Seven days from now I'll be leaving the golf course and heading back to Ballys for the first round of Panels at the SOE Fan Faire 2009.

I'm no noob when it comes to Vegas. I've been invading the Sin City since 1992 for a spectrum of reasons. Business, golf or because I had a hidden desire to flush tons of money I didn't have down the pooper. But, this year its all about Fan Faire! Well, ok.. and a little blackjack. Perhaps some Keno. Maybe a bit of poker.

Oh who am I kidding? Gambling is a weakness of mine. So, holding a conference in Vegas is a good way to turn me ADHD overnight.

So, how am I preparing for Fan Faire? And what are my plans while I'm there? Read on, to find out!

Fan Faire Preparation

I've dragged the biggest suitcase I own down from the attic. I don't fall in to that mentality that it's necessary to pack light for gaming conference. Last time I was at Fan Faire, I found myself under dressed for a 2am party in the suite of somebody I'd met at the Voodoo Lounge. I had my Player Killer tee shirt on which got an odd look from Matthew Broderick when I shook his hand. So, I tend to pack for every occasion now. Its Vegas after all... always expect the unexpected!

I have all of my itineraries printed out twice. One set stuffed in my checked luggage and another in my carry on. I learned this lesson the hard way one year when somebody picked up my messenger bag in the terminal by accident. Checking in to my flight without photo ID or a reservation number is just asking for screening including a complimentary pat down by a more than eager security guard.

I have the golf clubs ready to go as well. I'll be golfing Friday morning with Calthine's better half, Sutures. And, I'm really looking forward to a well deserved spanking on the golf course at the Las Vegas Country Club. Not.

Blackberry, Laptop and Camera are all ready to go with the appropriate cables sorted and packed early so I don't forget them. Regardless, I'll find that one of my cables has abandoned me during the flight.

Fan Faire Game Plan

Thursday - Get to the airport and negotiate a fair rate for my overweight golf club bag. The girlfriend is on another flight later that morning so if I'm unsuccessful in talking them in to giving me the 50 pound price for my 75 pound bag; I can always shove my golf balls and shoes into one of her bags.

My flight gets in to Vegas around 3pm local time. So, I expect to check in around 4pm at Ballys. The Reception for Fan Faire is not until 8pm so I'll gravitate to Sully's Bar in the casino, play some video poker and get properly buzzed for that evenings' events.

During this time, I expect a deluge of text messages to come pouring in to my Blackberry as more and more attendees show up. I've already got the preliminary test message from Winter "I'm in ur phone! Painting everything pink!".

The Reception will be the typical evening of trying to read people's name badges without being too conspicuous. After all, it would be downright embarrassing to admit that you haven't a clue in hell who the person is you've just spent 20 minutes talking about the good old days.

There's a late night gaming session after the reception, which I will probably hang around a bit for and mingle. But, the call of the late night Texas Hold'em table full of drunken tourists pretending they know how to play will be beckoning me.

Friday - Up at 6am for 7:30am Tee Time at the Las Vegas Golf Resort. Sutures and I will hopefully be able to play around by ourselves without getting paired up with a couple of old men with handcarts.

Off to the Panels, which start at 10am. First up is the Podcast Panel for me. After that I'm splitting a two hour session between The Agency and Community Relations panels. The rest of the afternoon will be an assorted mix of panels including dropping in on the Matrix Online chat to watch people throw themselves at the developer's feet and beg them not to cancel their game.

The big 10th Year Anniversary birthday bash will be going on Friday evening. And, after that perhaps some blackjack. Before I head to bed though, I'll stop by the Sports Books and place my bets on the 3rd and 4th round of the US Open.

Saturday - I'm going to have to eat at some point. So, I'll probably text around and see who's up for a buffet at the MGM or Caeser's Palace. It’s like Sunday Brunch every morning there!

Off to more panels. First up, the ZAM panel of course! Can't wait to see who shows up and hopefully meet a bunch of you in person! I'll drop in on several panels until that afternoon when I'll be sitting in for more good stuff regarding The Agency.

The Grand Banquet commences that evening. Free food and my second installment of nourishment before heading home the next day. Good time to say good byes since Sunday morning is typically the March of the Dead as attendees drag their luggage to cabs and shuttles mindlessly like extras from a Michael Jackson video.

Keep Up With Me!

I'll be posting updates here with pictures, comments and just about anything I can while I'm in Vegas. You can also follow me on Twitter or Facebook.

If you're planning on attending Fan Faire this year; don't hesitate to stop and say hello and introduce yourself. If you bring me a beer however, I'll be your BFF! At least until I've finished that beer.