On Wednesday, 3 October 2012 at 17:08:25 UTC, Andrei Alexandrescu
wrote:
I hear you. We have a detailed budget model and we're not
splurging in any way. Organizing a conference has quite a few
odds and ends and weird pricing. As an example, location
providers offer good prices for the location proper BUT they
require using their own catering services, which is how they
make money. I co-organized a few conferences and, believe me, a
cookie has a different taste when you know it was $5.
That being said, if anyone on this forum works in the Bay Area
and takes this to their employer, we'd save a ton of expenses
if a company could offer a meeting room. I have initiated such
with Facebook, and they're looking into it. All - please email
me if such an opportunity exists.
Depending on how many people would be attending, and I'm sure
most of us are far enough away that a place to stay becomes a
question. A quick glance suggests room swill be anywhere from
$80-$200, and if it hits tourist season that number can double
(or triple) easily.
At some conventions you could get a discount if you mentioned
you were part of the group, but if this group isn't large enough
to warrant that kind of attention then perhaps something else.
Perhaps at no cost find/contact a few hotels and that are
willing to give discounts (aren't far from the site and
reasonably priced) and list them as preferred options for lodging.
Potentially also if a single hotel (or two) can reserve say a
hundred rooms (or whatever is decided), a larger discount may be
given especially for stays lasting multiple day. In that
situation whoever is managing can collect the cost for the rooms
(up front, say 3 months in advance). Regarding deposits I'm sure
we would each handle our own.
Also a thought. If the discounts are comparable enough compared
to normally without this effort, then that discount can then be
donated towards the conference and may build that up
faster/easier.
