VMworld 2008 Spouse Activities Schedule

For spouses traveling to Las Vegas with their VMworld-attending partners, my wife Crystal has volunteered to loosely organize some activities. After working on this for quite some time, here’s a rough schedule and some additional information.

Refer back to this earlier post about VMworld spouse activities for more information the Las Vegas PowerPass and the Las Vegas MealTicket. A number of people responded earlier that they were very interested in joining in group activities but needed to keep the costs down; we are in the same boat ourselves. The PowerPass and the MealTicket both look like good ways to help keep costs down but provide a wide range of activities. A fair amount of what has been planned revolves around purchasing a PowerPass, so keep that in mind.

For travel to these various activities, Crystal had planned on either walking or leveraging the monorail that runs along the Strip. A 3 day pass for the monorail is $40, and will provide transportation from Harrah’s (practically right next door to The Venetian) all the way to the MGM Grand. Be sure to wear comfortable clothes and walking shoes.

Please note that these times and activities are subject to change, so check back here often for updates.

Pre-VMworld Activities

There are no formal planned activities before the start of VMworld 2008. However, Crystal is available for informal gatherings on Sunday and Monday. I’ll be in the Partner Technical Advisory Board meeting on Sunday, and taking labs (and possibly attending Partner Day) on Monday. That leaves Crystal available for any informal gatherings, like shopping or sightseeing. If you’re interested in meeting up with Crystal prior to VMworld, speak up in the comments below.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Tuesday, the first day of VMworld 2008, marks the start of planned activities for spouses:

10:00 AM - Brunch and “Getting to Know You” meeting to be held at the San Gennaro Grill in The Venetian (on the casino level; buffet and coffee included in Las Vegas MealTicket)

Noon to 4:00 PM - Sightseeing at nearby hotels; to include the White Tiger exhibit at The Mirage (free), volcano eruption at The Mirage (free), and Siegfried and Roy’s Secret Garden at The Mirage ($15, or included in Las Vegas PowerPass); other points of interest may be included as well

4:00 PM - Popovich Comedy Pet Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino ($35 or included in Las Vegas PowerPass)

There’s currently some question as to whether Popovich’s actually has a show on Tuesday, so that activity may be replaced by some shopping at the Fashion Show Mall or other venue.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

The only planned activity for Wednesday is a trip to the Hoover Dam and Grand Canyon West. Both of these activities are included in the Las Vegas PowerPass. If there is enough interest, everyone can chip in to rent a van. Otherwise, Crystal is leaving around 8:00 AM after eating breakfast at the San Gennaro Grill in The Venetian.

If you are interested in joining in on the Hoover Dam/Grand Canyon West trip, please let us know immediately, either by responding in the comments or by e-mailing Crystal.

There was some interest in a Cirque de Soleil show on Wednesday night, but the trip to Hoover/Grand Canyon may prevent that due to travel time and such. However, others are welcome to separately plan to attend on Wednesday night, since that’s when the VMworld party is being held. This is something that everyone can discuss at the initial breakfast gathering on Tuesday morning.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

On Thursday, the focus will be on sightseeing with some shopping thrown in. Here’s the rough breakdown of Thursday’s schedule:

10:00 AM - Breakfast at the San Gennaro Grill in the Venetian (buffet and coffee included in the Las Vegas MealTicket)

11:00 AM Until Whenever - Sightseeing at various hotels. Some activities are free, some are included in the Las Vegas PowerPass; suggested plan is to start near The Venetian and work down the Strip, stopping at Flamingo Las Vegas (wildlife exhibit), Paris Las Vegas (Eiffel Tower), New York New York (ride the roller coaster), and MGM Grand (lion habitat)

Of course, this schedule is mostly flexible, so everyone will be free to divert for shopping, pictures, etc., as the days progress.

Please express your interest or thoughts in the comments below. Some of you may already have Crystal’s e-mail address as you were included in e-mail discussions of some of the plans; feel free to e-mail her directly if you would like. All others are encouraged to add their information in the comments below, and check back here often for updates. Thanks!