I'm really hoping to be able to go

yowould think with all the people coming they would bend over back wards to help us

I haven't been reading this thread in quite some time. I worked in sales for the Marriott Hotels for some time and it was always important with a group bringing dogs to include your list of rules so they know you will be picking up after your dogs and would like to know the best area to walk them. Also you might tell them all will be bringing something to cover the bedspreads since big and little dogs seem to like to be on the bed at home. etc. You might add your group will be bathing their dogs before they leave for Kansas...anything you can think of to assure them this is the type of group that will think of others. The barking of lots of dogs sometimes is not worth all the complaints they might get.

I remember a show in New Jersey a while back held at a Hilton with at least 75 Cavalier King Charles Spaniels and they were so well behaved and the owners kept everything so spotless, they received a letter asking them to book again and mentioned what a great group they were. I don't even know if you are taking your dogs but I assumed you were. Just something that might help you get a booking. Good Luck.

I can't wait for all the details to be set . . .in the meantime, thank you sooo much for doing such a wonderful job . . .you are AWESOME and Me and my gang LOVE YOU :thumbup: Hope to meet up with you and your mom again next year :)

Just let me know I am here for ya :)

probably yes! Can't wait

Oh I'd love to go but I am in Quebec, Canada and it is too far for me and my two kids :) Hope I could attend one day!

Have a nice day :)

Hi everyone! I wanted to post an update to let everyone know what's currently happening with the meet-up (and to give you some HOPE that it WILL happen :happyboun:happyboun:happyboun:happyboun). Marci is just too busy right now to spend the time required on setting all this up (she is swamped with classes and a million other things :( ), so she asked me last week if I could take over the hotel planning. I was already on the planning committee (just had a different task at hand), and I lived in KC for 23 years before moving to CA, so I'm very familiar with the area. Anyway, I know you are all anxious to get something set in stone so you can make your plans (as am I since I'm a planner and need to buy my airline tickets, just like the rest of you :rolleyes:), so I am working diligently on finding a hotel for us and working out the details. I know a lot of you need to put in for vacation time at work very early, so I hope to have the details to you very soon. I spent all day this past Friday contacting hotels in the KC Plaza area, and I'm VERY pleased :D to say things are looking VERY ;) good. A lot of hotels don't want us because it involves just "too many" dogs (really...can you ever have too many Yorkies in one place?!?!), and they only have a "few" pet-friendly rooms set aside, BUT...I am in the process of working out the details with one hotel (and waiting to hear back from one other possibility), and as soon as I do, I'll be letting the committee know what I've worked out, and I should be ready to post a new thread so you can take the info and run with it!

What is probably going to happen is - I will set up our rooms under a "group code", and you will each be responsible for calling the hotel, giving them the "group code", and supplying them with your credit card number to reserve your room. Then, because we will owe money for Saturday night's dinner up-front, we will probably have to charge a "registration fee", which will include your ticket to dinner and some other goodies. Again, I have to work out final details and present everything to the planning committee before I post anything "official", but I want to keep you in the loop and let you know I AM working on it! So...stay with us...and we'll have this thing planned soon...PROMISE :D :D ! Sukoshi and I can't wait to meet y'all in person!

:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: Ain't that the truth!
Thanks for the update and all the HARD work you're doing. We really do appreciate you. Looking forward to future updates.

Years ago I helped with Appaloosa and 4-H horse shows. I wrote to many different companies that manufacture horse supplies and products. I was amazed at what they would donate if you just ask. I think that if someone would do this for our meet up we could have tremendous goody bags for everyone that shows up. The companies usually like an estimated attendance so they know how much to send. Some companies send just a few large items. Maybe we could have a silent auction (or even a regular auction or a raffle) with the proceeds going to a yorkie rescue with the items that there is not enough to share.
Examples from horse suppliers were treats, buckets, saddle blankets, halters, lead ropes, sprayers, sample sizes of shampoos and conditioners, tail sacks.
I think I could talk to my dog food rep and he would give me enough sample bags of Nutrisource dog food that everyone there could get a bag. I live close (3 hours away) so transporting the food samples is not a problem.

Try Bil Jac Dog Foods. Mostly Ohio but very generous people family owned.

It is Great to hear the update:)

I am still here if needed.
I know I'm not on the " committee " But I am here if the need is there.

Thanks for the update :) I'm going to try to be there

Excellent advice! Actually, when I mentioned that the registration fee would include some "other goodies", these donated items are EXACTLY what I was referring to ;) ;) . We already have one member of the committee that will be working on that after we get a hotel nailed down and an approximate number of people who will be going. I went through every reply on this thread and recorded everyone's answers so I could get an approximate number to tell the hotels, but I figure that number is VERY approximate at this point :rolleyes: :p . BUT yes...we'll definitely aim to get some freebies for everyone who attends!!! What's better than a goody bag with lots of samples for our babies?!?!?!? :D :D

OH...and I think the raffle idea is an excellent one if we can get any bigger items donated (or for VERY cheap). I know they did this at a Yorkie show I attended recently, and it went over very well. I will have to make sure the committee discusses this. Is this something others would be interested in as well? Keep in mind you'll already be paying for airfare, hotel, and misc. for this trip, so would you have money for a raffle on top of that?! If so, what kind of items would you like to see raffled off?

Thank you so much for the offer! There's not too much going on right now until I get the hotel finalized, but after that I suspect things will start rolling, and we may need to take you up on that!!!! :D :D