ZorkFest has come and gone! It was a whirlwind weekend of fun and learning. 

It was great to see old faces and meet new people. I didn’t make it to every event but did enough in and around ZorkFest to share some thoughts.

First of all, congrats to Mr. TravelZork Michael Trager. ZorkFest was destined for success before the opening cocktail reception on Friday evening at Horseshoe Las Vegas. 

I arrived earlier than expected so I put $20 into an Invaders of the Planet Moolah slot machine and left with a sweet $80 bonus on a $1.25 bet. Not bad and it paid for my rideshares for the weekend.

As I’ve said repeatedly, the TravelZork community is special. Everyone in attendance was nice and willing to share and learn with one another. 

Don’t tell anyone but I think I learned as much from speaking with people over drinks as I did from the speakers.  That’s rare and it was a reminder of how strong this particular community is. Not every group is like this.

ZorkFest Friday Night

People were gathered outside of the cocktail reception for about 15 minutes before doors opened. Guests were already introducing themselves to each other. We don’t need no stinking badges to talk!

The opening party was packed and the energy was fantastic. After a few hours, some of the attendees went to the Sinatra VIP Dinner at Encore. I went home but the sold-out add-on had a 100% approval rate from everyone in attendance.

ZorkFest Saturday 

Saturday was a busy day for those at ZorkFest. I did not make it to Horseshoe at 7am for coffee, craps, and blackjack. 

The education segment is what I find most useful about conferences like ZorkFest. Unfortunately, my day started late so I missed some of the action. 

I wanted to make it for the second session of the day—”Deal the Deck: Your Points & Miles Questions in the Cards: AMA (“Ask Me Anything”) with Julia and Ben”—but the gravitational pull of my couch and college football games got the best of me.

The Double Down with Dave seminar was excellent despite the opening act. Seriously though Adam was a good addition, and discussing casino tier matching is always interesting.

Since online casinos aren’t available in Nevada, I didn’t get too much useful information from Hurdy Gurdy Justin during the “The Advantage Play of Points, Miles, & Casinos” seminar. 

That said, it was great to hear how people are able to maximize their money in this space. I had an extra wide smile Justin was discussing sports betting arbitrage. This strategy doesn’t get much publicity because it can take a lot of work…however, it can be very profitable.

Ben Komenkul interviewed Gary Leff for more than an hour. I’m not a big traveler but he shared some fun information. Anthony Curtis from Las Vegas Advisor followed the interview with a presentation. 

AC is a great resource for the less-than-obvious deals around Las Vegas. My only complaint is that he doesn’t spend enough time on my side of town finding great local bar promos and specials. 

Dinner Break And Podcasters After Dark

After Curtis’ presentation, we had an hourlong dinner break. I haven’t been to the ParisShoe complex in a while so I wandered around the two casinos. 

While Horseshoe doesn’t have a real sportsbook, the updated Paris location with an adjoining bar is much nicer than the previous iteration. 

My walk through the properties was uneventful but both casinos were crowded. I hit the Vegas Strip for some fresh air on the walk back to Horseshoe. 

I dipped into Dave’s Hot Chicken for a quick bite. You’d expect to pay $14 for two huge tenders and fries on the Vegas Strip and that’s what I did. The food was good and I’d have it again. 

Podcasters After Dark was fun as you’d expect with the talent on board. It was a fun way to end a long day of meeting, greeting, and learning. 

Share your ZorkFest experience below or wherever you read this.