Monte Carlo To Host Sunday, April 2nd Diamond Leagues

[Greg Ambrosius]

We have great space for the NFBC drafts in Las Vegas this year at the Bellagio, but there is a conference coming in on Sunday, April 2nd that has taken the complete space in the ballrooms. There is not even one ballroom available to us, not even the Executive Boardroom. We have only 3 events that day max, but keeping them at the Bellagio is going to be tough.

So here's our options:
1) We have a ballroom reserved at the Monte Carlo for the Diamond Draft at 10 am (and the Auction Championship if we fill it) and one for the Diamond Auction at 4 pm. We'd do these Diamond leagues at the Monte Carlo in Ballroom 6. We did this for football as well and it worked out very well. The Tram takes you right from the Bellagio to the Monte Carlo for anyone who is staying at the Bellagio.

2) I do have the Executive Penthouse Suite at the Bellagio if that was a better option for the Diamond Draft. I don't want to do the Diamond Auction up there because we need to spread out, but right now it looks like at least 10 of 15 Diamond drafters will be in Las Vegas with us. So that is an option, but I think the Monte Carlo works better for a high-dollar league like this than the suite.

We'll definitely host the Diamond Auction at the Monte Carlo and the Auction Championship if that one fills (I hope it does). And I'll email the Diamond drafters now for feedback. Thanks all.

I apologize that we can't hold these final events at the Bellagio. My sales rep tried and tried, and we held out hope as long as we could. But we couldn't get even one boardroom and now it's time to find the perfect option. Again, the Monte Carlo worked great for our football Platinum League and I know we'll be fine there to close the season out. But it would be better if we could just stay at the Bellagio.

Sorry, but this should work. Here's the signup lists for our Diamond leagues and you can expect several emails from me to make sure we're all in the same location. Thanks all and look for that email shortly.

DIAMOND DRAFT LEAGUE
LAS VEGAS/ONLINE
Sunday, April 2, 10 am PT
1. Leonard Ringle, New York, New York
2. Joe Berg, Fullerton, California
3. K.C. Cha, Los Angeles, California
4. Derek Pierson, St. Louis, Missouri
5. Bill Phipps/Eric Kesselman, San Francisco, California
6. Mark Roberts, Altamonte Springs, Florida
7. Nic Cassavetes, Los Angeles, California
8. Jim Ferrari, San Diego, California
9. Patrick Gagne & Emmett Ruland, Sutton, Quebec
10. Gaetan Lavoie and Dan Semsel, Dorval, Quebec
11. Larry Schechter, Boca Raton, Florida
12. Doug Moe, San Antonio, Texas
13. Donn Johnson, Atlanta, Georgia
14. Glenn Lowy, Farmingville, New York
15. Bill Loughlin/Ken O'Brien, Monaca, Pennsylvania

NFBC DIAMOND AUCTION LEAGUE
LAS VEGAS
Sunday, April 2, 4 pm PT
1. Glenn Schroter, Whitestone, New York
2. Ross Longood, Salem, Oregon
3. Jon Stadtmueller, Little Rock, Arkansas
4. Will Tyrer, Beverly Hills, California
5. Sean Miller, Boulder, Colorado
6. Dave Potts, Auburn, Alabama
7. Glenn Lowy, Farmingville, New York
8. Shawn Childs/David Hubbard, Forestville, Massachusetts
9. Nic Cassavetes, Los Angeles, California
10. Jim Ferrari, San Diego, California
11. Thomas Warner, Houston, Texas
12. Jason Duponte, Natick, Massachusetts
13. Matthew Shepherd, Napa, California
14. Bill Phipps, San Francisco, California
15. KJ Duke, San Diego, California

[Greg Ambrosius]

Just a reminder to everyone in the Diamond Draft and Auction Leagues that Sunday's events are at the Monte Carlo. We also added a Sunday Auction Championship League, which is also at the Monte Carlo now starting at 10 am. Just head to the Registration desk at the Monte Carlo and you'll see a set of elevators (2). Take the elevator to the 2nd floor and look for East Ballroom 6 and 7. Tom, Mike and me will be stationed upstairs and downstairs to direct you to the right location. If you take the Tram from the Bellagio, the Monte Carlo is the second stop. Just get off there, go down the escalator, through the food court and you'll see the Registration area and the elevators. I'm sorry to move Sunday's events to the Monte Carlo, but a huge convention is moving in on Sunday and taking every single ballroom here.

We have drinks throughout and lunch at 12:30 for the morning ones and dinner at 6:30 for the Diamond Auction. Plan accordingly. Thanks.

[Greg Ambrosius]

Okay, so I went to the Monte Carlo today and the ballrooms that we are drafting in ARE NOT the same ones we hosted for football in September. I will email everyone who is drafting on Sunday this information several times this week, but here are the exact directions to our draft spot on Sunday at the Monte Carlo:

WHERE: Monte Carlo East Ballroom 6 and 7. Look for the Buffet, take the escalator up one floor and the East Ballrooms 6-8 are right at the top of the escalator

WHEN: Sunday, April 2nd 10 am PT for the Diamond Draft (East Ballroom 6) and Auction Championship (East Ballroom 7). The Diamond Auction will begin at 4 pm PT in East Ballroom 6.

DIRECTIONS: If you come into the Monte Carlo casino from the front -- off the Strip -- the Buffet is visible to the right. Take the escalators just before the buffet up one floor and you'll walk right into the ballrooms.

Anyone coming on the Tram from the Bellagio, take the 2nd stop, which is the Monte Carlo. You then take the escalator down and follow a long hallway that is under construction. It's a long walk with walls on either side (all of the shops have been removed). You will see the Food Court but go into the casino. Once in the casino take a left and walk straight for 200 yards or so toward the front entrance. You will see the Buffet on the left and right after the Buffet is an escalator that goes up one floor. At the top of the escalator is East Ballroom 6-8.

If anyone wants guidance there I'll personally meet you at the Bellagio on Sunday morning and walk everyone over to the Monte Carlo. Let's meet at DaVinci 4 at 9 am PT on Sunday and then I will walk everyone to the Tram and to this Monte Carlo ballroom. I'll have someone else there at 9:15 am PT. So I'll make sure we take two trips over there together if that helps. It will take 15 minutes to go from the Bellagio to the Monte Carlo ballrooms. Sound good?

The Monte Carlo is building a whole new Convention Center where the pools were, so that side of the casino is under construction. We are at the other side, but in a couple of years they will have a lot more space.

We have two big ballrooms (almost too big) for our separate drafts. Should be easy, easy once we get them rolling. Thanks all and good luck. And I will send emails to everyone with this information. Thanks.

[Greg Ambrosius]

I just want to say a special THANK YOU to everyone who participated in Sunday's Diamond Draft & Auction and the Auction Championship at the Monte Carlo. It's never ideal to switch hotels mid-stream, but everyone arrived early and in good fashion for all three events. Thanks again and sorry for the inconvenience.

I thought the Monte Carlo setup was really nice and they actually added 8 foot tables instead of 6 foot tables, which gave us extra space. Sometimes it can be too much space, but it worked well. They also did a nice job with lunch and dinner, so thanks to everyone who made it work there.

Personally, the Bellagio setup is the best anywhere and most of our guys are very familiar with the location of the ballrooms by now. It is so convenient when we have the DaVinci ballrooms because if you stay at the Bellagio it's an easy walk from the Spa Tower and if you come off the Tram from Aria, Vdarra, Monte Carlo or Cosmopolitan the ballrooms are right at the base of the escalator. So we always try for that area.

But business is really picking up for all of the Las Vegas hotels when it comes to convention space and the Bellagio is sometimes full months and years in advance. It's hard to believe that they can fill up every single ballroom there, but they do consistently. In fact, this year we were book-ended both times by software conventions that brought in over 3,500 attendees per show. In fact, actor Will Smith was the guest speaker on Wednesday, March 22nd to the convention that preceded our First Weekend. Getting space there every year won't be easy, but thankfully we have good sales people there who know what we need and they do all they can to accommodate us. Let's keep our fingers crossed that next March works for us again.

[poopytooth]

i wasn't in Las Vegas, but if you ever want to understand why people consistently come back to NFBC and why it is the best contest out there, read this thread. Greg and Tom care about all of us. If you are missing that, please read again.