West Coast Art & Frame Expo January 2014

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walknonsunshine

CGF II, Certified Grumble Framer Level 2
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Aug 16, 2012
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I know this early....but is anyone buying tickets or making preparations yet?

The conference dates are 19-22nd and the Trade Show dates 20-22nd.

http://s19.a2zinc.net/clients/ezhobbypub/wcaf14/public/MainHall.aspx


What day do you normally arrive? Leave?

Is it necessary to rent a car or is just taking a shuttle from the airport to the motel sufficient?

Do you stay at the hotel where the expo is being held or just anywhere around that area?

I'm looking at tickets from Allegiant Air. So far the dates I need are not available. - unless I want to stay a whole week out there!! lol

Ok...just looking for your thoughts... :)
 
Never too early to plan.

This year the show has to a different hotel. You can book using the show discount but there are far better discounts available. Nearby hotels offer substantial savings too and shouldn't be overlooked. The host hotel show discount is 139.00 a night, but Harrah's is offering 40.00 a night. All hotels now have a resort fee added on top of your rate. Deals come and go quickly, so if you plan on attending keep your eyes out for any deals. Grumblers also post deals here for all to see. Bally's, usually available with cheaper rates, is attached to the Paris hotel.

A cab from the airport runs 12-20 dollars. Rental cars are expensive due to the high fees charged at the airport.

I try to arrive Saturday afternoon, so I can attend Sunday morning classes. I've left as early as Tuesday, but found staying until Thursday morning gave me the most time to see the exhibition floor and take a lot of classes.

There are Grumblers who meet up for daily breakfast and we have also gone out for dinner as a group.

Rob Markoff organizes an annual Chinese Buffet dinner and it's the highlight of many who attend the show.
 
walknonsunshine said:
I know this early....but is anyone buying tickets or making preparations yet?

The conference dates are 19-22nd and the Trade Show dates 20-22nd.

http://s19.a2zinc.net/clients/ezhobbypub/wcaf14/public/MainHall.aspx

What day do you normally arrive? Leave?

Is it necessary to rent a car or is just taking a shuttle from the airport to the motel sufficient?

Do you stay at the hotel where the expo is being held or just anywhere around that area?

I'm looking at tickets from Allegiant Air. So far the dates I need are not available. - unless I want to stay a whole week out there!! lol

Ok...just looking for your thoughts... :)
Click to expand...

This is the industry's only remaining 'big' show, and combines WCAF with the PPFA annual convention. This is where to go for education and to see the vendors in one place. You cant beat the prices to stay in Vegas, or the cost to get there. This year the events are moving from the Mirage hotel to the Paris Hotel and Convention Center.

There are other shows and events also, from several local moulding distributors (TC, DonMar, LJ, etc) and from all PPFA chapters. The organizers of the former Decor show are also planning to have an introductory event/show next April in NY, at the piers. (there's a thread for that one, too)

The WCAF/PPFA classes run Sunday-Wednesday, and the trade show (vendor) floor is open Monday-Wednesday. There are usually some events Saturday, for PPFA and other groups. A lot of people seem to fly in either Friday or Saturday, and leave Wed night or Thur morning.

I usually book the flights and hotels in September, when Southwest has their annual sale. I don't think the class schedules and registration are finalized and active until November.

We usually stay at the host hotel, except last year. (we stayed across the street last year, which was very convenient) The host hotel will usually cost a bit more, but it's pretty convenient if you want to run up to your room to take a break, etc. We're at a new venue, and the prices haven't been announced yet. I'm sure there will be plenty of talk about it here, as we get closer.

We always take a shuttle to/from the airport and hotel. They are all over the place outside of the baggage claim area. There is also a line there if you would rather take a taxi, which costs a lot more - unless you are sharing it with friends.

Everything in vegas itself is pretty much within walking distance, or easy to get to with a monorail or taxi ride. Having a car would probably be more of an expense and nuisance than anything, unless you plan to visit other nearby attractions or cities.

Shuttles:
http://www.shuttlelasvegas.com ($7 one way/$13 round trip) Door #11 from the baggage claim area.
http://www.bell-trans.com/shuttle.php ($7 one way/$13 round trip) Door #9 from the baggage claim area.
http://executivelasvegas.com/airport-service/ ($6 one way/$12 round trip) Door #8 from the baggage claim area

If taking a taxi, make sure the driver doesn't try to "take you for a ride". (via the unnecessary highway) It's supposed to be illegal but they do it regularly, to get your taxi bill up in the $25-$30 area.

The only downside to the shuttles is that they tend to stop at a few different hotels, with each trip. It's still pretty fast, though. Plus. you get a free mini "tour" of the strip :)

Hope that I answered all of your questions! :)

Mike
 
Mike Labbe @ GTP said:
If taking a taxi, make sure the driver doesn't try to "take you for a ride". (via the unnecessary highway) It's supposed to be illegal but they do it regularly, to get your taxi bill up in the $25-$30 area.
Click to expand...

This is spot on. Very first time I ever went I got taken and when I pulled up to the hotel to meet a friend (who was more experienced with Vegas) and he heard the price he flew off the handle on the cabbie, called over the bellman and caught the cabbie trying to do it. I guess I was a rube. The shuttle is the way to go.
 
As we get closer more and more people will post their plans and generally are always willing to accept more company in the group :)
 
Taxi is the way to go unless you are A) by yourself and B) don't mind taking a bit longer to get to your hotel, then take one of the shuttles. If there are 2-3 of you traveling together it will almost certainly be cheaper to take a taxi as long as you don't take the highway. When we were there last week the cab driver asked us "do you want the highway or surface streets?", I guess that way they can say you asked for the highway if you are a rookie and take that option.

As for a place to stay, there are cheaper places to stay, but especially with the show being at the Paris this year I will highly recommend the Platinum Hotel. It's in easy walking distance (one block), but off the strip so it's much quieter. There also is no casino, and no smoking anywhere in the building (they have a $500 penalty if they detect any indication of you smoking in the room or even on the balcony). It's an "all-suite" hotel, meaning that all the rooms are suites with, at minimum, one bedroom and a full kitchen with dining area. You could even SAVE money staying there if you cook your own meals, and they even offer a grocery delivery service where you can pre-order your groceries and they will be in the room when you arrive. The staff is very nice and eager to help. They have a car service too (so you don't need to wait for a taxi) and the drivers are all friendly. The only disadvantage IMO is that they don't have a dinner restaurant (breakfast/lunch only, plus a bar with light fare), although they do have room service with a dinner menu, and even have a "family style" dinner offering, and all their food is very reasonably priced for Vegas. Lastly, if you do decide to rent a car (if you've never been in the desert I highly recommend driving around for a day at least - maybe go to Canyon of Fire or Red Rock Canyon), they have complimentary valet parking.

As for how long to stay, it depends what you want out of the trip. If you just want to take a couple classes and see the trade show plan on arriving one day, two days for the show and then leave the next day. If you want the fullest WCAF experience, arrive the day before the conference starts and leave the day after the show is over. If you want to take advantage of being in southern Nevada, and go see the Grand Canyon, or Hoover Dam or Death Valley or whatever, then add as many days on as you want to for sightseeing.
 
pwalters said:
This is spot on. Very first time I ever went I got taken and when I pulled up to the hotel to meet a friend (who was more experienced with Vegas) and he heard the price he flew off the handle on the cabbie, called over the bellman and caught the cabbie trying to do it. I guess I was a rube. The shuttle is the way to go.
Click to expand...

This is sooooo true. I have attended numerous PMA and now WCAF conventions in LV. I no longer take cabs from the airport but take the shuttle buses that offer a fair round trip ticket as mentioned above. But I found over the years the cab driver's trick is to ask if this is your time to Vegas. If you say "Yes" then you get the full highway tour to your hotel and the high priced fare that goes with it. However, I once took a cab from the airport to the Flamingo. The cabbie didn't ask me if it was my first time, but decided to do the full highway tour anyway. I knew better. When we got to the Flamingo I let him know I knew what he had done. He sheepishly reduced the fare to where it should have been.

If you are looking to get a great hotel/airfare package, Black Friday offers some great deals through Expedia & Orbitz. Also join one hotel/casino reward clubs where you will get e-mails on hotel packages they might be offering. Typically LV is fairly quiet after CES in early January to Super Bowl weekend in early February. This is a good time to get a good deal or a nice upgrade to your hotel package.

Looking forward to the show!
 
A shuttle can turn a 10 minute ride into an hour. Take a taxi, but tell the driver to take Tropicana to the boulevard (Las Vegas Boulevard) that way you won't get "long-hauled", as it is known. You may hit some traffic, but a driver down LVB is pretty cool, but the Paris is only a short ride as it's at the south end of the Strip.

I've actually found Vegas taxi drivers to be pretty good overall, and Vegas is considered to be one of the best places to be a taxi driver.
 
I agree with Paul. When I get to my destination airport, I ready to get to my final destination as soon as possible.
If you take a shuttle, you can end up waiting 15 minutes or longer waiting for the bus to fill up before ever departing. Then the bus is usually traveling to every
hotel on the strip dropping people off, and you might be the last to leave.
When I get to my destination I'm usually wanting to get to my hotel so I can get on with... site seeing, gambling, shopping, eating or whatever!
To me... it is worth the additional $10 to go taxi!



Z
 
Then again, I have waited in the taxi line over an hour (in the cold) in the past. Sometimes that line is so big it goes around 2 sides of the building - several times.

We usually take the shuttle to the hotel, and a taxi back to the airport. (a combo of both)

However you get there doesn't matter - just get there! :) hehe It's a great show, and you'll meet a lot of real nice people.
 
The less time you spend getting to your hotel the more time you can spend at the casino.

The more you save on that ride to the hotel the more you will have to spend at the casino.:smiley:

Doug
 
Mike Labbe @ GTP said:
We usually take the shuttle to the hotel, and a taxi back to the airport.
Click to expand...

AMEN

Last year I took a taxi to the Mirage..... told the guy to take Tropicana..... he still hit the highway
saying it was the only way out of the new airport.....

The Meter said $36..... I handed him a $20 and told him next time I would report him for "long hauling".
I showed him that I had written his name and hack number down. The twenty disappeared, and
he didn't say a word.
 
Just because they don't long haul you via the highway, doesn't mean they don't have tricks.

Last year I told the cabbie to take Paradise rather then Las Vegas Blvd. He took me all the way down to Sahara, then up to the blvd and back to the Mirage. When we arrived the meter read just short of 20.00

I handed him a twenty and he said, "no tip?", I told him he lost it when he took me all the way to Sahara.
 
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