CIAA festivities are just about a month away. Many of you are making party and hotel reservations, preparing your upscale wardrobes, etc. You and your crew want to hit downtown Charlotte the first weekend of March and paint the town red. It's going to be hot as always. For the first time in 4 years, I will not be participating in the festivities. However, being a CIAA veteran, I have some pointers to make this weekend fun, enjoyable, safe, and memorable
- Plan, plan, plan ahead
I cannot stress this enough. Right now you and your entourage should be making hotel reservations. And yes I know anything uptown, such as the Ritz or the Blake, is pretty much out of the question. However, I guarantee that if you act within the next week or so, there are plenty of nice hotels and suites available within driving distance of the various parties. There are a plethora of these on University, Tyvola, Carowinds Blvd, and in Pineville, NC. If all else fails, there are nice, affordable rooms in Rock Hill, SC, just 20 minutes south of downtown Charlotte
- Get about 3-4 /room to save
People often think my friends and I are big ballers because whenever events such as a wedding or CIAA arrives, we stay in some nice rooms. This is a result of careful planning, and having about 3-5 of us/room. Doing this is still comfortable, usually within many hotel policies, and saves you more money for partying and drinking
- Reserve your party tickets NOW, and set a budget for them
It is my humble opinion that you will have just as much fun at a $100 V.I.P. party as you will a $25 party. It's CIAA, most every party will be packed out. Therefore, look on sites such as www.mingleberry.com and even www.ciaa.org for various parties around uptown. I would say attend no more than 2 parties/day you're in town. However, this depends upon your budget, energy level, and alcohol tolerance. Act now if you don't plan on spending more than $30/party. If you wait until the end of February, general admission to parties will be $60 on the low end.
- Do not drive on Tryon and College during this time.
This is the heart of uptown, where much of the CIAA action is. Therefore, traffic will be jammed up NY/LA style. Take side streets such as Davidson and 9th street, and park near Tryon and College to avoid an extremely long walk
- Dress to impress, but stay warm
Fellas, at least wear a dress shirt, tie, sweater or jacket, slacks, all clean and pressed, and some sharp dress shoes. Leave the Jordans and the Air Force Ones at home. Ladies, show your skin off, but wear a jacket and stockings. Half the reason us fellas come to CIAA is the eye candy but its still wintertime, and you want to be healthy after the partying is done
- Get at least one designated driver/nite, get plenty of rest in between and after parties, and have fun!!!
Please feel free to add more advice or even add experiences in the comments section
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