From Myron Heaton for March 25 – 27, 2016
I am writing this in three parts with a short personal comment at the end.
Part I – Las Vegas Il Volo Fan Faire convention and Banquet
Part II – Il Volo Concert at the Pearl Theatre – Palms Hotel March 25 – Las Vegas
Part II – Contrasting two back-to-back concerts using Los Angeles March 26
Part I – IL VOLO FAN FAIRE – 2016
I want to thank all of our volunteer staff for their work on the Fan Faire. There were quite a few and I do not have all the names as of this morning so I will only spotlight three. Some of you started with us this last year but some others have been tagging along with me since 2012 (through thick and thin) Huge thank you goes to Jeannette for being a great working partner. All the many, many things that she did behind the scenes to get so many details organized and ready for this event.
Jeannette and I could not have the Vegas work without Marie and Kelly at Flight Crew and their staff members helping to get the word out and really being a tremendous support. Marie is one of those hanging in there since 2012.
Let’s face it, There has never been an event like this for Il Volo. I asked Barbara Vitali (Manager) while they were here and aside from small private “get-togethers” that some people have had with 6 or 8 or so people – informal type of gathering – This is the first organized and official (from Il Volo) large Il Volo fan gathering anyplace – and including the apprearance of the the boys in person at our event. WOW !
If it sounds like I am kind of high, I AM !! On a personal basis this was always a gamble because they were only doing this as a favor. We did not contract them for money. They came because I asked and because they wanted to come. The old fashioned term was: “gentlemen’s agreement” but now it should be “gentleperson’s agreement” because the Barbara, Gianluca, Piero, and Ignazio were the other “gentleperson and that was the central key. I must tell a little secret. Even the day of our event there was a time problem around noon and for a while I did not know if they were going to make it let alone when. But then I saw Gianluca at lunch and we chatted a little while and that was the confirmation I needed. He said: “ we will be a little late but we will be there” (almost words from God at that moment).
End result: the most important thing to me was that later that night Barbara and the boys said they were very happy with and actually surprised at how big the event was. They loved it. Barbara and later Piero told us that next time (get that phrase: “ next time” again words as if from God) they will help us put it together and then find a way to guarantee they will schedule at least a full hour with us and do more activities. Now from my self-centered attitude, I loved that reaction and the news with it.
From our group stand point we have already had many emails and tweets indicating that, even though there were some issues to be fixed and some other minor problems to deal with, the general report we are getting is a very positive response. One item that needs to be changed for the next time is that the dinner places must be assigned in advance with name cards and there cannot be last minute changes like we put up with Friday.
The reports I have gotten were that the room was a nice room (great view – duh!) and the food was very good. We found the staff to be very nice and very helpful. I was not sure if we were going to need security but I went ahead with it and, boy! , am I glad we did! When the Il Volo boys came to us I thought there was a high-pitched earthquake happening. I thought only teenage girls acted that way (I say that with tongue in cheek). I was surprised that the boys got out of there with their clothes still on !!!!!
But that is a sign to me that we had an event that achieved the excitement we wanted. Can you imagine an hour instead of 30 minutes (those poor boys – ahem ! Cough !)
There will be one more comment after all three of these parts are done.
Myron and Jeannette…BRAVO!
Marie, Jeannette and I can’t thank you and the whole Flight Crew site enough for all your support and help. Trusted partners in this event
…and the next one!
Congratulations! Beautifully done, Myron.
Myron, I watched some video when the guys APPEARED, and the reaction! My thought was that if I had been there I would have embarrassed myself! I recently saw them in person for the first time and had a “jump over the lady in front of me and get to them” moment, but sanity prevailed and my daughter held me down! Thanks for all you do and say…I always enjoy your comments!♡♡♡DOT in Texas!
This sounds SO fan-tactic! The next time (since they said there would be a next time), I’ll be coming to Las Vegas!
Myron and Jeannette…it was a magical evening, from start to finish. I can’t thank you enough for all of the hours, days, months of preparation you two put in for this event. The guys handled our, shall I say exuberant crowd, with class and style as they always do! Please sign me up for the next Fan Faire…RIGHT NOW! Thanks a million!
hi myron—nice to meet you at the fan faire convention i am attending the pechanga and fantasy springs concerts do you know if anyone is organizing a dutch treat restaurant dinner before the show at these 2 places?? do you know whose going to these concerts? feel free to share my e-mail with others who might be going to these concerts _sudstheduds@aol.com_ (mailto:sudstheduds@aol.com) thanks again for your efforts john kraus palm springs, ca
I have some other work to do (painful return to the real world for me) otherwise I would be there. But I know that Jeannette is going. Other than that I don’t know.
Myron I was so happy to finally meet you and Jeannette and I can’t thank the two of you enough for planning and executing that memorable afternoon for all of us who were fortunate enough to be there !!! It was fabulous !!! The boys although dumb struck when they first walked in (and that’s an understatement !!!) were their usual gracious and charming selves as they walked around greeting us all one by one !! Needless to say we were all thrilled beyond words !!!! So thank you again from the bottom of my heart !!! I will remember that day forever !!
I really wish I’d have had a couple of shots of tequila beforehand so I could’ve been like everyone else and attacked the guys as they got close and gotten some nice pictures. Next time I’ll bring my husband since he has no problem knocking people out of the way.
I actually thought I got tangled up with a girl I had cut off and turned around and found it was Piero. He waited for me to react, but of course, I just froze up and motioned for him to go ahead of me.
When or where will be able to see the group photos that were taken?
My son did the photos and he is editing them now and will have them on the website and on shutterfly. He has decided not to charge for the photos. (understand that his a brand new father and that plus work is a challenge) I hope by end of week .
he took over 267 photos
Myron and Jeannette, You are the greatest. I got my photo of me and Piero andf he even blew me a kiss as he left. I caN NOW DIE HAPPY. Joanie G
HI Myron It was nice to meet you and Jeannette last week you were both so nice. I just want to say I’m still flying when I think of that Friday. What a day. The meeting on the 52nd floor with the Flight Crew members even though a little scary at times turned out when the boys showed up oh wow heaven . That was the closest to Piero I ever got and man I can’t thank you enough and the concert later that night were the guys on fire or what . Oh my goodness. Once again my heartfelt thank you to you, Jeannette, and Marie for all your hard work and hopefully like Piero and Barbara mentioned there will be another Fan Faire again. Sign me up already Ha Ha. Have a great day.
What is this all about? I never heard of a fan faire before today. I certainly would love to be there wherever there is…if there is a next time. Libbyfurst @aol.com
Hang around, Jane! We’ll be sure to let know what’s what!
Thank you Myron and Jeannette for putting together this first-time event. Hopefully, it served to reinforce just how much we love them and how devoted we are to these amazingly talented and dear young men. And, it was a pleasure to finally meet you and Jeannette for the first time.
Mesa
http://omgvip.com/il-volo-march-24/
Las Vegas
http://omgvip.com/il-volo-march-25/
Los Angeles
http://omgvip.com/il-volo-march-26/
Here I am San Diego, day of the concert, and I feel the excitement rising, especially now since I think there is this odd influx of women (late teens and up) that have invaded my hotel…and with my deft pirate powers I keep hearing the word IL VOLO!
Now I read this from Myron and my excitement just zoomed higher. I can hardly WAIT!!!!!
Thanks Myron for the first report, I look forward to all you have to say!
I officially want to thank Myron and Jeannette for all the hard work and endless hours they spent working on this, the first-ever Il Volo Fan Faire. I’d also like to thank The Il Volo Flight Crew for all their input as well; together you all made it a huge success.
Would love to assist with putting the next one together, even though I am across the other side of the US.
Myron, you and Jeannette ,and everyone involved , did a fantastic job! Thanks so much! The guys were charming and Charles and I were thrilled! Hope to attend another one!
Myron, will it be at the same hotel next time? The stage was too small for our Boys to move around freely and the chairs were too close together where I was sitting and we all melded together and couldn’t move much. Fortunately we were in the 4th row.
Any future Fan Faire must be where ever Il Volo is booked. That might be the same or it might be another Showroom. So that depends on their negotiations. Once we know that then we can book our Fan Faire. We do it in the same hotel where the group is performing so that it is easy for them to get to us from the rehearsal.
It would be harder to have them in a concert hall only facility with us having to find a different building for the Fan Faire.
Thank you Myron. That makes a lot of sense. I thought they might have had a contract with the Palms for all future Fan Fare. It was awesome. Did GG say anything about the biscotti?
Sounds like everyone had a wonderful time at the Fan Faire and concert. It’s great to know Il Volo would like to do it again. Would have loved to be there to meet everyone and of course Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca.
Thank you again, Myron and Jeannette for all the preparations for this wonderful event. It was so great to meet so many of you and to now be able to put faces with the names as I read your comments. It all flew by in a flash and now we wait for the next one. Hope they will be back soon!!
Hi Linda, I wanted to meet you. I’m in Schaumburg and you were flying out of Midway and I went O’Hare. Where were you sitting?
Hi Ann
I wanted to meet you too. For the concert, I was in the middle section, second row, seat 15 on the aisle.
I was in the 4th row on the right hand side but I wanted to meet you at the Faire. Maybe at the concert next year cause you live pretty far from me.
Well, I was lucky enough to meet you Linda and had a wonderful time. I also met Ann for the second time.
Grazie mille Myron & Jeannette for bringing so many of us together with “our boys” in Las Vegas for those few precious moments we had!! 😊 We all had a fabulous time thanks to your hard work. It was a pleasure to finally meet you two!! I can only imagine how you pulled it off, with such a success! Was it perfect?…
is perfect? Was it fabulous? Yes it was!!!…Was it exciting..You bet it was! Will there be another one someday? I sure hope so!! What a wonderful night!!
I had such a wonderful time I could not stop talking about it! Thank you and Jeanette for putting this together for all of us die hard fans. Nice to know that Barbara said this was a first for them on such a large scale. Looking forward to that “next time” and I’m sure most of us will be there again. Wherever it is, of course warm weather please so we can turn it into a mini vacation weekend too! Staying at the hotel was great, everything was perfect, but of course we wanted to spend more time with the boys. “Next time” will be perfection!!!!!
Marcia, Atlanta, georgia
I am so happy to find your site. I love it. Thanks for all your hard work at the fan faire. It was lovely, exciting, informative, and super fun. Thank you!!
Welcome Kathy!
Thank you all for the accolades… Myron and I wanted to make this first Fan Faire a wonderful experience…From reading the posts, we succeeded… We had a few problems that we did not encounter, and now we know about them we will find ways never let it happen again… We hope that there are future fan faires and we hope to have even more of the flight crew attend… We have become such a great family here on this blog, it would be nice to meet all of you someday…
Hi Jeannette wonderful to meet you. Were you able to give the gift to Ignazio? I guess he was wondering why I walked off with it stupid me. I get carried away when I am beside him.
I was also meaning to ask you about your daughter & how she is doing.
It would be wonderful if the another fan fare is put together a lot closer to the middle of the States. Not so far to tavel for me.
This is my email address if you want to answer about Ignazio’s gift. I wish I could know how he liked it. Wouold like to hear how your daughter is faring.
iluvilvolo@rogers.com Loretta Foley
Marie and Kelly, I want to thank you so much for the very thoughtful and beautiful Gift you presented Myron and I with… It is precious and I will treasure it along with my other Il Volo memorabilia forever… Thank you both so much…
You are welcome Jeannette. Thanks go to you and Myron for such long and hard work. I had a great time meeting you, Myron and so many others.
Crew, I will show you a picture of the gift we all gave them soon.
Thank you so very much, Jeanette and Myron, for all your hard work in putting together the very first Fan Fair. I am already looking forward to the second Fan Faire, no matter where it is!
Yes, can’t wait for the next time!! But we need time to save up for it!! 🙂