AFF Gathering #17 in BNE on 18 - 20 October 2024

We're pleased to announce that the 2024 AFF annual gathering will be held in Brisbane, the sunny capital of Queensland!

The weekend of Friday 18 - Sunday 20 October 2024 has been chosen for the event. As per past years, there will be a welcome dinner on the Friday evening, optional activities on Saturday and a main dinner on Saturday evening. There may also be an optional activity on Sunday in the late morning.

All AFF members (and +1's, etc.) are welcome to attend. Most people usually fly in on Friday afternoon and leave on the Sunday afternoon/evening.

Your lead organisers for this year's event are @NM and @QF WP. Other Brisbane-based members are also welcome to volunteer to assist.

We'll update this thread over the coming months with more information about the planned activities, dinner venues and costs, which we expect to be similar to past gatherings. There will be a $5 registration fee per participant, plus the cost of any activities and/or meals that you choose to join.

For now, please feel free to let us know in this thread if you think you'll be able to make it! For those unfamiliar with the AFF terminology:

• "Platinum" means you're planning to attend and have booked flights/accommodation
• "Gold" means you're likely to attend but will need to confirm at a later time
• "Silver" means you're unlikely to attend at this stage.
• "Bronze" means you're unable to attend.

The AFF Leadership Team can provide support in terms of money collection and distribution, and editing this thread as needed. If something needs to be updated, please simply report the post with the update so anyone on the team can action it (starting a conversation only alerts one person).

We're looking forward to seeing you all in Brissie!

 

[Hvr]

2A to 1A?

9C to 5C.

I'm sticking with 2C for the trip home.

 

[jumpjam]

Sunday Clocktower Tours

I have booked myself into the 11am tour

I've booked on this also

 

[tdimdad]

Exit row, $15 each (on many flights VA seems to sell exits for lower price than Y front rows). Going to stay put.

Post automatically merged: Yesterday at 8:21 AM

Exit row, $15 each (on many flights VA seems to sell exits for lower price than Y front rows). Going to stay put.

 

[NM]

Qantas only.

I moved from row 6 to row 5 aisle an hour ago - not gunna pay $45 for row 4 on a 100 minute Qantas Boeing 738 flight.

I am anticipating 1K for my journey, with Mrs NM in 1A.

 

[NM]

Please Note - we are at capacity for attendees for both Friday Night and Saturday Night dinner events. If you have not already registered and your registration is not showing in Post #3 of this thread, then I am afraid it is now too late to be added to the registration list. If you believe you should be registered and are not showing in Post #3, then please contact me via a Direct Message (Conversation message) to verify against the master list.

Upon arrival at the event, please seek out @NM or @QF WP, or Mrs NM or Mrs QF QP to receive your AAF Event name badge (Friday night and Saturday events) or your Saturday Dinner welcome amenity pack (which will also include an AFF event name badge and other items). These are being prepared now based on the event registrations.

Thank you to all who have registered. The attendance interest and registered numbers have exceeded our initial estimates and we are looking forward to hosting 60 people at each of the dinner events.

 

[Hvr]

I've just booked the penultimate ticket for the 11:00am Clocktour tour on Sunday morning.

 

[AIRwin]

I've just booked the penultimate ticket for the 11:00am Clocktour tour on Sunday morning.

At the 11th hour literally

 

[NM]

If anyone is interested, we can still take 2 more people for Experience A (without simulator inclusion), and can take more people for Experience B. But we will need your registration and payment. While we have already paid the venues involved, adding some extras is still possible in the next day or two. Send me a Direct Message (Conversation message) if you are interested.

 

[NM]

I've just booked the penultimate ticket for the 11:00am Clocktour tour on Sunday morning.

The penultimate ticket for the penultimate hour

 

[Scash]

For Friday's lunch (an extra-curricula activity; 1 pm at Bird's Nest, West End), we have now seven attendees:
@Scash +1 (comment #244, the +1 is implied from response)
@CaptJCool (#245 and confirmed in #401)
@travellingann +1 (#333)
@QPProletarian (#404)
And myself

Apologies if you have responded in a comment but I've missed it. Please add yourself again.

• If you are listed above and still planning to attend, no action needed.
• If you want to attend but were not listed, please react to this message with 'Agree' (green tick) and I'll add you in. Alternatively, comment below or send me a DM (conversation).
• If you were planning to attend but your plans have changed, comment below or please send a DM.

Looking forward to seeing you all there!

Thank you @tdimdad. It will be myself +1. See you Friday.

 

[somebol]

For any Canberrans attending the event, remember to do early voting before you leave.
Alternatively you can also vote at the QLD ECQ office located in level 20, 1 Eagle Street, Brisbane (Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm).

 

[CaptJCool]

Arrived late last night
Taxi fare into Roma St (station vicinity) was $65 (plus tip)

Discovered this NRL event is on This weekend

2024 Pacific Championships

The Pacific’s biggest sporting event is back for 2024, where the very best men’s and women’s players from seven island nations compete for glory and pride.

www.nrl.com

Explains some of the hotel pricing

In bigger news, this game starts Sunday out at Albion !

Queensland Bulls v South Australia Men, Sheffield Shield 2024-25 | cricket.com.au

Live cricket coverage, live streaming, cricket highlights, live scores, breaking news, video, analysis and expert opinion.

www.cricket.com.au

 

[QF WP]

I did the final meetings with both venues yesterday afternoon and confirmed everything. Things are starting to get real. Good to see people have already started to arrive. @CaptJCool gets the crown for first arrival of interstate guests. Thought the cab fare would be a little better than that, but late night surcharge (or price surging from Rideshares ex-Airport), presuming the trains weren't running at that time.

 

[craven morehead]

Arrived late last night
Taxi fare into Roma St (station vicinity) was $65 (plus tip)

Discovered this NRL event is on This weekend

2024 Pacific Championships

The Pacific’s biggest sporting event is back for 2024, where the very best men’s and women’s players from seven island nations compete for glory and pride.

www.nrl.com

Explains some of the hotel pricing

In bigger news, this game starts Sunday out at Albion !

Queensland Bulls v South Australia Men, Sheffield Shield 2024-25 | cricket.com.au

Live cricket coverage, live streaming, cricket highlights, live scores, breaking news, video, analysis and expert opinion.

www.cricket.com.au

That explains a lot. Thankfully I booked ages ago

 

[CaptJCool]

I did the final meetings with both venues yesterday afternoon and confirmed everything. Things are starting to get real. Good to see people have already started to arrive. @CaptJCool gets the crown for first arrival of interstate guests. Thought the cab fare would be a little better than that, but late night surcharge (or price surging from Rideshares ex-Airport), presuming the trains weren't running at that time.

Yeah no trains after 10.04pm
11.22pm so higher flagfall
Plus Tunnel toll road fees plus
Airport exit fee

I’d not been in the tunnel before so that was zoom zoom zoom

And here’s my first arrival reward

 

[somebol]

Had to rejig flights due to work. Will now arrive early tomorrow

 

[tdimdad]

Updated weather forecast for the weekend: dry, generally pleasant though Saturday afternoon temperature will be at around 33C. Friday afternoon is windy - just right for landing runway 01 L/R so you'll get nice views of the CBD on the left side of the aircraft a couple of minutes before touchdown.

Caloundra and Maleny look similar on Saturday, possibly a bit cooler.

 

[drron]

BOM has Caloundra at 29C at 11am with humidity at 58%.
Temp tops out at 32C at 1pm with humidity 53%.
By 4pm the temp is back to 28C with humidity 68%.

Should basically be a nice day with just a slight possibility of a light shower.

 

[NM]

Should basically be a nice day with just a slight possibility of a light shower.

With such nice weather in Qld, why would anyone want to be anywhere but here?

 

[Hvr]

With such nice weather in Qld, why would anyone want to be anywhere but here?

Almost sounds PERfect.