Hijexx wrote:
] We at Interz0ne strive to bring you the absolute best
] experience while you attend the conference, and we also try to
] do this where it doesn't empty your wallet in the process. But
] with trying to bring you the best of the best speakers,
] forums, and issues, it does mean expenditures on Interz0ne's
] part. We regretfully announce that we have to raise the
] entrance fee for this year's conference to $50.00 a person
] for the weekend.
]
] ...
]
] Yes, it is regretful. One question: WHY? I was thinking
] about going this year, paying the $30 I did last year and
] hoping to enjoy an excellent schedule like last year. The
] schedule still looks great this year, but, come on, 50
] dollars? What exactly is this paying for?
]
] I still might do it so I can visit my ATLiens (if they are
] going) and have a good time, but the $50 price tag is really
] giving me pause. After last year's "Student Price Retracted"
] debacle, it's giving me even more pause.
]
] Someone clue me in, where does the $50 go? I understand con
] space costs some $$$ from being involved with Phreanic in the
] past. Give me a guesstimate to help me make a decision here.
]
]
] Is the figure so high because the attendance is being
] projected low? Is the hotel charging way too much for space?
] Are speakers being compensated?

I agree with Hijexx. I see no reason why a con roughly the size of PN...possibly even smaller, would need $50. I mean...Defcon is $75, and if Interz0ne is $50, then $75 for Defcon is starting to look like a good deal. I don't plan on attending Interz0ne this year. Granted, I may happen to be hanging out at the hotel's bar, to chat with friends I only see at cons...but I won't be "going" to the con because 1) I think $50 is way too expensive and 2) past grievances with the so called "student price" that was suddenly retracted at the door last year. If you advertise a student price, then either stick to it, or give me a damn good valid reason why the "student price" is retracted. When your a student, every dollar counts. Anyway, thats my rant for the evening:)

Nanochick wrote:
] Hijexx wrote:
] ] We at Interz0ne strive to bring you the absolute best
] ] experience while you attend the conference, and we also try
] to
] ] do this where it doesn't empty your wallet in the process.
] But
] ] with trying to bring you the best of the best speakers,
] ] forums, and issues, it does mean expenditures on Interz0ne's
]
] ] part. We regretfully announce that we have to raise the
] ] entrance fee for this year's conference to $50.00 a
] person
] ] for the weekend.
] ]
] ] ...
] ]
] ] Yes, it is regretful. One question: WHY? I was thinking
] ] about going this year, paying the $30 I did last year and
] ] hoping to enjoy an excellent schedule like last year. The
] ] schedule still looks great this year, but, come on, 50
] ] dollars? What exactly is this paying for?
] ]
] ] I still might do it so I can visit my ATLiens (if they are
] ] going) and have a good time, but the $50 price tag is really
]
] ] giving me pause. After last year's "Student Price
] Retracted"
] ] debacle, it's giving me even more pause.
] ]
] ] Someone clue me in, where does the $50 go? I understand con
]
] ] space costs some $$$ from being involved with Phreanic in
] the
] ] past. Give me a guesstimate to help me make a decision
] here.
] ]
] ]
] ] Is the figure so high because the attendance is being
] ] projected low? Is the hotel charging way too much for
] space?
] ] Are speakers being compensated?

Probably not. These hackers are getting to be fatcats. The key word in convention is "con."
]
]
]
]
] I agree with Hijexx. I see no reason why a con roughly the
] size of PN...possibly even smaller, would need $50.

To pay for cocaine.

I
] mean...Defcon is $75, and if Interz0ne is $50, then $75 for
] Defcon is starting to look like a good deal. I don't plan on
] attending Interz0ne this year. Granted, I may happen to be
] hanging out at the hotel's bar, to chat with friends I only
] see at cons...but I won't be "going" to the con because 1) I
] think $50 is way too expensive and 2) past grievances with the
] so called "student price" that was suddenly retracted at the
] door last year. If you advertise a student price, then either
] stick to it, or give me a damn good valid reason why the
] "student price" is retracted. When your a student, every
] dollar counts. Anyway, thats my rant for the evening:)

Students are spoled rich shits. No dollar counts, otherwise they wouldn't waste it on what passes for an education in America today.

I doubt I'll go this year unless violating wants to enter the war game or something - then I'd go for that. 50.00 is high for THAT particular con, and I didn't learn ANYTHING technical last year. The only thing that made it worth going was social - some of you guys and the guys from the yak - and learning about memestreams.

skullaria wrote:
] I doubt I'll go this year unless violating wants to enter the
] war game or something - then I'd go for that. 50.00 is high
] for THAT particular con, and I didn't learn ANYTHING technical
] last year. The only thing that made it worth going was social
] - some of you guys and the guys from the yak - and learning
] about memstreams.

Damn. Maybe if they had charged fifty last year, you wouldn't have learned about memestreams and we would have been saved from your insipid posts.

Nanochick wrote:
] Hijexx wrote:
] ] We at Interz0ne strive to bring you the absolute best
] ] experience while you attend the conference, and we also try
] to
] ] do this where it doesn't empty your wallet in the process.
] But
] ] with trying to bring you the best of the best speakers,
] ] forums, and issues, it does mean expenditures on Interz0ne's
]
] ] part. We regretfully announce that we have to raise the
] ] entrance fee for this year's conference to $50.00 a
] person
] ] for the weekend.
] ]
] ] ...
] ]
] I agree with Hijexx. I see no reason why a con roughly the
] size of PN...possibly even smaller, would need $50. I
] mean...Defcon is $75, and if Interz0ne is $50, then $75 for
] Defcon is starting to look like a good deal. I don't plan on
] attending Interz0ne this year. Granted, I may happen to be
] hanging out at the hotel's bar, to chat with friends I only
] see at cons...but I won't be "going" to the con because 1) I
] think $50 is way too expensive and 2) past grievances with the
] so called "student price" that was suddenly retracted at the
] door last year. If you advertise a student price, then either
] stick to it, or give me a damn good valid reason why the
] "student price" is retracted. When your a student, every
] dollar counts. Anyway, thats my rant for the evening:)

PhreakNIC has had between 300-400 attendees per year for the last three years. I think you can remove the "possibly" qualifier before "even smaller."

One thing that I can shed some light on is the fact that it does indeed cost a good bit of money to throw on an "organized" convention. Trying to find the balance between charging too little and not getting taken to the cleaners is difficult. For the first two years that I ran PhreakNIC, I took a loss. This past year we are left with enough money in the bank to actually pay for some things up front next year. (As opposed to my American Express card being the primary sponsor for PhreakNIC!) Typically convention space in the amount needed for a regional convention is anywhere from $2000-$5000 for a weekend. The need for 24 hour access drives the price up. If you have an established usage pattern for hotel rooms, you can often get that fee significantly dropped or waived altogether, which was our case for PhreakNIC 8. Now add in the price of t-shirts, especially the ones that don't sell. Badges take not only a lot of time, but money, to create. That's why I've taken the approach of trying to have a multi-use item, like the key cases from last year (yes, they were for keys, even though a pack of smokes fits perfectly in there) as the identifying item for the convention. This year's arm band worked out pretty well, too, I think. Anyway, those things cost money. Specifically, about $6500 for PhreakNIC 8, and I didn't pay speakers anything (though they did get a nice little thank you gift of a laptop backpack). That's without me having to pay for meeting space, so I'm sure the costs for interz0ne are way up there.

-Dolemite

] PhreakNIC has had between 300-400 attendees per year for the
] last three years. I think you can remove the "possibly"
] qualifier before "even smaller."

I'd really be interested in the attendee rate at the Interz0nes. Rockit and Johhny are rather biased sources. Its hard to gauge number of people at these things, because not everyone shows up to all the talks, and some people pay for the con and only come to one or two events. I only go to certain talks, and never really hang out with the gamers or the Rootwars or the Hacking 101 rooms. And a lot of 101ers never come to the other talks. Here are my estimates for the Interz0nes

1: ~125 +-10
2: ~275 +-50
3: ~250 +-25

Interz0ne 3 felt like it had less people than IZ2, (of course, any observations I can make about IZ2 are probably wrong as I had a lot of shit to handle!)

Other cons I've been too:

Hope: ~Too many
Phreaknic 7, 8: 300+ sounds about right
Toorcon 2004: 500+

Acidus wrote:
] Here are my estimates for the
] Interz0nes
]
] 1: ~125 +-10
] 2: ~275 +-50
] 3: ~250 +-25
]
] Interz0ne 3 felt like it had less people than IZ2, (of course,
] any observations I can make about IZ2 are probably wrong as I
] had a lot of shit to handle!)

Actually, I believe IZ3 only had about 150 paid attendees, including staff and speakers.

I won't be attending IZ4 for several reasons, but that $50 price tag is definitely high on the list of why I'm not.

Dementia wrote:
] Acidus wrote:
] ] Here are my estimates for the
] ] Interz0nes
] ]
] ] 1: ~125 +-10
] ] 2: ~275 +-50
] ] 3: ~250 +-25
] ]
] ] Interz0ne 3 felt like it had less people than IZ2, (of
] course,
] ] any observations I can make about IZ2 are probably wrong as
] I
] ] had a lot of shit to handle!)
]
] Actually, I believe IZ3 only had about 150 paid attendees,
] including staff and speakers.
]
] I won't be attending IZ4 for several reasons, but that $50
] price tag is definitely high on the list of why I'm not.

How timely! I was just checking out IZ's website. :)

After the way the organizer of this con has treated people in years past, I'd be amazed if attendance this year goes past double digits. The aforementioned tool has pissed off a LOT of people who helped him out in years past. I personally hope he takes a bath in March.

INTERZ0NE SUCKS - DON'T ATTEND IT.

Oh... did I just post that in a blog?? Hey, maybe I can be threatened with a law suit now too??? :D

Hijexx wrote:
] We at Interz0ne strive to bring you the absolute best
] experience while you attend the conference, and we also try to
] do this where it doesn't empty your wallet in the process. But
] with trying to bring you the best of the best speakers,
] forums, and issues, it does mean expenditures on Interz0ne's
] part. We regretfully announce that we have to raise the
] entrance fee for this year's conference to $50.00 a person
] for the weekend.
]
] ...
]
] Yes, it is regretful. One question: WHY? I was thinking
] about going this year, paying the $30 I did last year and
] hoping to enjoy an excellent schedule like last year. The
] schedule still looks great this year, but, come on, 50
] dollars? What exactly is this paying for?
]
] I still might do it so I can visit my ATLiens (if they are
] going) and have a good time, but the $50 price tag is really
] giving me pause. After last year's "Student Price Retracted"
] debacle, it's giving me even more pause.
]
] Someone clue me in, where does the $50 go? I understand con
] space costs some $$$ from being involved with Phreanic in the
] past. Give me a guesstimate to help me make a decision here.
]
]
] Is the figure so high because the attendance is being
] projected low? Is the hotel charging way too much for space?
] Are speakers being compensated?

I agree with Hijexx. I see no reason why a con roughly the size of PN...possibly even smaller, would need $50. I mean...Defcon is $75, and if Interz0ne is $50, then $75 for Defcon is starting to look like a good deal. I don't plan on attending Interz0ne this year. Granted, I may happen to be hanging out at the hotel's bar, to chat with friends I only see at cons...but I won't be "going" to the con because 1) I think $50 is way too expensive and 2) past grievances with the so called "student price" that was suddenly retracted at the door last year. If you advertise a student price, then either stick to it, or give me a damn good valid reason why the "student price" is retracted. When your a student, every dollar counts. Anyway, thats my rant for the evening:)

Hijexx wrote:
] Someone clue me in, where does the $50 go? I understand con
] space costs some $$$ from being involved with Phreanic in the
] past. Give me a guesstimate to help me make a decision here.
]
]
] Is the figure so high because the attendance is being
] projected low? Is the hotel charging way too much for space?
] Are speakers being compensated?

I have to be honest and say that I do not know where the money goes or how the cost is broken down. But 50 bucks for a weekend of hacking goodness doesn't seem so awful bad to me in and of itself. I mean, that much can easily be blown going to a movie and dinner on one night or giong drinking out at a club or something, so 50 bucks is not the issue to me personally.

The bottom line becomes the total package price. HOTEL + AIRFARE + ENTRY FEE + FOOD AND AMMENITIES = $$$ so I look at the total bottom line and make a decision based on that.

I don't know if I will be able to afford the bottom line for interz0ne.