At least I have the common courtesy to leave you with Hooters waitresses.

wow... Yeah, I just have to post in this thread. This is definitely trade show learning curve and this particular dinner rings special to me.

I was in the lobby at the hotel in LA hanging out with Shane and Jim from COHF and then before I knew it we were outside with the great folks from GTS waiting to go out for dinner. I was excited, any chance to take clients out to dinner and spend some quality time is awesome. I didn't organize this by any stretch of the imagination and didn't make my intentions to pay for everyone known because thats just something I like to do near the end and suprise people. Any opportunity to even be in a small group of even people I don't know, non clients, is also fantastic, I always jump at them because they are a chance for some quality conversation and to get to know new people. I've never gone along for a free ride, I feel especially after six years that giving back to people that may have taken me out when I was new is important.

So Rhonda from New Sensations, a special MojoHost client, is also outside with a colleague of hers that I wanted to meet and talk to. Simultaneously, I am thinking in my head now how can I introduce her to the other clients so that they might all do some business. So, I invite the two ladies to join us for dinner thinking this is a win-win-win.

Well, maybe 20 minutes go by and now there is this crowd of seemingly 20+ people and they all get on the free shuttle taking us over to the restaraunt. We get there and it seems I'm the last to the table... they sat us inside, and there was one open seat by COHF and GTS - cool for me - but open seats for the two I invited are at the ass end of the table.. topping this off, I'm noting that my guests, myself and several others are all smokers and would have preferred a table outside in the nice mild evening with a view of the electronic bull.

I'm not even half in my seat and I'm staring around with a couple realizations. First, this isn't the intimate dinner I thought it was going to be. It's going to be loud, I don't know one whole half of the table.. And the two I had invited were not yet sat, still outside having a cigarette and visiting with another table of people they knew before making their way in. And then my 6th sense kicks in about the bill. I assess the situation and decide it's FUBAR. I'm not going to be able to interact with everyone I want and as I'm looking around the table I get a feeling that I'm going to have to pick up the whole thing because the only people I knew would pony up would be GTS and COHF, of which I never would have let that happen.

So, I'm not even completely in my seat and the waitstaff comes around and takes my drink order for a RedBull and Vodka and I'm seeing the futility of what is about to transpire and stressing that the other two I brought along won't be seated proper when they come in, let alone having the ability to get them engaged with all the guys that I know would be able to potentially do business with them. Now I am forseeing that I will not meet any of my goals here and additionally be stuck with a thousand dollar bill. I'd wine and dine those that were my clients at any expense, but it is an irritant to me when you end up with a large group and "all the other people" just get up and bolt or don't even make an "acting" attempt to reach for their wallet and I just knew this was going to happen. I think quick and cancel my drink order.

Long story short... I apologized to Jim and Shane and told them I was going to dine outside with Rhonda and her friend. It was a hard choice to make but the reality of the situation is that I regularly get the pleasure of seeing these buddies all the time and maybe once a year get to see NSCash. Tought, but I made the call and just went with it.

We had a fantastic dinner, I had huge Texas french toast for dinner and loved it. So great, in fact, that I did get to appreciate an established client plus garnered a significant new one. This is what I travel for, this is what those of us that are serious travel for - new opportunities and appreciating and developing established ones.

At some point while eating outside, later, I saw a huge group pile out of the restaraunt - but not the whole group. I didn't think anything of it then but later on Jim was telling me that 3/4 of the table bolted just as soon as the check was put down. How very dissapointing. I felt a bit remorseful that I wasn't able to be in two places at once. I am sure those involved made mental notes of who abandoned and didn't offer to contribute... I know that I do, that most of 'check payers' normally do.

That's just my :2 cents:

Much love to GTS and COHF!

Brad

Oh boy, memories from a long past. hehe, I hate it when people assume that someone else would pay like that, and although Timbo's generosity is defintely appreciated, running up a tab of ordering shots and taking the credit for it (as Grim did) is something I hate seeing. And thanks for the gesture, you're more than welcome to drink on my tab. Come to think of it, I don't think I've seen you since last Vegas at TheMix bar we were at. If you're heading to Vegas this time around, drinks on me :)

WG

That was an awesome weekend, we should do it again come winter again :)
WG

:2 cents: :2 cents: :2 cents: :2 cents: :2 cents: :2 cents:

http://www.webcamcash.com/pics/showp...sion%20080.jpg

i remember going to a last min unsponsered dinner with Dh and and bunch of people who we knew wouldn't pay and it was when i first met brad mitchel and didn't really know him - in atlanta. I went to the washroom with DH by coincidence and we laughed at whether we'd flip for who got the bill or split it - decided to split it and came out and were both SHOCKED and hugly impressed when brad grabbed the bill. that was 3-4 years ago - brad's become a great friend ever since.

brad's top notch

Well Scott... I learned from the generousity of guys like you and DH. It's funny, when you two were both peeing and I was still at the table I remember very specifically thinking to myself this - that it was my goal within 12 months to make friends with and be "seeded" in your TGP/MGP/traffic community so that eventually, long term, I could garner such hosting business. I think this atlanta show was like two years ago, maybe... I love this story, it's got a happy ending - mission accomplished! :)

Brad

What the fuck ? People are fucking disrespectfull... If something is offered clearly, I'l take it... but it's not clearly said somebody is paying, I'l just grab my wallet and throw in my part + a good tip...

I remember a time at The Phoenix Forum, killing an afternoon in the bar when it was raining. You picked up the tab for quite a few people that afternoon.

:thumbsup

Some people are just lucky to be here ... they don't know how to treat people proprely... add that too a business and you're fucking screwed anywhere else then in this business.

I think the only solution is to stuff dashers into the back of an Escalade, drive them out to the middle of the desert, point a glock to the center of their skull, and ask them if they'll get the tab next time, please. Soprano execution style works every time.

He didn't pay for those shots? I had no idea, I do remember him taking the credit for them tho. Could it be that his intentions were to pay and then the tab was picked up?....bah, always trying to find the good in everyone sucks sometimes!

I once went to pee in the bathroom and got a happy ending from Brad as well.

Yeah, I bet that was his intention. Maybe the money he owes me he's hoping someone will pick up his tab too, lol. Nah, Timbo picked up the entire tab that night (thanks Timbo!) and I doubt Grim had any intention of paying for the shots, he was quick to throw it onto the open tab and figured since Timbo had his own booth there (how cool was that), that he wouldn't even notice it. I wonder why Grim isn't around this business anymore... :)
WG

I've always offered to pay unless I knew it was a sponsored dinner (and I was invited ;) ) or unless someone else from WEG was around and I knew it was all going to eventually be paid out of the same account. Hell, I think I've even switched off with Gabe billing things to the our rooms: "You get this one, I'll get lunch".

SO...if I've freeloaded on anyone, please let me know and I'll buy you dinner!! (and charge it to Gabe's room..... ;) )

LMFAO!! I remember that night and that conversation in the bathroom!!!

Haha I was super impressed as well!! We do a ton of business with Brad now, so maybe that dinner paved the way. :)

DH

Cory,

You can't tell people that or they'll expect a level of hospitality that I just don't want to deliver to anybody except you... or your hot mom that I met at Internext Florida!

LOL j/k

Brad

total amount / personal at dinner = amount each person pays

whats so hard about that? Cheap webmasters affriad having to pay the $50 dinner
while they had a $40 dinner?

You just LOVE Happy endings :1orglaugh

Bah, at least the cost of dinner is tax deductable. At these webmasters get-together, I always endup "borrowing" them money for their drug consumption and lap dances which I have yet to recover and are not tax deductible.:Oh crap

People will always be cheap, it's ridiculous.

If I have a $10 dinner and you have a $30 dinner, our average would be $20 each. Why should I pay $10 extra so you can save $10? Are you too cheap to pay for your own full dinner?

Ok cliff notes version.

Basically none of you folks are buying me drinks and dinner anymore?

That would depend. Would you at least pretend to reach for your wallet? LOL

Brad

Hhaahahh :) I assure you I just mkae a lot of noise I dont spend that much money :) There are companies that have spent 100X what I have on trade shows over the years I can name 5 off the top of my head.
I just make my money work hard for me is all :)

Don't eat in groups if you want to break it down to "I owe 19 dollars, you owe 37 dollars" etc. This is what high school kids do. If you want to be an adult and sit at an adult table, you split it by the number of people at the table.

Everyone wants a free ride.
It's usually everyone for themself with me. I dont mind treating close friends, or treating a few new friends, but just not all the time.

Lars, Stop being so noisy, you're keeping the kids awake :disgust

I'll be in Phoenix in the spring, probably the next trip out I'll make just went to the Oct show in Vegas so I can do without heading back there for a bit :) Now see TheMix bar was fine was there supposed to be an open tab? Because I remember going back up to the bar and paying for drinks each time, either that or I was just tipping $30 a round lol.

Sure, with my alligator arms :1orglaugh :1orglaugh

If that was the party in vegas 2005, then I was the bartender and I thank you for being so thoughtful.

I was really bowled over when one of the heavy drinkers from that party came in the next night with a full bottle of the liquor to replace what he drank the night before...I do believe it was jscott.. :thumbsup

This thread is really LOL! :D

Very nice gesture :thumbsup

This really sucks! :(

I can't and won't take credit for the Vegas tip jar. I missed that party and was VERY bummed about it, because I missed seeing Violet. I was speaking about Florida this year.

Bringing back a bottle isn't something I would think of doing, but I wouldn't drink that much either. That is a very nice gesture.