Comments on: Good News! PodCamp Boston Charging $50 A Head http://www.ewanspence.com/blog/2008/04/15/good-news-podcamp-boston-charging-50-a-head/ Podcaster, Blogger, Writer, New Media Junkie... Wed, 24 Feb 2010 21:45:28 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Ewan Spence http://www.ewanspence.com/blog/2008/04/15/good-news-podcamp-boston-charging-50-a-head/comment-page-1/#comment-338280 Ewan Spence Wed, 16 Apr 2008 09:32:31 +0000 http://www.ewanspence.com/blog/?p=1459#comment-338280 Doug, The LOLsaurs is a good question - I'm sure that I'd still have the hard neck to do that sort of thing at any conference, but would the changed expectations of a paid-for event dull that? Linda & Whitney I think the deposit idea is a good one, after all the indivudal registrations all show up in the company books - there shouldn;t be that much of a hassle to post out cheques *after the event* if that was a route you wanted to go down. Less a $5 handling charge would be fair in my mind. Chris The challenge is managing erxpectations of a Bar/PodCamp style event while charging as if it was something more mainstream To both Chris, though, a simple question. As you rightly point out, there are a lot of Pod/Bar/* Camp events, and they all run on a free to enter basis. I understand your thinking behind charging for the event, but I have to ask this. If the community has decided that Pod/Bar events are free, and you are charging, then <b>why not change the name to respect the much larger, global community?</b> Doug,

The LOLsaurs is a good question – I’m sure that I’d still have the hard neck to do that sort of thing at any conference, but would the changed expectations of a paid-for event dull that?

Linda & Whitney

I think the deposit idea is a good one, after all the indivudal registrations all show up in the company books – there shouldn;t be that much of a hassle to post out cheques *after the event* if that was a route you wanted to go down. Less a $5 handling charge would be fair in my mind.

Chris

The challenge is managing erxpectations of a Bar/PodCamp style event while charging as if it was something more mainstream

To both Chris, though, a simple question. As you rightly point out, there are a lot of Pod/Bar/* Camp events, and they all run on a free to enter basis. I understand your thinking behind charging for the event, but I have to ask this. If the community has decided that Pod/Bar events are free, and you are charging, then why not change the name to respect the much larger, global community?

]]> By: Chris Brogan... http://www.ewanspence.com/blog/2008/04/15/good-news-podcamp-boston-charging-50-a-head/comment-page-1/#comment-337986 Chris Brogan... Wed, 16 Apr 2008 05:15:04 +0000 http://www.ewanspence.com/blog/?p=1459#comment-337986 Totally right on all counts. It's going to be a little different when people feel they've put their money in for an event. Last year, I paid over $20,000 for events and travel (a chunk of which I got back from my company, but a larger chunk that came out of my pocket). Did I get what I paid for? Not always. Will we exceed expectations? It's still YOUR event. If you bring great presentations, yes. Our feeling is that $50 ensures a level of participation, commitment, engagement in the process, and a much larger interest in what comes next. There are plenty of free events around. We're taking Boston in a direction that we think will better serve the people. For those who are complaining and criticizing, I only want to know one thing: have you attended a PodCamp? If no, how could you have an opinion on whether it's worth the expense? Totally right on all counts. It’s going to be a little different when people feel they’ve put their money in for an event. Last year, I paid over $20,000 for events and travel (a chunk of which I got back from my company, but a larger chunk that came out of my pocket).

Did I get what I paid for? Not always.

Will we exceed expectations? It’s still YOUR event. If you bring great presentations, yes.

Our feeling is that $50 ensures a level of participation, commitment, engagement in the process, and a much larger interest in what comes next.

There are plenty of free events around. We’re taking Boston in a direction that we think will better serve the people. For those who are complaining and criticizing, I only want to know one thing: have you attended a PodCamp?

If no, how could you have an opinion on whether it’s worth the expense?

]]> By: Whitney http://www.ewanspence.com/blog/2008/04/15/good-news-podcamp-boston-charging-50-a-head/comment-page-1/#comment-337692 Whitney Wed, 16 Apr 2008 01:24:23 +0000 http://www.ewanspence.com/blog/?p=1459#comment-337692 We've talked about the refund idea before but honestly, keeping cash around gets to be a hassle, checks are impractical, and this way, we also have an investment from the community saying that this is worth it to them to attend, even if they had to pay. I can't wait to see the results. We’ve talked about the refund idea before but honestly, keeping cash around gets to be a hassle, checks are impractical, and this way, we also have an investment from the community saying that this is worth it to them to attend, even if they had to pay. I can’t wait to see the results.

]]> By: Linda http://www.ewanspence.com/blog/2008/04/15/good-news-podcamp-boston-charging-50-a-head/comment-page-1/#comment-337360 Linda Tue, 15 Apr 2008 20:37:19 +0000 http://www.ewanspence.com/blog/?p=1459#comment-337360 Why don't they take it as a deposit? Show up, and you get your money back. Of course, then there'd need to be another policy for walk-ins. -L. Why don’t they take it as a deposit? Show up, and you get your money back.

Of course, then there’d need to be another policy for walk-ins.
-L.

]]> By: Doug Haslam http://www.ewanspence.com/blog/2008/04/15/good-news-podcamp-boston-charging-50-a-head/comment-page-1/#comment-337342 Doug Haslam Tue, 15 Apr 2008 20:22:52 +0000 http://www.ewanspence.com/blog/?p=1459#comment-337342 I can only speak for my minor supporting roll in PCB3, but I would agree-- organizers and attendees will feel a sense of raised expectations. I think that will make for a good conference, un. Good point about content expectations. No LOLSaurs then :). I can only speak for my minor supporting roll in PCB3, but I would agree– organizers and attendees will feel a sense of raised expectations. I think that will make for a good conference, un.

Good point about content expectations. No LOLSaurs then :).

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