What's VivaWildSide? The VWS FAQ

Viva WildSide is a group of TGirls and friends who all post on a message board called WildSide (surprise, surprise) over at Alt.com. It's a really wonderful and eclectic collection of hotties from all parts of the US, Canada and beyond. I joined there in April of 2007; which was just around the time that people there started to talk about an event held annually in Vegas called Diva Las Vegas. At that time, I hadn't been getting out very much and had no real experience doing anything in full time femme mode, so even though I only really knew these people from a few posts on a web board, I decided that I was going to go to Vegas and join in with these kewl WildSide people. It turned out to be one of the best decisions I've EVER made and in fact changed my life.

I won't bore you with every lil detail of the trip, (the photos speak for themselves!) Our group had about 7-10 people in attendance. It was the first time I was ever able to be Gina 24/7 and that alone was just an unreal experience. But, what really made this trip special was the people in our group. They were just the sweetest, most supportive and overall, just bestest bevy of beauties imaginable. I made some amazing life long friendships, and we hosted two outrageous hotel suite parties, that gave us a lil bit of a rep as "those wild girls over at The Sahara" but in the end, it was the support and camaraderie I received from everyone that gave me a new found confidence to move forward with my own transition and stuff.

Once we got back, and started telling people the stories and showing off the thousands of pix everyone had, word started to spread about what a fun trip it was, and more and more people decided that the next year they would attend. The board started buzzing about the trip and my best friend Nikki Belange & I (as two vets of the '07 adventure) took it upon ourselves to sort of organize things. The one thing that we weren't really crazy about, was the way Diva Las Vegas ran their event. Now, this isn't a knock on DLV, they have run a very successful event for over a decade now, but it just wasn't really for us. There seemed to be some negative energy from some; they have lots of rules and regulations (like not being seen in groups, never use a women's restroom, do not engage with casino & hotel guests, stuff like that). They are a more conservative bunch, and we totally respect their way of doing things, but it seemed most of the people on the WildSide forum weren't really having any of their rules and such. So we decided that we'd splinter off from the "official" DLV party and just do our own thing, and that's how the Viva WildSide Sin City Soriee was born. We still decided to go during the same time as the DLV cause it's not often you have a full on trannyfied week in Las Vegas, and other than some of the "hierarchy", there are some really kewl people to meet there.

Nikki hooked us up with a special rate for people in our group at the Tropicana. We planned a couple of wild parties in our suite, and we were off and running. We ended up with about 35 people actually registered at The Trop, and few more who stayed in other places. With so many people attending, it was easy to do some really fun things that one would probably not be able to do in a smaller group. Like we rented limos, booked two VIP suites at a swanky nightclub, and beacuse of all the people participating, everything was super affordable.

The big week finally arrived, people came and went, but when it was done, to a person, everyone just raved about what fun they had. Again though, the biggest thing to come out of the trip was that everyone felt that same support and camaraderie I had felt in '07, and it really had an impact on people's confidence and doing things in back in their own lil slice of the world, so it was a really special feeling to know that we impacted people in such a postive way. The VWS get together is totally a cosmic collection of support, love, friendship and really, really good times.

So that's basically the story of how all this craziness got started. We are planning on bigger fun, bigger limos, bigger parties and just way more general good natured decadence.

Hopefully we'll see y'all there, but in case you need a lil more convincing, give this a look...

FAQ

What’s WildSide?
WildSide is basically just a transgendered web group on the fetish site Alt.com. It was founded in 2005 and is currently the number one TG and second largest group on Alt overall. There are always very lively discussions going on and features a really wonderful and eclectic collection of TG’s, FTM’s and admirers from all parts of the US, Canada, the UK and beyond. The vibe is always 1,000% supportive and welcoming, which totally manifests itself in the attitudes of all those who embark on the Las Vegas trip. With Alt being a fetish site, there are some rather “randy” subjects brought up, but were all grown ups here, right? Alt is free to join, and you can find WildSide by going to the groups section.

How did VivaWildSide and the Sin City Soiree come to be?
In 2007, a group of about 10 people from the WildSide board on Alt decided to check out Diva Las Vegas. We were a lil put off by all the rules and stuff, plus a lot of the DLV events were a lil on the tame side for our liking, so we decided that we would spice things up on our own by throwing a couple of crazy suite parties at The Sahara. We had the time of our lives, and the parties were raging successes. We quickly gained a reputation as those “wild girls over at The Sahara” which we all relished and took great pride in. After we returned from that trip, stories and pictures began to flow and caught a lot of people’s attention. Nikki & Gina (fresh off an incredible bonding experience in 2007) took it upon themselves to build off all that buzz and interest that the first trip had generated and plan a return trip to Las Vegas in 2008. Being a lil underwhelmed by DLV, we decided that a more provocative event was called for; sort of like being everything DLV wasn't. Planning included a move from The Sahara to The Tropicana, where Nikki secured a special rate for anyone who registered under the WildSide umbrella. We also included a group limo ride, VIP accommodations in a swanky Vegas nightclub, poolside fun (bikini’s and all) and of course more wild suite parties. As the planning got grander and grander, more and more people caught the bug, and what had started as 10 people in 2007 had grown to over 35 attendees in 2008, and in 2009, the number grew again to over 50 wonderful, WildSiders. The "Sin City Soiree" continues to gain momentum with each passing year, and we can only imagine what the future may hold.

Who is welcome at The Sin City Soiree?
Transgender people of all kinds, male to female, female to male, crossdressers, transvestites, transsexuals, their significant others and partners, admirers, first timers, full timers, all are welcome. All we ask is that you be friendly, supportive, cool, considerate and respectful of EVERYONE at all times. Our groups over the past years have been made up of nothing but wonderful and caring people. It's the singular trait shared by everyone in VWS, (well, that and the love of having one hell of a party!) One of the most overwhelming and amazing aspects of VWS is the camaraderie, support and friendship our participants feel. There is a total and instant bonding that seems to take place each year and that is one of the best things about this group. Be forewarned though, they don’t call us The WildSide for nothing. We are party people who go full throttle whenever we are together. We drink, some smoke, we dance, flirt and flaunt our fabulousness at every possible opportunity.

Where did the name VivaWildSide come from?
The name VivaWildSide came about after a rather ugly incident in 2008 when the DLV overlords actually kicked a WildSide member out of one of their events (an event held in a PUBLIC place, mind you) for supposedly being dressed inappropriately, which she totally was not! We we’re so outraged at this rather petty and just plain mean spirited slight that the mere thought of being associated with ANYTHING DLV became totally out of the question. So Gina put forth that point on we go by our rally cry of VivaWildSide and not really affiliate ourselves with DLV.

What’s with all the initials and stuff?
-- VWS is our group name and of course stands for VivaWildSide.
-- WS stands for WildSide (This is the mothership; our main board, and the place where the whole Vegas idea was born, which is found in the “groups” section of Alt.com).
-- WSW stands for WildSideWest (Gina’s web board, where you’ll find tons of info, links and history about everything VWS).
-- SCS stands for Sin City Soiree, which is just a snazzy name for our event.
-- DLV stands for Diva Las Vegas

So what’s wrong with the DLV group?
Not a thing. They are a fun and perfectly respectable group who should totally be commended for putting together a wonderful event every year for over a decade now. We just have a slight difference of opinion of what "fun" is. Their “hierarchy” seems to get a lil to wrapped up with the rules and regulations thang and we think it gives off a kind of a negative vibe. Things like NOT congregating in groups while in public, NOT engaging hotel or casino guests and NEVER, EVER going near a women’s restroom seem a tad conservative to the average WildSider. We understand they are only meant to protect those involved, but we are a lil bolder lot, I guess. These issues plus events like gun shooting, golfing and a trip to a brothel aren’t really our cup of tea. So we decided to respectfully splinter off on our own. Then after that rather nasty incident in 2008, we decided we would not really associate in any official way with Diva Las Vegas and forge our own identity. There are some really kewl people that attend their event though and we hope we can be a bit more "civil" towards one another in the future.

If you want to forge your own identity, why do you continue to schedule your event at the same time as DLV?
Despite the dark DLV overlords, we’ve met some really fun people who are DLV participants, and we would never hold the actions of a few against the many. Also, it’s not every week that over 150 TGirls invade Las Vegas, so it’s a fun time to be in town, and we felt a perfect time for us to schedule our trip as well.

What does it cost to attend the VWS Sin City Soiree?
Absolutely nothing. Well, obviously you do have to cover your own room, food and other necessities, but we don’t charge anything to be a part of the VWS group. We take care of munchies and mixers at our suite parties, and will have some “adult beverages” on hand, but we ask that people chip in when they can, and also observe the time tested tradition of BYOB! We do have one or two big ticket activities scheduled thoughout the week, but the amount of people involved helps keep those costs down. For example…our VIP outing to the Piranha nightclub includes a hefty bottle charge; which basically means we are purchasing four bottles of Vodka at the seemingly outrageous sum of $177 per bottle. But when you break that down and divide those four bottles between 25 people, it only costs $28 per person to join in the fun of living it up celebrity style. Considering that Piranha charges a cover fee of $20 (which is waved for VIP’s), it’s a great way to enjoy with the luxury of VIP status without a major hit to the pocketbook. Costs seem to stay pretty low when things are done in bigger group, so it works out very well for us.

Why do you stay at The Tropicana and not a fancier, newer hotel?
The Trop is definitely one of the older hotels on the strip, and if you go by hotel review sites, you would be greatly unimpressed. Those reviews are totally overblown however, as it has served us VERY well in years past. The Trop is SUPER friendly and accommodating to our group, it's clean, has a wonderful staff, awesome pool & cabana area and most importantly offers three pricing levels on their rooms; Garden Rooms being the cheapest, the Island Tower is their mid-range offering and the Paradise Tower is their high-end option. We want everyone to be able to stay together, and with three pricing options to choose from, we feel everyone can pretty much find something to fit their budget. Our own lil negotiator Nikki has also secured a very nice working relationship with The Trop and members of VWS are given special group room rates, as well as other VIP perks offered by the hotel. So all these reasons combine to make The Tropicana the perfect place for us to call our Vegas home. As of 11/09, The Trop is undergoing MAJOR renovations should be even better than it has been in past years.

Why are there so many VWS web sites?
WildSide has kind of taken on a life of it’s own. While nothing will ever really replace the original WS board on Alt.com, the WildSide way has become infectious and we want to give people as many avenues to explore our group as possible beyond the reach of Alt. Alt.com can be downright user UNFRIENDLY a lot of times. They are notoriously bad for viewing photos (unless you are a paying member, which is HIGHLY not recommended!), they don't allow any linkage on their boards, so information and things of that nature are really hard to convey, and they have been known on more then one occasion to censor & delete posts without warning for things like trying to give out useful, PUBLIC phone numbers or silly things like using dollar signs when giving info on how much a room or limo ride or something like that might cost, (they have a generic censoring system that looks for things like dollar signs and automatically disregards the post thinking it is a sexual solicitation, etc, etc), so we had to expand our boundaries a bit to get the word out. Although there are other WildSide boards on Alt besides the original, (we've taken on an international aspect as the moderator of the original WS board, Nikki Belange also runs an Alt group of WildSiders from her home area of Calgary, called surprisingly enough; WildSideCalgary, and our DEAR friend, the lovely TinaHot started her own WildSide off-shoot Alt group for those Aussie's down under called WildSideSydney), we needed to also get out message out there to people beyond the Alt world, so now there is the VWS MySpace page, which is the ONLY place on the net where you will find photo chronicles of ALL PAST VWS's, as well as videos from years past. While MySpace is great, they have few issues of thier own, so Gina Mylano took the WildSide idea and extended it beyond the realm of Alt to create the site you are at now...WildSideWest. WSW is much more user friendly and is controlled by VWS. So all the info you can't find on Alt or MySpace is available here at WSW, complete with important links to all pertinent VWS & Vegas websites, as well as videos, countdown clocks and other fun and valuable info you won't find anywhere else. And best of all, you don't have to jump through Alt’s censorship hoops.

Is VivaWildSide a sexcapade?
While it’s true the origins of VWS were formed on the fetish site Alt.com, and we have many attendees who are very fetish & open minded (in fact, we honor that by having one of our suite parties themed as Fetish Nite, with participants showing up in their best leather, pvc, rubber or vinyl finery) VWS & the suite parties ARE NOT some kind of big orgy or anything like that. In that vein, VWS isn’t a place for lecherous “tranny chasers” to come and try to “score”. We only want classy, considerate and respectful people at our events. But if two (or more) consenting adults get together, that’s way cool too, but it’s not the objective of our trip. Our goal is to foster friendships and give people a chance to experience things they might not have the chance to do in their "regular" lives.

I’ve seen the itinerary, do I have to do everything on the list?
Absolutely not! The itinerary is basically just a guide to what we are doing and when we are doing it. You can hang out as much or as little as you like, and aren’t obligated to do anything you don’t want to. Again, our goal is for everyone to be as comfortable as possible! We do stress that you don’t want to miss our themed suite parties, they are a total blast!. The themes this year, as in year’s past are Lingerie Nite and Fetish Nite. We ask that people participate in our themed nights and come dressed (or undressed as the case may be) for each particular party, but it’s not like you would EVER be turned away if you aren’t dressed a certain way.

What are these suite parties all about?
Nikki and Gina (the ringleaders of this lil soiree) share adjoining suites for optimum luxury & lots of space. The suite is basically VWS headquarters. It’s where everyone usually meets up, and is the place to be when it comes to party time! The suite parties are a tradition that started in 2007. There are usually two parties in the suite each year and are basically themed cocktail mixers that serve as a launching pad for some wild nights out on the town. The themes for the parties haven’t really changed much for a couple of reasons. #1 is because since Alt is a fetish site and many WildSiders have a totally wild streak, we wanted to pay homage to our “roots” and #2, lingerie is something just about every Tgirl definitely has, which makes it much easier to get more people involved, as opposed to say having a costume party or formal gathering.

If you have any questions or suggestions to add on to this, feel free to chime in!

Last year was my first at the Wild Side party in Las Vegas and I have to give huge props to Gina and Nikki for organizing such a fantabulous party. It was one of the funnest times I had ever had and I would encourage all of you who read this to attend this years event. It's destined to go down in Wild Side lore and one of the best I think.

thank you for making The Wild Side simply the BEST!!!

I had wanted to go to the event in '08 but was unable to do so. Fortunately, someone at the party in Las Vegas opened a webcam and suddenly I was there. For two or three nights I was invited to the party & watched the Fun. I resolved to move Heaven & Earth to make the scene in '09. Now its less than 4 months away. So near yet so far. Nevertheless it will be here and upon us in no time. I SO look forward to seeing all of you there and the many more that were unable to attend last year that intend to do so this time around.

Cheer's, Dahlings,
Lola