We're talking about big differences in scale here with 250 miles between
Minneapolis and Chicago compared with what appears to be another popular
choice of Washington DC (some 1,000 miles). Minneapolis has the bonus of:
25 players there, cheap food, accomodation a-plenty, location is a little
inconvenient at present. I would like a single room for smoking in this
time though if we can, which should be okay (we've been offered free access
to a conference room, and other rooms to use as well, hotel rooms at cheaper
rate). So if players are able to organise that sort of thing for us
elsewhere (we can't do that from here) that would be great.
What I would like is to have two games running concurrently. But as w/ends
are the only really viable time for this it would mean that they would
(realistically) have to be run in the same location. (Can't please you all
here for location etc I am afraid - eg Texas with less than 5 players is not
viable). So my preference (at this moment) is Minneapolis with 2 games.
Failing that maybe an earlier (week earlier) in DC as I have quite a few
players interested in that area. (But that would be hard to arrange as it
would mean having one of us stay in the US for a week - not a big hardship
but time off work here would be hard to organise.) (Running over the
internet is a possibility but it does really need a GM to be there to keep
things running smoothly and keep things under control - trust me on this -
we might be able to do that).
Still flexible here but I need some feedback as it will take some 2-3 months
to get everything sorted so that by the time we get to the US everything is
working fine. Mostly I need locations that players want to be at, names of
who can make it etc.
I roughly have 59 players interested at present.. 
Clint