Poker Poker Poker!: [vpFREE] Re: Atlantic City Seven Stars Signature Event

OK, Mary and Harry (and others who asked for my opinion), I know not
everyone will agree with me, but I thought, overall, the Event was well
planned and executed.

I stayed at Caesars and I never once saw a line in VIP Check-In or at the
front desk's Seven Stars check-in. Same with the registration outside the
Palladium Ballroom. Speaking of registration, where were the scratch-off
cards we were supposed to get to determine our free play for the weekend?
I don't know anyone who got more than they were originally promised, and it
was all pre-determined and, in some cases, already, in an envelope inside
our registration packets.

I went to the Seven Stars Lounge at Harrah's Thursday about 7 p.m. and,
while it was crowded, they added extra seating so it was not difficult to
get in. However, keep in mind that the Welcome Reception started at 7 over
at The Pool. I had tickets to the "Lightwire" show at 8, so my friends and
I went to the lounge for a couple of cocktails and some appetizers. [While
not officially part of the weekend events, I thought the show was terrible.
One of my friends walked out after about 20 minutes, and many others
followed suit. I stuck around for the whole show, but it was repetitious
and pretty boring -- and I loved them on "America's Got Talent".]

The second Welcome Reception was at 9:30. A group of us grabbed a table in
the rear and, frankly, I never left to scope out the attendance or even
have much to eat. I'm not bragging, but I had a steady team of "visitors"
to my table and I was too busy talking to folks for the entire 90
minutes. Others
at my table had walked around and said it did not seem crowded. For no
particular reason, none of us had much to eat, so I really can't comment on
the menu or the quality of what was served.

And, apparently, no one learned from the previous Signature Event at The
Pool. Making guests walk through a gauntlet of Caesars employees was
embarrassing and silly, as well as condescending to the fine professionals
who work at Bally's, Caesars and Harrah's. Better these individuals wander
around and welcome guests personally and individually (or in small groups).

Also, since I had my own car, I can't comment on the transportation
arrangements. I drove from Caesars to Harrah's both Thursday and Friday
evenings, and to Golden Nugget for the noon cruise on Friday.

The cruise was fun and it was nice to be outdoors. We were lucky to get
out into the ocean briefly, but the waters were a little rough so most of
the cruise took place in the bay. There were two open bars, a special bar
making tropical drinks, and some light snacks (cheese, fruit and finger
sandwiches). Unfortunately, due to rain and high winds, the cruises
Saturday at 2 and 4 p.m. were cancelled.

Friday night's Monopoly party at Harrah's was probably the low-point of the
Event, in my opinion. Harrah's starts out with a disadvantage due to its
"ballroom" -- it's long and narrow, and has low ceilings. Seating at the
tables was cramped, and the space between tables was slight, making it
difficult to maneuver the room. The meal was probably the worst of the
weekend. Salads were pre-set and the greens seemed dry and limp -- though
the dressing was delicious and I enjoyed the artichoke heart. One thing I
learned: I don't like raw kale. It tastes like crepe paper. (I'm showing
my age. . .does anyone even know what crepe paper is?) My steak was so dry
and overcooked I couldn't eat it, but my fish -- I think it was flounder
wrapped around a scallop mousse -- was sensational. . .hot, moist and very
flavorful. Mini multi-colored cauliflower florets were also tasteless, and
there was some sort of [I think!] rice cake that reminded me of a savory
Rice Krispies treat, but prepared with cooked rice. It was pretty bland,
as well. The portion of chocolate mint mousse cake for dessert was
enormous, and I shouldn't have eaten the whole thing, but it was probably
the best part of the meal, and I was so hungry, I would have eaten the
centerpiece. Comments on the free play giveaways will come later.

Saturday I had lunch at Bally's Diamond Lounge. They had curtained off a
section of the Lounge exclusively for Seven Stars, with premium liquors and
a chef preparing eggs to order. Very nice.

Saturday's Nostalgia Party was the highlight of the weekend. . .again, in
my opinion. I didn't even know who The Trammps were (their "Disco Inferno"
was part of the soundtrack for "Saturday Night Fever"), but, even though
I'm not a big fan of disco, I had a wonderful time. . .and even got out on
the dance floor!

I have pretty much gone on record as vowing never to attend any more
"banquet-style" sit-down dinners at any casino. However, Saturday night's
dinner was as good as any cooked-to-order "fine dining" restaurant meal. The
lobster-crusted steak and asparagus were perfectly cooked and hot, and the
risotto ball was a nice change of pace from the standard potato side dish. I
also liked the fact that the salad was not pre-set. And the dessert. .
.just the right portion, creative, delicious and artfully presented. I
don't know how they pulled it off.

Sunday's brunch at Nero's was, again, sensational. I had never gone to
Nero's Sunday brunch because I just can't eat that much in the middle of
the day. I pretty much forced myself to try a little of several different
things and everything was outstanding.

If I had any negative comments, here they are. . .

My major complaint had nothing to do with the actual weekend, but the
advance communication regarding the program. Not to pat myself on the
back, but my "Unofficial Guide" provided more detailed (and accurate)
information than anything Caesars sent out, e.g., the special Bally's perks
for Seven Stars, the "satellite" Seven Stars Lounge within Nero's, tips for
first-time visitors to Atlantic City, etc. Plus, it was too little too
late. An email – which I never received – was sent to registrants on
Monday, three days prior to the Event. Communication *during *the event
was terrific -- the texts, as well as the in-room schedule updates and
weather reports – were a nice touch. (Many people did not have texting
capability or pay by the message, so they missed out on this.)

There were a lot of empty seats at Friday's dinners -- possibly because
many people thought they were just a "party" and not a sit-down dinner. Even
I wasn't sure until I arrived, but I figured there would be enough food so
I wouldn't starve. Many people ate before they arrived so they skipped the
dinners. There were a lot of no-shows Saturday, but this could be
attributed to the weather. Traveling between Caesars/Bally's and Harrah's
in a major rainstorm just wasn't appealing to a lot of people. Related to
this, I -- and others -- were unaware that there was a cocktail hour in the
Palladium Ballroom pre-function area between 6 and 7, just prior to the
Caesars Nostalgia Party.

The gift basket and Monopoly game were nice touches, but, for those without
their own vehicles, they posed a problem when it came to packing for the
return trip home. I'm sure there was lots of stuff left behind.

The free play giveaways: I've commented on this before. Whether it's a
slot tournament or an event giveaway, I -- and many, many others -- would
prefer that more people got smaller prizes, than one person getting some
large prize ($15,000 or $25,000). Not everyone agrees with me, though.

It wasn't a problem for me because I registered just before the reception,
the dinners each night and the brunch, so I never stood in any lines, but
why make everyone register five separate times? Not counting hotel
check-in, first you registered for the Event, then again for the Welcome
Reception, then again for the Friday night dinner, again for the Saturday
dinner, and again for the brunch.

Overall, as I wrote at the beginning, I thought it was a great weekend. I'd
still rather have had the option of a cruise [or anything other than one of
these mass events with – and you know who you are – a bunch of whiny and
obnoxious Seven Stars cardholders who think they're better than everybody
else and couldn't find a compliment in their hearts to save their souls
(assuming they have a heart)]. I'm just not a fan of these types of
events, period – they're too much like many of the parties and events lots
of us have the opportunity to attend during a "regular" weekend, or even in
our professional and personal lives. That said, I don't envy the folks at
Total Rewards and those four casinos that have hosted – and will host –
events of this nature. It's very difficult to please everyone and cater to
an array of different interests, ages, and musical tastes, let alone plan
meal functions where everyone can find food that appeals to a wide variety
of dietary restrictions and personal likes/dislikes.

I'm still processing the events of this past weekend, so look for some
additional comments in the July Seven Stars Insider newsletter which will
be out Wednesday.

Darryl

*Darryl D. McEwen, Publisherhttp://www.sevenstarsinsider.com
<http://www.sevenstarsinsider.com>*

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