap to any Skepchick who needs a place to sit.

I won't accept unless you're wearing your purple thong...

[UnrepentantSinner]

Errrrmmm... I don't know. As much as I love my fellow Forum members, I might be inclined to sample what the other fine non-forum attendees are like.

For my first two TAMs, I was not even a member of the Forum at all, and I was always able to strike up an interesting conversation with random folks at the event.

IIRC we had a sit down reception the first night of TAM 3 and I wound up at a table with a non-forumite, 3-5 forumites and a few other non-forumites and it was an absolute delight to interact with him but I still bonded more with fellow forumites than those that weren't. I like to meet random folks, but there's something about meeting IRL people you have been interacting with virtually for months or years.

That said, at one of the TAM 3 lunches I wound up sitting by myself because I'm shy.

I won't accept unless you're wearing your purple thong...

I've already said this... I will go naked before I will wear anything that revealing! :p

[Wowbagger]

I like to meet random folks, but there's something about meeting IRL people you have been interacting with virtually for months or years.No doubt. But, there is still some value is seeing faces you've never seen before. And, it might help to bring more people into the Forum, if we mix it up a bit.

[CriticalThanking]

I strongly second the idea of mixing it up. By all means, get to know as many forumites as you can. But I met some wonderful non-forum folks just table-hopping. Business folk, TAM speakers, general weirdos - wait - those groups strongly overlap. Regardless, it was a blast.

CT

[Luciana]

There will be a Forum table at the conference, which was Kitty's idea. I intend to be there as much as possible trying to explain/attract/rationalize/seduce new people into joining the forum.

A fact of life is that most forumites will prefer to interact with people they've known for years than with a perfect stranger, nice as he is. It's perfectly natural. Time is a limited resource after all. So there's a nice compromise between greeting new people at the Forum table and, obviously, starting a conversation if they're sitting close, which is open to everybody, and socializing with old buddies during lunch.

Why am I supposed to prefer a stranger, even if they happen to be awesome skeptics, to awesome forumites, who've made efforts to be valuable members, be it through comic relief, advice, skeptical stance, friendships, sonnets, solidarity, etc.

[Horatius]

Why am I supposed to prefer a stranger, even if they happen to be awesome skeptics, to awesome forumites, who've made efforts to be valuable members, be it through comic relief, advice, skeptical stance, friendships, sonnets, solidarity, etc.



Well, there's the possibility of making new friendships. At TAM 5, I managed to meet several Ottawa-area skeptics that I had never met before, and when I got home, was able to get more involved in the groups they were working with. Couldn't have done that just hanging out with forumites.

Find a balance, I'd say.

[The Central Scrutinizer]

There will be a Forum table at the conference, which was Kitty's idea. I intend to be there as much as possible trying to explain/attract/rationalize/seduce new people into joining the forum.

I have a feeling we will be getting lots of new forum members in the coming weeks. :)

[RSLancastr]

I have a feeling we will be getting lots of new forum members in the coming weeks. :)I, for one, will claim I have never been to the forum before. :D

[hcmom]

I've already said this... I will go naked before I will wear anything that revealing! :p

Uh.... are you suggesting that I sit on your lap while you are wearing NOTHING?!? :halo:

[Cleon]

I, for one, will claim I have never been to the forum before. :D

And I, for one, will be there to see how your wife reacts. :D