Well, looks like it's time to get serious about the upcoming South Beach Gathering (February 27-29), and to start to get an idea of exactly who's on board...
So far (besides myself) it looks like we have Penny, Gene, Natalie, Loren, Rick, Dennis, Andrew, and maybe Sebastian (you'd better be there, wimp). Don't worry, this list isn't legally binding, but the sooner you can give me a yeah or nay, the easier it will be to plan things. Obviously, if anyone else is interested, just reply to this post and add your name to the list.
Here's the "penciled-in" schedule so far, which means everything is flexible, changable, and even optional. Of course, if you choose not to do ANY of these things, ain't much point in you coming down, now is there? Still, we'll go with the flow...
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27th - "Asylum Steve's Welcome to South Beach Cookout" at my good friend Jeff's house, which is not actually IN South Beach, but close enough. We'll make it an afternoon start, and folks can drift in whenever...
Plus, he's five minutes from the ocean, so we can catch the great late afternoon light. After that maybe a short stroll to Lincoln Road for drinks and people watching...
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28th - If you're interested, The Miami Design Preservation League sponsors a 1 1/2 hour guided walking tour of the Art Deco Historic District on Saturday mornings. We'll have lunch (and great photo ops) in Little Havana...
Dinner Saturday night at Smith & Wollensky in South Pointe Park (at the very southern tip of Miami Beach). It's a large, medium priced steak and seafood house with a great view of the ocean, ships (large and small) heading to the Port of Miami, and the downtown Miami skyline.
Saturday evening checking out Ocean Drive (and the 10,000 other tourists who'll be there). Late night is optional, but if there's enough interest, I'm sure we can find a few places to go.
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 29th - Again, the morning will be free, but this would be the time for anyone interested in checking out Everglades National Park. It's a good car ride from South Beach, but may be worth it to you for the photo opportunities.
That's about it. I'm going on the assumption that you'll be leaving sometime on Sunday. I'll be in town both before and after the weekend dates, so if your stay is extended as well, I'd be happy to hang out longer and do more things.
BTW, I'll have my car with me, a small station wagon that seats five comfortably (EIGHT uncomfortably). Airport runs shouldn't be a problem, just let me know as soon as possible...
I also had mentioned a fashion shoot originally. I'm not counting it out completely, but I have to say it's very tentative as of now. There's still a chance I can throw something together. If so, it will probably be late Saturday afternoon.. It'd be a big help to know if there really is interest in this.
Anything else? If you still haven't booked a room for the weekend, check out my suggestions on the original Gathering thread: http://forums.consumerreview.com/crf...Ss9.2@.efddf40
If you need help with any of this, or have ANY questions, let me know. BTW, Penny had mentioned a print exchange like the NYC one. Sounds good to me.
It goes without saying that I am EXTREMELY psyched for this Gathering. Besides the chance to meet some of you for the first time, I also get to hang out for a few days in the place I still consider my home. Can't wait!!!