Neverending conference registration fee gouging |
I just saw Robert Scoble hyping up the Mix06 event on March 20-22, 2006 in Las Vegas sponsored by Microsoft:
The MIX conference is a 72-hour conversation between web developers, designers and business leaders. When you attend MIX you’ll learn the latest about IE7, Windows Media, Windows Live!, as well as “Atlas”, Microsoft’s new AJAX framework. Register today and take advantage of the low price of $995, as well as the discounted conference hotel rate.
But then I saw the registration fee:
Full Conference Registration $995 U.S.
Isn’t it about time somebody educates these conference organizers that very, very few conferences are worth $1,000 USD? Perhaps Mix06 will be one of these, but I already have my doubts. And it’s not even the $1,000 when you start thinking about airfare, which round trip to Vegas from Seattle currently costs between $250-500+ per person and then the “discounted” hotel charges (although admittedly we usually get our hotel rooms comped in Vegas). Even if one doesn’t gamble, this event could easily end up costing more than two grand.
I’m probably sounding like a real cheapskate here but somebody needs to point out that developers are already paying fees to Microsoft for things like MSDN subscriptions, Visual Studio licensing fees not to mention machine OS fees (and more coming later this year with Vista). For an office with multiple machines, these expenses start adding up quickly.
Yes, Microsoft has a lot of free events and we try and take advantage of these from time to time and they are definitely entitled to have paid events, but wouldn’t it be better to have more inexpensive registration fee events (focusing on smaller developers) than fewer high-priced $1,000+ events (focusing on larger teams of developers)? And who will this event really be targeting? Is it the smaller developers, designers and webmasters that Microsoft really wants and needs for their Live apps?
I was able to create a Google module recently without any need to visit some $1,000 event and learn about a new framework. A couple times I’ve looked over the Live stuff and left thinking: man, I need more time to look this over. I’m probably needing to drop the 1000 bones and get to this Mix06 event, but the price annoys me. Why should we pay to learn to write apps that promote the Live platform when we can stay back and our office and build them without attending the event?
At these rates, let’s be honest: it’s not for small developers. The expenses to stay in the game are partly what drive smaller developers away from Microsoft products. Scoble likely doesn’t have to worry about paying to attend these events but small developers like me do.
EXAMPLE. I know of one developer who was gratified to be made a Microsoft MVP so he could obtain a pro version of Visual Studio 2005 and get away from ClickOnce as the only deployment method. He’s working on a much needed Windows speciality application. There is no way developers like this would be able to pay to attend events like Mix06 and these are your target audience developers for widespread growth, Microosft.
It’s cool that Express versions of Visual Studio were provided for free (for the first year), but those aren’t for serious professional apps, sorry. Thus far my experience with ClickOnce has been completely underwhelming. Finally, there is a major difference between hobbyist and student programmers and professional small developers. One could probably do just fine with the Express version, but the others will want to do their own deployment and skip over ClickOnce.
Back to conference pricing.
(And BTW, I’m not grousing in this post trying to get a comp or even reduced special buddy, buddy, pal, pal secret rate to the Mix06 event from anybody so thank you in advance but please do not send or offer me one. Consider this post feedback for future event/conference planning specifically targeted to smaller developers/webmasters)
I’m really starting to wonder if setting a maximum conference fee of say $300 USD would be a good idea for the rest of us that aren’t in the profiting from conference business. If the registration fee costs more than that, I have serious doubts that the value will be there as an attendee. In fact, when the conference registration fees exceed $300 USD I start thinking it’s no longer about holding a good, useful event, it’s about lining the event coordinators’ pockets.
Let’s do the math here: $300 x 1000 attendees = $300,000. At $995 per head, we’re talking a million bucks before sponsorship dollars. A lot of coca cola’s and water bottles can be bought for that.
Those of you putting on conferences over this amount of money better really work your buns off to provide true conference value. And no, us attendees do not think a seemingly endless supply of sponsor pitches to be valuable. Been there, done that, hate that.
Before the professional conference whores and conference profiteers start squawking about how clueless I am about the value of social networking ask yourselves what value this even will be bring to your business. As Yogi Berra would say, this is deja vus all over again.
I’ve learned from experience that paying more doesn’t guarantee that the internet connectivity won’t suck (if you want reliable internet, BYOI- Bring Your Own Internet advised), so what will this high priced registration fee really cover? Great food? Real china instead of paper plates? (un)Comfortable seating?
Scoble says: “More stuff to come!” I sure hope it’s more than the use of yet another variation on the orange RSS button.
What will be at Mix06, really?
Some cool swag? Free demo discs and a plethora of sponsor “special offers”? A chance to see famous tech luminaries strutting in the distance? Schmooze, booze and grooves with fellow developers?
Developers can do the last one at meetups without paying a dime in registration fees.
Forgive me for looking the Microsoft gift horse in the mouth but our business doesn’t have billions in the bank. We’re a small developer operation who would rather use registration and travel expenses for advertising and promotion. For a fraction of the price of attending Mix06, we can attend several smaller developer-oriented events in 2006. No, we might not see Tim O’reilly and Bill Gates showing some phony affection toward each other.
Seriously, how much more value will I get out of Mix06 being there instead of here?
I do fully realize attending events like this is advertising and promotion, but does the dollars and time spent offset or exceed what could be done with a marketing campaign? Seriously, with the knowledge available so far, would our business be better served putting the two grand in a beta adCenter campaign?
Scoble or somebody in the Mix06 know, please convince us where the thinking should be here. Show us da value. What are we going to get at this conference — what will be missed staying at work — that we won’t be able to get from the office?
Looking at the proposed agenda, more info definitely needed and would be appreciated.
Did this post make you go hmm?
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I’m speaking at a conference in October which is 1500$ registration. However, it’s on a cruise ship. 5 days in the Caribbean, all your food and activities. So, really, either the conference is free or the cruise is
Beyond that, I agree with you. I simply won’t pay more than 300$ for a conference, as it’d end up costing me about 1500$ with airfare, hotel and food even at that price. And, btw, I had the same reaction to Mix06 when it was first announced a few months ago.
Comment by Jeremy Wright — January 19, 2006 @ 8:00 am PST
$1,500 for cruise and conference? Yeah, that’s a good deal lol just don’t use the sail and sign card too much, Jeremy. Last — and only — cruise we were on that was the big push: use the sail and sign card. At the end of the cruise when you see just how much you put on that card you wish you hadn’t.
I’ve been to a few conferences worth more than the registration fee so certainly can’t condemn them all. Northern Voice is the one where I actually thought the registration fee should have been *more*. Those folks really did an outstanding job.
Comment by TDavid — January 19, 2006 @ 9:07 am PST
… sail and sign? Can you tell I’m a cruise newb?
And yeah, NV was a fantastic conference. I would have gladly paid 5 times the fee they’d advertised. I’m not going this year, becuase of budget issues and other travel I have to do at the same time, but it is by far one of the top 3 blogging conferences around.
Comment by Jeremy Wright — January 19, 2006 @ 9:15 am PST
I, too, am weary of conferences that make more money than the products that we’re supposed to produce using the information that we glean from the conference. I find great value in meeting folks and discussing ideas/concepts/directions/visions, and I’m happy to talk with other developers for free. Companies, however, should be paying ME. Alternatively, I will allow them to provide a common meeting place and will allow them the honor of eavesdropping on our conversations.
Really. Charging $1,000 to attend a “Web 2.x love fest” is obscene.
Comment by Scott Fletcher — January 19, 2006 @ 9:36 am PST
Anyone that has seen a conference profit and loss spreadsheet can attest to the fact of how expensive conferences are, especially with the economy recovering after 9/11 (try to find a inexpensive hotel room in NYC). But the perception remains that fat cats are making big money off your registration fee and we heard this at our first blogging event. Maybe some are, but it’s an educated guess that most are not. An example is hotel rooms. When you go into a hotel venue for an event, you have to book a block of rooms, including food and drink. Those nice hotel staffers that hand out food at during the reception yep you got to pay for them and they’re not cheap. If you send a package to a hotel in advance of the event, there’s a charge for them to touch it. The examples go on and on and the hidden fees will kill your event.
I can’t speak to Mix06 and I understand your concerns, but no one I know is out there to rip attendees off.
What my concern is, as a speaker, is the events that don’t pay or reimburse speakers and still charge a large amount. It gets really tiresome if you speak at many events.
Comment by DL Byron — January 19, 2006 @ 10:14 am PST
Sail & Sign cards are like credit cards that they give you when you go onboard, Jeremy. You use these cards everywhere because oh no, don’t want you using cash for anything! Actually the plastic is better for swimming around in the pool, but if you did pay cash for everything you would choke on some of the prices of things onboard. Also watch out for the reverse gratuity policies.
A good example of cruise ship “extras” is when we were exiting the ship to go into Ensenada, Mexico they were selling bottled water on the ship. They warned us several times that we had better buy the water aboard the ship because it was “safe.” Suckers that we are, we bought the pitch and paid $7 for the water. As we walked down the plank there was a vendor right in front of the ship selling the same water bottles — for $2!
Comment by TDavid — January 19, 2006 @ 10:22 am PST
DL Byron - This wasn’t a shoot from the hip commentary.
I happen to know something about conferences, being part of a couple of them and I know more than a little bit about the balance sheet (my friend put together like six different webmaster conferences across the United States between 2001 and 2003). I also used to be in the restaurant business (10 years) and I know the profit in catering business (it is extremely profitable for them). The people putting on these events can negotiate for good deals if they work at it instead of trying to pass it along to sponsors and registrants, but if they just pay whatever the prices are *they* will get ripped off.
As for hotels .. this is Vegas, and the Venetian is one of the most expensive and overpriced places on the strip. There are plenty of venues in Vegas. Did they shop around? I bet not very hard.
I don’t buy for a minute that $995USD per registrant plus the sponsorship money will not turn a profit. If you believe that, then I’ve got some beachfront property to sell you in Arizona.
Comment by TDavid — January 19, 2006 @ 10:31 am PST
Oh, and as for speakers. I’ve seen those expenses too. A lot of times they get not only their registrations comped but other perks. Hopefully if you are speaking somewhere you are factoring in this as part of your overall speaking compensation. Some don’t, some speakers just assume that not only should they have everything paid for including staying in some better room than the rest of the block of room attendees, but be paid a speaking fee above that.
Ok, if that’s your job, that’s what you do: professional speaking gigs, that’s one thing. But if your job is CEO of company ABC or you made some killer app … you aren’t exactly Mick Jagger.
Rock star psychosis in the speaker field.
I realize there are some really great professional speakers and that’s their business, but let’s face it, guys like Michael Gerber are in a different league than 99% of the speakers at technology conferences. Most of the folks speaking at these blogging/technology conferences are getting prime advertising out of the appearance.
Comment by TDavid — January 19, 2006 @ 10:47 am PST
I know the rock star speakers syndrome!
Comment by DL Byron — January 19, 2006 @ 11:57 am PST
I’ve always thought it would be in the best interests of Microsoft (or any other fairly well pocketed provider of software development tools) to give away all of their development tools and conferences. OK, maybe a nominal fee for conferences just to weed out party crashers. But think of the grass roots support they could build in the developer community if anybody who wanted to be a developer could just pick up the software for free, attend an almost free conference, and start banging away at it? Think of how much more ubiquitous the deployment platforms would become! If they really want to make some money, developers should be cultivated as partners and platform evangelists, not as a market to be exploited.
Comment by Sterling Camden — January 19, 2006 @ 12:21 pm PST
Oh yeah, and I had EXACTLY the same reaction towards the %995 MIX06 registration fee. Not for me!
Comment by Sterling Camden — January 19, 2006 @ 12:23 pm PST
We are definitely not making money on MIX06 registrations; not even close. We’re being very careful to show a cross-industry picture including companies not traditionally in Microsoft camp, and we’re not selling sponsorships. We feel that this is just about the only place you’ll be able to get this breadth of industry players together and see what kinds of things you can do regardless of whether you use MSFT technologies for the whole experience or not. We also feel that it will be unique in that we’ll be talking about things people are doing today, and making real money at — but which people don’t often talk about. There is lots of buzz about particular things like adsense, but I think you would find it valuable to see the broad gamut of things these consumer web, media, and services providers, networks etc. are doing. I think it’s a murky area for a lot of people, who don’t realize that they can participate in the same networks as MTV, BBC, and cell carriers for example. We set the bar high that we’re not going to pitch technologies that are not shipping or imminent, and where there is controversy about the value of an approach, we try to represent both sides and let you discuss and decide. I believe most people will find it’s well worth the money.
Comment by Joshua Allen [msft] — January 20, 2006 @ 12:49 pm PST
A million bucks is “not even close” to covering the expenses for this event? Hmm, with all due respect, I really have my doubts about that one. You didn’t really answer my question about the search for reasonably priced venue, but maybe you don’t know? The choice to use the Venetian is curious.
Interesting comments though, so thanks for stopping by, Joshua. I think that’s a good move that there won’t be any sponsors. One thing is for certain: we’ll find out very quickly if it is “well worth the money.” People were complaining about CES being a bit of a yawner this year and there were no registration fees for that.
Gonna be a tough sell, I think. We’ll see.
Comment by TDavid — January 20, 2006 @ 7:36 pm PST
[…] This unhappy campers exchange reminds me of what I had to say about the upcoming Mix06 with Neverending conference fee gouging. I agree with Mr. King that these code-related camps should be focused on the technology. I mean isn’t that the point of these camps? Let’s get together, exchange ideas and code something cool in a group setting? Or is the point let’s just get together and spam each other network with products/services (like most conferences)? […]
Pingback by Make You Go Hmm: » Doc takes King to outhouse in camping drama — March 5, 2006 @ 10:32 am PST
[…] Readers might recall me taking a pass on Mix06 doubting that it would be worth it. Was I wrong? Right? Let’s follow along with what’s happening so far as the first day of the event (March 20-22 in Las Vegas) is in the bag and day #2 is just getting started. […]
Pingback by Make You Go Hmm: » Getting the Mix06 conference value yet? — March 21, 2006 @ 12:15 pm PST
[…] You’ll note that I didn’t mention pricing anywhere in this post. Sang that sour note of conference pricing in the past. In this case I wanted to talk about value. Even free conferences aren’t worth attending if it wastes the most valuable resource we have: time. Conversely, a $1,000+ conference plus travel expenses could be worth it if the creativity factor and value is high. […]
Pingback by Your conference doesn’t have to suck nor discriminate, just follow this list » Make You Go Hmm — March 16, 2007 @ 8:13 am PST