What Happens in Vegas...
It’s been a tiring week, as conference weeks usually are. And as usual, I had a good time but am grateful to be back home.
The conference opened Monday night with dinner, followed by an improv performance by the guys from Whose Line Is It Anyway? A cool entertainment choice, and they were hilarious, despite lackluster audience participation. Let this be a lesson to them. Take volunteers, who are obviously willing to ham it up, rather than choose audience members randomly at the risk of picking the most uptight people there, especially when those people didn't make a conscious choice to attend.
After the show, we hit the hotel casino, and over the course of the night, I lost 30 bucks playing craps, which sounds like a small amount, but there were wild fluctuations, which stressed me out, not to mention the fact that I simply hate gambling. And they kept bringing me complimentary drinks, which doesn’t mix well with me, and I was surrounded by guys blowing second-hand smoke in my face! So at that point I decided I had had enough…for the week. What was I doing there? At least I got the gambling out of my system quickly, I suppose, and without too much damage to my wallet (my lungs were another matter).
Tuesday night was another dinner, this time followed by Google Idol 2. The first one (at the prior conference) was a traditional singing contest, but this time the format was wide open, and the winner was a spot-on (and I mean spot-on) rendition of the famous More Cowbell SNL skit (thanks for the link, Russ). Brilliant work by the Boston office, especially the two guys who filled the Will Ferrell and Chris Walken roles. People were crying with laughter, and I’m not sure who found it funnier: those who knew of the SNL skit, or those who didn’t.
After Idol, people once again flooded to the casino and bars (who the hell decided to have this thing in Vegas???), but I opted for the gym with Amer, and surprise surprise, we had the run of the place. Where did all the social interaction go? This was our best option for the night?
For me, the thing I enjoy most about these events is getting to see friends from the other offices that I’ve visited over the years, but over the first two days, the conference had failed in this regard. The days were jam-packed with events, but there was very little opportunity to just hang out with everyone, and the nights scattered people everywhere. So Wednesday was a nice change of pace. The sessions (including the always popular Upcoming Products session by the PMs) finished early in the day, and dinner was very informal, so I was finally able to catch up with a lot of folks. Now I'm no schmoozer, but I'm talking about friends that I hadn't even seen up to that point. It made me feel much better about the event, which up to that point had been fun and action-packed but still left me cold (and it was 105 degrees!).
That last night, they loaded up a bunch of buses to take people to the Strip, but I was more excited about the spectacular lightning storm that hit the area. This was the best shot I could manage, overlooking the lake:
I did end up hitting the casino with Tomas and Amer for an hour, but only to play some video poker, because the guys had never played before, which was unbelievable to me, so I had to teach them the game. :) I ended up winning 45 bucks to finish + $15 for the trip. Woo hoo! I still hate gambling.
Anyway, back to 75-degree weather, no-smoking laws, and general sanity. No more Vegas conferences, please!!!
The conference opened Monday night with dinner, followed by an improv performance by the guys from Whose Line Is It Anyway? A cool entertainment choice, and they were hilarious, despite lackluster audience participation. Let this be a lesson to them. Take volunteers, who are obviously willing to ham it up, rather than choose audience members randomly at the risk of picking the most uptight people there, especially when those people didn't make a conscious choice to attend.
After the show, we hit the hotel casino, and over the course of the night, I lost 30 bucks playing craps, which sounds like a small amount, but there were wild fluctuations, which stressed me out, not to mention the fact that I simply hate gambling. And they kept bringing me complimentary drinks, which doesn’t mix well with me, and I was surrounded by guys blowing second-hand smoke in my face! So at that point I decided I had had enough…for the week. What was I doing there? At least I got the gambling out of my system quickly, I suppose, and without too much damage to my wallet (my lungs were another matter).
Tuesday night was another dinner, this time followed by Google Idol 2. The first one (at the prior conference) was a traditional singing contest, but this time the format was wide open, and the winner was a spot-on (and I mean spot-on) rendition of the famous More Cowbell SNL skit (thanks for the link, Russ). Brilliant work by the Boston office, especially the two guys who filled the Will Ferrell and Chris Walken roles. People were crying with laughter, and I’m not sure who found it funnier: those who knew of the SNL skit, or those who didn’t.
After Idol, people once again flooded to the casino and bars (who the hell decided to have this thing in Vegas???), but I opted for the gym with Amer, and surprise surprise, we had the run of the place. Where did all the social interaction go? This was our best option for the night?
For me, the thing I enjoy most about these events is getting to see friends from the other offices that I’ve visited over the years, but over the first two days, the conference had failed in this regard. The days were jam-packed with events, but there was very little opportunity to just hang out with everyone, and the nights scattered people everywhere. So Wednesday was a nice change of pace. The sessions (including the always popular Upcoming Products session by the PMs) finished early in the day, and dinner was very informal, so I was finally able to catch up with a lot of folks. Now I'm no schmoozer, but I'm talking about friends that I hadn't even seen up to that point. It made me feel much better about the event, which up to that point had been fun and action-packed but still left me cold (and it was 105 degrees!).
That last night, they loaded up a bunch of buses to take people to the Strip, but I was more excited about the spectacular lightning storm that hit the area. This was the best shot I could manage, overlooking the lake:
I did end up hitting the casino with Tomas and Amer for an hour, but only to play some video poker, because the guys had never played before, which was unbelievable to me, so I had to teach them the game. :) I ended up winning 45 bucks to finish + $15 for the trip. Woo hoo! I still hate gambling.
Anyway, back to 75-degree weather, no-smoking laws, and general sanity. No more Vegas conferences, please!!!
posted by Chang Kim at Thursday, June 08, 2006
8 Comments:
was wayne brady there? dude, how can you not like gambling? the rush! the adrenaline! dangit, i sound like bill walton
p.s. go mavs
what about the strippers?
Up, that's only because you weren't gambling and drinking with me. Next time...
I gotta fever and the only prescription is more cowbell.
More Cowbell
No Wayne Brady. He was too busy choking a bitch.
No strippers, either. Sorry Gerald. But if you would finally install that pole you keep promising...
True, Russell, I did enjoy my one other time gambling, but it was less the gambling and more the general environment (read: people). Plus, I don't count on being that lucky all of the time. It was still stressful!
I want to see the More Cowbell skit, but Chang's blog is so popular that NBC requested that the video be taken down... :)
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