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Okay, it looks like we are all set for the Las Vegas live events at the Bellagio on March 26-30 and April 2-4. Just so you know, this has been a very difficult process to secure space at the Bellagio this year because of two massive conventions that are there both weeks and it's also made it virtually impossible to get guest rooms at a discounted rate. So while I'm still trying to help on the last point, here's the details that everyone needs to know:

There is a convention at the Bellagio March 23-27 that has every single ballroom booked, all day every day. That is also one of the reasons why guest rooms are outrageously priced that week at the Bellagio and why it's been impossible to get a discounted room rate. We have had to be very creative to pull off our first two nights of events, so here you go:

Thursday, March 26th: Auction Championship & All-Star Auction will be held in Executive Penthouse Suites in the Spa Tower. I will announce the room numbers once I know them, but if you are staying at the Bellagio request a Spa Tower room. That will save you a lot of walking. These are 15-team leagues, so we'll have to be creative to get everyone into those boardrooms or just outside of them at separate tables, but we'll make this work and it will be a cool family-league-type of setup. I am negotiating for one more room for the NCAA Viewing Party, but we'll allow access to parts of the All-Star Auction for folks during the night. We have to work all of that out first and still work on the space for the party. But we are definitely upstairs and we'll meet in front of DaVinci Ballroom 4 to get upstairs starting at 4 pm PT. Should be fun.

Friday, March 27th: Just like Thursday, we are going to have to host the NL & AL Auctions plus the three Primetime Leagues in the Executive Penthouse Suites. We have two right now and we'll start the NL Auction at 10 am and the Primetime at 10 am in separate suites. The 10 am Auction Championship league is going to be held in a cool boardroom next to the Business Center downstairs. Look for our NFBC banner outside near the Business Center in the Convention Center. The 4 pm Auction Championship will also be in the same spot downstairs, so plan accordingly. If you come into the Convention Center from the casino, this is one of the first rooms you'll see after you walk past the swimming pool. You'll like this setup. The Friday Primetimes will fit perfectly in the Executive Penthouse Suite and we'll run those in the same room at 10 am, 1 pm and 5 pm. We'll also run the $1300 AL and NL Auctions in one of those suites as well. Getting everyone upstairs will be the biggest challenge, but we'll have plenty of food, drink and camaraderie in these rooms and again we'll announce the room numbers once we have them. While I know it's not great for those not drafting to hang around, we'll work with folks who still want to come upstairs to have access if needed. We'll work hard to make sure we have everyone nearby or with access to these suites. Should be fun and pretty unique.

Saturday, March 28th: The Main Events are scheduled for the Tower Ballrooms, which is an area just to the right of the DaVinci Rooms on the Spa Tower side. We have Tower Ballrooms 1-5 on Saturday and will close the walls for the private leagues on Saturday night. Again, all of those are in Towers 1-5 and we'll list where each one is located as we get closer to the live drafts. I do know the Platinum league at 6 pm is in Tower 5.

Sunday, March 29th: These private leagues will also be in the Tower Ballrooms and with walls up to keep each private. We have 10 am drafts and auctions and the 4 pm Diamond Auction. Brady Tinker will be the auctioneer for this one, for the Platinum on Saturday night and for the AL and NL Auction on Friday. Should be fun.

Monday, March 30th: We have a full Ultimate Draft League Online, but my suite is open for anyone who wants to draft up there and partake in the fun.

Wednesday-Thursday, April 1st and 2nd: Any Primetimes or Main Events that we fill mid-week also will be held in the Executive Penthouse suites. We'll finalize this plan once we get closer to Draft Day, but there is another convention there from March 30-April 3 that has most of the ballroom space.

Friday, April 3rd-Saturday, April 4th: We are back in the Tower ballrooms 1 and 2 for the weekend. No problems with space on the weekend.

So again, if you are staying at the Bellagio request the Spa Tower and you will have a 100 foot walk to the drafts from your elevator. Very easy on the feet. And if you want to come to the Executive Penthouse Suites, you'll already have access to those elevators from the Spa Tower. Easy enough.

It should be a GREAT TIME in Las Vegas starting with the Thursday night party and auctions all the way through the Second Weekend. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone and actually feeling the warmth of the sun again. Please let it be unbelievably hot out in Las Vegas for 12+ days!! Tom, myself, my brother Mike and Dean Peterson will all be there on the First Weekend in Las Vegas, and then Mike and myself will handle things on the Second Weekend. We are ready!!! Come join us and let's kick off our 12th season of live drafts in Las Vegas and the 6th straight year of live drafts at the beautiful Bellagio!!

Boy that sounds GREAT .... one of these days I will get back to Vegas, might have to be a vow renrewal

Captain Hook wrote:Boy that sounds GREAT .... one of these days I will get back to Vegas, might have to be a vow renrewal

"Honey, I love you so much! Hey! Let's renew our vows! It'll be so romantic!
No stone unturned. We'll do it at the Bellagio! I'll bring in a justice of the Peace.
Lets make it for the end of March or first of April.
Hey! We can even have some of your family come to keep you busy shopping....I mean so you'll have somebody to shop with!
In the mean time, I'll go amuse myself with some fellas in town for the weekend and we'll hook up late at night!
Sound like a plan, sweetheart? "

Very nefarious, Perry!

I believe Perry got married in Vegas during Year One of the NFBC.

The man certainly knows what he's doing!

Greg - this may be a little too early to ask, but what would be the probability of having power strips available for laptops on the first weekend?

mdecav wrote:Greg - this may be a little too early to ask, but what would be the probability of having power strips available for laptops on the first weekend?

The rules clearly state we don't provide power. It's for a couple of reasons, but mainly because every room doesn't have access to power in every area. At the Bellagio, for instance, some leagues are up against airwalls that don't have power outlets, while some leagues will be up against a wall that does have access. If you are in the middle of the room, it's not easy to provide power to every owner. Everyone has access to power up during the breaks in every city and that's what we will provide.

Greg Ambrosius wrote:

mdecav wrote:Greg - this may be a little too early to ask, but what would be the probability of having power strips available for laptops on the first weekend?

The rules clearly state we don't provide power. It's for a couple of reasons, but mainly because every room doesn't have access to power in every area. At the Bellagio, for instance, some leagues are up against airwalls that don't have power outlets, while some leagues will be up against a wall that does have access. If you are in the middle of the room, it's not easy to provide power to every owner. Everyone has access to power up during the breaks in every city and that's what we will provide.

I wasn't aware if the rules were stale on that point. When I was in New York last year power was supplied for both of my live events so my thinking was this is unique to each location. Given the nature of how things were working on that first weekend in Vegas I wasn't sure if it would be available.

mdecav wrote:

Greg Ambrosius wrote:

mdecav wrote:Greg - this may be a little too early to ask, but what would be the probability of having power strips available for laptops on the first weekend?

The rules clearly state we don't provide power. It's for a couple of reasons, but mainly because every room doesn't have access to power in every area. At the Bellagio, for instance, some leagues are up against airwalls that don't have power outlets, while some leagues will be up against a wall that does have access. If you are in the middle of the room, it's not easy to provide power to every owner. Everyone has access to power up during the breaks in every city and that's what we will provide.

I wasn't aware if the rules were stale on that point. When I was in New York last year power was supplied for both of my live events so my thinking was this is unique to each location. Given the nature of how things were working on that first weekend in Vegas I wasn't sure if it would be available.

I could be remembering incorrectly, but I don't recall power being available for the draft tables themselves at any of the live draft locations I've attended over the years, whether LV, NYC, AC, or yuck Mahwah. It's always been first come first serve to an available wall outlet along the perimeter of the room or at a column.

It brings back a memory of my first LV visit with the NFBC in 2012. My laptop battery went dead days before leaving for Vegas and I couldn't get a replacement in time, so I needed to be plugged in throughout the drafts rather than just recharging during the breaks. I had to buy a 100 foot extension cord and run it across the draft room to a perimeter wall in order to remain powered up. It wasn't so bad for the isolated individual drafts and auctions, but it was another story for the Main Event in its huge ballroom. I used pretty much the entire 100 feet to reach a perimeter wall outlet. I did have to pay an OSHA fine for the tripping hazard I created. Though besides Juprinka, I don't think anyone actually fell. OK, I may be exaggerating when it comes to the fine (and maybe about Juprinka tripping as well), but it sure was a pain in the a$$.

That said, seeing Greg's post above brings a reality to the fact that in only 30 days, the first of those drafts/auctions he listed will be taking place. It's starting to feel real and I just cannot wait.

Advantage...low tech!

Edwards Kings wrote:Advantage...low tech!

Looks like RT's draft supplies have arrived. Now he just has to steal a cardboard panel form a homeless guy on a Vegas street corner

Having the auctions and Primetime drafts up in the suites on Thursday and Friday could be a lot of fun, and certainly a little different. As long as everyone is a little patient and flexible, I think the events could end up being a real hoot in that environment. Its bringing back fond memories of my first NFBC draft back in St. Louis held in the cozy confines of Albert Pujols' fine restaurant. I'm looking forward to participating.

For those of you who plan on trying to pick up women (non-pro version) in Vegas, might need to make other plans...

We don't have the room numbers yet for everything on Friday, March 27th in Las Vegas, but we are getting close to finalizing everything. This has been the most hectic year we've ever had at the Bellagio and I can explain why later, but trust me that the Bellagio will be JAM PACKED on Thursday-Friday, March 26-27 thanks to a huge convention there. Good luck everyone.

Here are the ballrooms for four of the days in Las Vegas, so write these down:

LAS VEGAS BELLAGIO
Saturday, March 28th
10 am PT Main Events 1-5: In Tower Ballrooms 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 (these are located right next to DaVinci Ballrooms)
4 pm PT: NFBC Primetime: Tower Ballroom 1
5 pm PT: NFBC Ultimate Auction: Tower Ballroom 3
6 pm PT: NFBC Platinum League: Tower Ballroom 5

Sunday, March 29th
10 a.m. PT: NFBC Auction Championship in Tower Ballroom 1
10 a.m. PT: NFBC Diamond Draft League in Tower Ballroom 2
10 a.m. PT: NFBC 15-Team Super League in Penthouse Suite (look for email from Greg)
4 p.m. PT: NFBC Diamond Auction League in Tower Ballroom 3

Friday, April 3rd
10 a.m. PT: NFBC Auction Championship in Tower Ballroom 3
4 p.m. PT: NFBC Auction Championship in Tower Ballroom 2
4 p.m. PT: NFBC Primetime in Tower Ballroom 3

Saturday, April 4th
10 a.m. PT: NFBC Main Event in Tower Ballroom 2, 3
4 p.m. PT: NFBC Primetime in Tower Ballroom 3

We'll provide the room numbers and the schedule for Thursday-Friday's events shortly. We're just working on a few more things with the Bellagio for those, but this part above should help everyone plan ahead. Thanks all and safe travels.

Okay, we finally have everything figured out for the two weekends at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. This took a lot of work to secure this meeting room space this year and it will take a lot of work to get everyone in the right rooms, but dammit we're going to get it right!!

Here's the plan and then I'll explain a little better:

LAS VEGAS BELLAGIO
Thursday, March 26th
4 pm PT: NCAA Viewing Party in Spa Tower, Room # To Be Announced on Thursday; come to DaVinci Ballroom 4 by the windows and we'll bring folks upstairs from 4-8 pm
6 pm PT: NFBC All-Star Auction: Spa Tower, Room TBD; meet by DaVinci Ballroom 4 between 4 and 6 pm to get upstairs
6 pm PT: NFBC Auction Championship: Spa Tower, Room TBD; meet by DaVinci Ballroom 4 between 4 and 6 pm to get upstairs

Friday, March 27th
10 am PT: NFBC Auction Championship: Sales Boardroom next to Bellagio Business Center in the Convention Center
10 am PT: NFBC $1300 NL Auction: Spa Tower, Room TBD; meet by DaVinci Ballroom 4 between 9 and 9:45 am to get upstairs
10 am PT: NFBC Primetime: Spa Tower, Room TBD; meet by DaVinci Ballroom 4 between 9 and 9:45 am to get upstairs
1 pm PT: NFBC Primetime: Spa Tower, Room TBD; meet by DaVinci Ballroom 4 between 12 and 12:45 pm to get upstairs
4 pm PT: NFBC Primetime: Spa Tower, Room TBD; meet by DaVinci Ballroom 4 between 3 and 3:45 pm to get upstairs
4 pm PT: NFBC $1300 AL Auction: Spa Tower, Room TBD; meet by DaVinci Ballroom 4 between 3 and 3:45 pm to get upstairs
4 pm PT: NFBC Auction Championship: Sales Boardroom next to Bellagio Business Center in the Convention Center
9 pm PT: NFBC Platinum FAAB Draft Spot Bidding: Spa Tower, Room TBD; meet by DaVinci Ballroom 4 by 9 pm to get upstairs
If you need help to get upstairs, call me at 715-254-5553 or Tom at 715-254-5559

Saturday, March 28th
10 am PT Main Events 1-5: In Tower Ballrooms 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 (these are located right next to DaVinci Ballrooms)
4 pm PT: NFBC Primetime: Tower Ballroom 1
5 pm PT: NFBC Ultimate Auction: Tower Ballroom 3
6 pm PT: NFBC Platinum League: Tower Ballroom 5

Sunday, March 29th
10 a.m. PT: NFBC Auction Championship in Tower Ballroom 1
10 a.m. PT: NFBC Diamond Draft League in Tower Ballroom 2
10 a.m. PT: NFBC 15-Team Super League in Penthouse Suite (look for email from Greg)
4 p.m. PT: NFBC Diamond Auction League in Tower Ballroom 3

Friday, April 3rd
10 a.m. PT: NFBC Auction Championship in Tower Ballroom 3
4 p.m. PT: NFBC Auction Championship in Tower Ballroom 2
4 p.m. PT: NFBC Primetime in Tower Ballroom 3

Saturday, April 4th
10 a.m. PT: NFBC Main Event in Tower Ballroom 2, 3
4 p.m. PT: NFBC Primetime in Tower Ballroom 3

The bottom line is that there is a convention at the Bellagio Monday through Friday that has every single meeting room in the Bellagio Convention Center. I was worried that we might not even return to the Bellagio this year, but the weekend space opened up for us and we are getting creative on Friday. I know we're going to be spread out, but I think this is going to work well. The two Friday Auction Championship leagues will be in an executive boardroom and the picks will be on a 90-inch HD TV for all to see. The 12-team Primetimes and AL/NL Auctions will fit perfectly upstairs in that boardroom and give it a home-league feel to it. We are limited on our food options, so be understanding there, but we'll get creative and make up for it with the bar selections!! This is going to be fun and we'll make sure to get folks who want to hang out can get upstairs.

Thanks all and print this schedule out!! I'll continue to update it as we know more.