What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas!
Jul 16 '06 (Updated Aug 22 '06)
The Bottom Line Welcome to Las Vegas, Epinions
When I heard after Christmas that eBay was coming to Las Vegas for eBay Live 2006 I started hoping that Epinions would follow behind and announce a Meet And Greet in Las Vegas. With the last MnG, I had to travel over 4 hours by car to the quote/unquote Southern California Meet and Greet. This time, my travel was not 4 hours – only 4 miles.
Sickness has not been kind to me. My wife and I were scheduled to attend the first San Francisco Meet and Greet in November of 2003 but I fell sick and had to cancel at the last moment. My wife and I had a great time at the Southern California Meet in March of 2004 but it was my wife this time who fell ill for the Las Vegas Meet and Greet in 2006. Laura wanted me to make sure to include all her well wishes to Epinions writers and staff and apologizes for not making it. I told her what great mashed potatoes she missed!
As a local I got a small sly smile a little bit about knowing exactly where to go after parking my car. There were several tourists who’s first step out of the elevator was “where do I go?”. Yet I knew to walk past Rum Jungle on my left…pass the headless Stalin statue and bathroom and head around the corner to my far northern-right to the House of Blues restaurant. Walk pass the gift shop and pass a crowd enjoying a light lunch, up three stairs – and to arrived at the Las Vegas Epinions Meet and Greet.
I am horrible with names. So unlike many of my fellow Vegas reviewers I apologize for not bolding names... My notepad was detained by Casino security.
My first mental notation was how small the Meet and Greet was. Not small in terms of attendees but in terms of space. The tardy attendees like myself had to stand all the time while the early birds had made their nest in the 3 to 4 sit down tables that existed although there were 2 to 3 standing only tables. My second mental notation was to help find my nametag which had somehow disappeared. They found it in a briefcase. I thought to myself “never arrive late to an Epinions Meet and Greet”.
I walked past many good writers that I unfortunately didn’t talk to because of my low self-confidence. Being me, I went for the dinner and enjoyed it all especially the very tasty mashed potatoes that I took a picture of – so my wife could live vicariously through it.
Being a late bloomer I wormed my way into a table and listed attentively as two members talked. I listed and after eating some of the mouth-watering mashed potato’s I interjected a little. It was then that Garrett walked up and said “I’ll be back to talk to you” – and sure enough he did. We small talked about Epinions and life and I thank him for making me (and others as I observed) feel welcome at the Las Vegas Meet and Greet. It is no wonder that he has become an Epinions Celebrity.
After eating I walked up towards the bar on my left and found my way to a table where three engaged individuals were discussing items. I found a cheerful colorful person who loved almost everything, an Epinions engineer who enjoyed getting out of the office, and a girl who loved to listen – like myself – and respond accordingly. I spent quite some time at this table. And, I enjoyed every minute of it.
Time came for the grand drawing and in the end some girl who was moving to London won the award. The funny thing is, I had the number just one digit before hers – which could have meant that my ill wife may have just lost me a brand new iPod. What are the odds? This is Vegas.
One of my highlights of this Meet and Greet was to meet the guy who takes photographs professionally for weddings and has a name of a popular rollercoaster ride at Six Flags Magic Mountains in CA. We talked writing, we talked cameras, we talked Vegas, we talked about drinks in the future. Email me.
I was surprised at how many Epinions’ Members were still around for the curtain call. I have been to weddings in Las Vegas that the groom has disappeared and where wedding parties gamble more than they toast. At the House of Blues we were told to leave and very slowly we left. We were not ready for the Meet and Greet to end.
I, unfortunately knew exactly where to go once nudged out onto the Casino floor. I turned the corner, walked pass the headless statue, pass the flames on my right and to the elevators on my left and drove down Koval, to Tropicana, to Mountain Vista, to DI, to Aloha, and to home…And to my wife.
Thanks Epinions for everything…
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
lynus
|
 - Top 200 |
|
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Reviews written: 584
Trusted by: 169 members
About Me:
Slowly trying to get back to the thick of things.
|
|
|
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.