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I'm open to the idea of providing benefits to osgeo charter members,
but suggest having an early bird discount apply to all ticket
categories. I'd suggest something like a 5% discount for charter
member tickets instead.<br>
<br>
Note: conferences organisors need to decide whether they will also
give such a discount to professional bodies as well (such as
professional institute of surveyors). Such organisations often
aggressively request a discount for their members in return for
publicising foss4g to their membership.<br>
<br>
There is a very important reason conferences have a early bird
discount. It means that conference organisors get an early
indication of the number of attendees coming to the conference. This
helps significantly with regards to making financial decisions about
the conference. In particular, it enables organisors to decide to
cancel the conference before having to lock into key financial
commitments and potentially sending OSGeo bankrupt. This was very
important for us in FOSS4G 2009, the year of the global financial
crisis, when registrations were much lower than expected. At the
early bird deadline, we were aware that we had enough people
attending that we would loose less money by going ahead than if we
cancelled, so we went ahead. Without that confidence, we likely
would have decided to cancel the conference. (In the end more people
did register, and we were just able to make a modest profit.)<br>
<br>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 14/08/2014 4:56 am, Kate Chapman
wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote
cite="mid:CAGn7mOoYX4y7YDU=6J1nnLAxuFsWcOd5PqmjXesX3kNtvKNo=Q@mail.gmail.com"
type="cite">
<div dir="ltr">Hi All,
<div><br>
</div>
<div>I think the comparison between the SotM model and the
FOSS4G model is interesting, but it is important to think
about the financial objectives of each conference. My
understanding was that FOSS4G provides most of the funding for
OSGEO over the year, this isn't the case for SotM. Though
successful sponsorship programs could possibly make up the
difference between the discounted tickets. </div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>One note, I've worked for a few organizations that have
paid my ticket for SotM. I've also paid the mapper price
myself previously as well. I would have not been able to get
them to pay for FOSS4G though. Some of you may have noticed I
have given a workshop every year I've attended FOSS4G. I would
not be able to attend otherwise. Not that it is conceivable
for everyone to give a workshop to be able to attend. </div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Best,</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>-Kate</div>
</div>
<div class="gmail_extra"><br>
<br>
<div class="gmail_quote">On Wed, Aug 13, 2014 at 11:46 AM,
Daniel Kastl <span dir="ltr"><<a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:daniel@georepublic.de" target="_blank">daniel@georepublic.de</a>></span>
wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0
.8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
<div dir="ltr">
<div class="gmail_extra">
<div class="gmail_quote">
<div class="">
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0
.8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
<div style="word-wrap:break-word">
<div><br>
</div>
<div>SotM finances are based on the expectation
that most people attending will be ‘mappers’
who pay the lower rate, I doubt they make much
money from the business tickets. </div>
<div><br>
</div>
</div>
</blockquote>
<div><br>
</div>
</div>
<div>Hi Steven,</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>I agree that SotM is a bit extreme in the price
difference. It doesn't need to be that much. But I
can speak for SotM Tokyo, where I was involved, and
there were more business tickets sold than I
expected and they made up a large share of the total
revenue through ticket sales.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>My main point is, that for delegates, who get
paid the conference by their employer, a slightly
higher price doesn't really matter (it's just a
fraction of the total cost anyway), because they
just pass the costs to the employer. For the
employer it has a value, if one can see the company
name on the badge.</div>
<div>But someone from nearby for example or tries to
keep the travel costs low and takes a holiday to
attend FOSS4G, such a discounted community ticket
makes a difference, whether the person is a charter
member or not. </div>
<div>I think we should strengthen the value of the
community, not the "club" of charter members. ;-)</div>
<span class="HOEnZb"><font color="#888888">
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Daniel</div>
<div> </div>
</font></span></div>
<div class="">-- <br>
<div dir="ltr"><span
style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;border-collapse:collapse">Georepublic
UG & Georepublic Japan<br>
eMail: <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:daniel.kastl@georepublic.de"
style="color:rgb(66,99,171)" target="_blank">daniel.kastl@georepublic.de</a><br>
Web: <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://georepublic.info"
style="color:rgb(66,99,171)" target="_blank">http://georepublic.info</a></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
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Cameron Shorter,
Software and Data Solutions Manager
LISAsoft
Suite 112, Jones Bay Wharf,
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