Thank you for your constructive reply Ed. I was hoping that someone else would chime in and express their opinion without getting "personal". I hope that my reply will be accepted in the same constructive intention as yours.

True, the club used to have exactly what Jim P. (and others) are suggesting; ... an informal wine & cheese reception. The historical facts are that the club USED to hold exactly what you describe. As time went by and the club grew there were suggestions by members for something more substantial ; an early bird buffet followed by a trade session AFTER all the tables with wine and cheese were cleared off. In fact, there were follow-up suggestions later on by some members that due to the relatively high cost being charged by the hotel for the buffet, that the club change to a sit-down dinner instead. This sit down dinner suggestion was not adopted by future BOD's, but the guest speakers continued. Granted, some guest speakers were more interesting than others. I believe that the club was trying to encourage support from some influential members of the gaming community in our quest for a museum by involving them in our more formal activities. I don't think that some of our more high profile "guests" would have been as responsive to an invitation to an informal wine & cheese gathering. As for the more "formal assigned tables" that you mention ... this came about because club received requests from certain members (Perlowski included) to reserve full tables in advance so that they could be seated with friends of their own choosing. The club adopted these assigned seating requests in response to the members who attended these functions. To do otherwise as suggested would result in multiple half-empty tables around the entire room. I think the hotel and the club officers probably wanted the tables set up this way for head count purposes.

Another consideration for the buffet over wine and cheese was that many volunteers and officers who were working their volunteer convention duties preferred an opportunity to eat after their full day duties. Wine & cheese simply didn't cut it for them (no pun intended) so the more nourishing buffet was adopted. As for the trade sessions that followed, the club still affords multiple opportunities for members to trade during several trade sessions scheduled every day during the convention. Personally speaking I saw very little trading of "casino collectibles" in the few trade sessions I attended this year. I would guess that 99% of material being traded was almost entirely chips. If it were not for Al McCurdy and a couple of others, there were no slot cards/room keys/silver strikes/ash trays, etc. to be had in the trade sessions this year. Lots of opportunity to "mill around" though.

(i)"Archie, you and the other longtime members are going to find the banquet very comfortable because you know EVERYONE.(/i)" ... (That's not true at all Ed ... that's an impossible feat). But I'll concede that a newby might not feel as welcome at a banquet the first year. We were all "newbies" at one time or another. One excellent way for newbies to get aquainted is to attend the very informal Greg Susong welcome party at Palms on Tuesday night before the banquet (if one is in town).

p.s. - I also never understood the dress up "theme". Why do we do that?
Since you've asked; The relatively newly adopted themes for the banquet are selected/announced well in advance by the past few convention Chair(s). I personally believe it lightens up the formal aspect of the Early Bird banquet that some folks obviously object to. As I posted previously, no one is obligated to participate in the selected theme by "dressing up in costume". It's strictly voluntary and some members enjoy the fun. What's fun for some may not be fun for others. Jim Kruse has been named as the 2012 convention chair. I would suggest that any member who seriously wants to see a change in next year's banquet to contact him and/or the BOD.

Thanks for listening ...