Kink events cost money. You are the only one who knows your financial situation and what is feasible. Financial responsibilities come first! Please do not come to NEST without the means to get you through the weekend or expecting others to foot (no pun intended) your bill(s).
Main expenses:
Rooming
Finding roommates is usually the biggest money-saver. The 2023 rooms will be approx. $130 + taxes per night and are one king or two double/queens, so you can have as many as four people in a room (if you don’t mind bed sharing). Try and find your roommates early! Roommate search posts can be done in our FetLife group, or in the NEST discord group (age/ID verification required) roommate/rideshare channel. Be specific with your search!
Example: “Hi! I’m Jenna! I am a 34 year old female. I am extremely loud, annoying, and I don’t know how to clean up after myself. I go to bed late and wake up early and am a blanket hog. ISO two people (any age/any gender) who won’t mind the chaos that follows me around. PM me if, for whatever reason, this sounds like a good fit!”
Wait for someone who will be a good match vs. the first person who responds. Gathering weekends can be overwhelming and you want your room to be a calming place to retreat and refresh and a negative roommate situation can really affect your weekend.
NOTE: A REMINDER THAT SHOULDN’T HAVE TO BE A REMINDER: ROOMMATES ARE FOR ROOMING PURPOSES ONLY. ROOMING WITH SOMEONE DOES NOT MEAN PLAY IS EXPECTED
Transportation
NEST is held in the general Philadelphia area. Most people fly, take the train, or drive. Your transportation budget will obviously vary depending on where/when you are coming from and what mode of transportation you are using. PHL is the closest airport. Start checking flights now; set up a flight alert and keep an eye on the best price. Hopper or Google flights are both great sites to use. The “best” time to book is typically six – eight weeks out.
There are several other airports within two hours. Flying into these airports and renting a car, or carpooling with others is another option (weight the price of car rental/gas/tolls vs. the flight price difference. Sometimes it’s not worth it.). Utilize the discord roomshare/rideshare channel! This will help with finding others who are near your area for carpooling or for airport pickups/rideshare splitting!
Example: “Hello! I live right outside of X city and am hoping to carpool with some other locals. Leaving on Friday morning and coming back Monday afternoon, but flexible with times! Message me!”
Note: S*** happens; If you are relying on someone else driving you, have a backup plan! You don’t want to miss it because your ride had an emergency and had to cancel! (Also, be a good passenger and offer gas money/don’t be a music hog).
Registration
Registration price is based on a sliding scale. Fees range from $70-$130, depending on when you get your tickets. Get them as early as possible for the best rate!
Food & Drinks
NEST does provide some snacks and light meals throughout the weekend. There are local restaurants and people enjoy going out to eat but this can quickly add up. We suggest doing a grocery run before when you arrive and stocking up on quick, easy, filling foods. The rooms do have kitchenettes!
Miscellaneous
Play Equipment
People will be posting about all the fun and intricate equipment and tools they will be bringing but don’t think you need to run out and buy/build every humiliator on the market (especially if you’re flying!) NEST provides plenty of bondage equipment for public or private use (BYOTT: BRING YOUR OWN TICKLE TOOLS). A simple under the bed restraint system and a few cheap brush types will work just fine for basic tickle play.
Pre-gathering Rituals
Same as above, people will be showcasing their mani/pedis but don’t feel like you need to get expensive beauty treatments or new clothes to attend and have play experiences. None of that stuff is a requirement for finding play- just be open, friendly, and have basic personal hygiene practices.