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[Littleshop]

You missed the point.  THERE ARE LARGE FIXED COSTS TO HOSTING A CONFERENCE.  The Bitcoin conference is likely going to be smaller than the 11th annual Embedded Linux conference.  Check back in 10 years likely the per person costs will be lower.  Conferences are expensive to host.  At $300 per person even with 1000 attendees the Foundation is unlikely to make more than a token profit.

There is a bell curve to pricing that maximizes revenue (which varies per event and group of course).  I can tell you that $300 a person is NOT the best price on that curve.  I know a number of people who would go for $100 but at $300 excludes a great deal of the community. 

While there was a huge troll war about the NYC convention, that appeared to have the greatest turnout, brought together a huge number of people who formed ventures or worked together and had the most number of vendors.  Pricing was much lower despite being in a more expensive city.  While the convention could have used more space, raising the price to $100 would have EASILY covered that. 

One idea would be to break out some of the panel discussions and the meals as an option.  Meals at considerable cost.   

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[kjj]

My first thought was that DefCon is like $120 these days.  But it has been around forever, is huge, and has massive corporate sponsorship (in the form of blackhat).

I should know within a couple of weeks whether or not I'm going.  The sticky point for me isn't the admission cost, so much as scheduling.

Oh, and a discount for foundation members would have been nice, even a modest one, but I'm a bit biased in that regard.

[n8rwJeTt8TrrLKPa55eU]

Bought a ticket.

Living in a place where Bitcoin and monetary freedom are exotic concepts, $300 is well spent just for the psychological boost of being physically surrounded by hundreds of people who think the same way as I do.  Almost by definition, most of the attendees and presenters should be interesting people: independent thinkers, enterpreneurs, scammers , etc.  

Based on quite a few tech & financial conferences I've attended in the past (both Bitcoin and non-Bitcoin), I'll predict that for anyone with a significant financial or ideological stake in Bitcoin's success, $300 is a bargain, and attendees should get much more than that $300 worth of value out of this event.  Bitcointalk has a low signal-to-noise ratio, and the conference should provide a much more realistic picture of the (hopefully positive) state of the Bitcoin ecosystem.  

Last September on Bitcointalk, the mood was suicidal, defaults and scams were omnipresent, and the price had just plummeted.  But one or two presentations and conversations at the London conference made it clear to me that the future was bright and the right move was to add BTC aggressively.  Profits from those purchases easily covered the plane ticket, lodging, and all other attendance costs.  For anyone investing or speculating in BTC, the sneak peeks that you can get at the conference regarding upcoming services, features, and business deals, is as close as you can get to insider information on the medium-term direction for the BTC price.

[Littleshop]

Bought a ticket.

Living in a place where Bitcoin and monetary freedom are exotic concepts, $300 is well spent just for the psychological boost of being physically surrounded by hundreds of people who think the same way as I do.  Almost by definition, most of the attendees and presenters should be interesting people: independent thinkers, enterpreneurs, scammers , etc. 

Based on quite a few tech & financial conferences I've attended in the past (both Bitcoin and non-Bitcoin), I'll predict that for anyone with a significant financial or ideological stake in Bitcoin's success, $300 is a bargain, and attendees should get much more than that $300 worth of value out of this event.  Bitcointalk has a low signal-to-noise ratio, and the conference should provide a much more realistic picture of the (hopefully positive) state of the Bitcoin ecosystem. 

Last September on Bitcointalk, the mood was suicidal, defaults and scams were omnipresent, and the price had just plummeted.  But one or two presentations and conversations at the London conference made it clear to me that the future was bright and the right move was to add BTC aggressively.  Profits from those purchases easily covered the plane ticket, lodging, and all other attendance costs.  For anyone investing or speculating in BTC, the sneak peeks that you can get at the conference regarding upcoming services, features, and business deals, is as close as you can get to insider information on the medium-term direction for the BTC price.

basically you described $300 to go to a place and talk about the forum, when you could just log on here and ask for people's skype (like I have done) and talk to them and have better discussions for free. To be honest no independent thinker would go to a conference js

Sounds like you have not been to a conference before!

[DeathAndTaxes]

basically you described $300 to go to a place and talk about the forum, when you could just log on here and ask for people's skype (like I have done) and talk to them and have better discussions for free. To be honest no independent thinker would go to a conference js

May as well nobody ever go to Disneyland since most of the Disney movies are on the Pirate Bay anyway...

Well Disneyland has been changed into a landmark of American society so watching a movie is very different from going to a landmark that has been around for very long time. Also the bitcoin conference is the same thing as the forum just that you see a face and hear a voice...

Then simple solution ... don't go.  You have no intention of joining the foundation and no intention on going to a bitcoin conference.  If it serves no purpose then the price doesn't really matter does it.  It would be just as pointless at $10,000 or $10.  So don't go.  Other people will. 

What exactly was your issue again?

[DeathAndTaxes]

Wait you would pay money for something that was pointless.  You said the conference was completely pointless as one could get everything there from forums.  So if it was $50 you would pay for it knowing it was pointless?

As for the Foundation using foundation funds to pay for part of the conference?  Most foundations don't do that.  Not everyone joining or donating may be interested in a conference.  The Linux foundation has something like 100,000 paid members and conferences they sponsor still have a cost.  Nothing the foundation has done is out of the ordinary. 

If the foundation puts of a good conference it will be worth it even at $300.  If they put on a bad one (and to date everyone conference has been just embarrassing) it won't be worth it even at $0.  How good will this one be? I guess we will find out, I am willing to give them the opportunity (if schedule will allow it). 

[cypherdoc]

Hope its better than the excruciatingly embarrassing ones of the past.

this will be the first real one is the US right?

Previous conferences are infamous for having been organized by people who have since gone into disrepute - NYC by Bruce Wagner, Prague with involvement from Bitcoin consultancy, London by Nefario and Bitcoin consultancy. But I think all of them were actually quite good (and the first real conference in US is definitely NYC Aug 2011).

1. They have all been reasonably organized, and better with each conference.
2. The organization is just an excuse. It's an important excuse inasmuch as it's what brings people together, but it's actually meeting other people from the community that is important. And we've done plenty of that.

Edit:

The SAME material covered at these conferences can be found in:

1. this forum (free)
2. Bitcoin Magazine ($8.88...wow)
3. Google (free)
4. Youtube videos (if we're lucky...also Free)

There's your problem, right there. You think conferences are about "material". The material is an excuse to get people to meet (and to get press coverage, too).

internet, skype, facebook, youtube, twitter, etc, etc, etc.

!= Meeting in person.

yes, unfortunately not understood by many here.

shaking someone's hand, looking that person in the eye, expressing one's self with body language, and engaging in one-to-one conversation magically strips out most of the bullshit you get on all those internet channels.

[BCB]

You people who plan to go and are organizing this conference are better using that money to further bitcoin, not have fancy conferences where you basically tout your LEET skillz in making tonz of moneyz.

Having a conference in fact is using money to promote Bitcoin.

Bottom line, people are better off keeping their finances and conserving than attending a bitcoin conference.

Only in the same way looking at porn is a better way to enjoy sexuality than going out on dates.

And smoothie obviously knows about that.

[cypherdoc]

yes, unfortunately not understood by many here.

shaking someone's hand, looking that person in the eye, expressing one's self with body language, and engaging in one-to-one conversation magically strips out most of the bullshit you get on all those internet channels.

I have closed many bitcoin deals on skype so please explain... just cause you don't shakes someone hand doesn't mean anything welcome to the 21st century

its a matter of comfort level and percentages.  some of us feel more comfortable assessing risk after having met somebody in person.  it may be fine for you to enter highly risky business deals worth lots of money over Skype but not for me.

[smoothie]

Hope its better than the excruciatingly embarrassing ones of the past.

this will be the first real one is the US right?

Previous conferences are infamous for having been organized by people who have since gone into disrepute - NYC by Bruce Wagner, Prague with involvement from Bitcoin consultancy, London by Nefario and Bitcoin consultancy. But I think all of them were actually quite good (and the first real conference in US is definitely NYC Aug 2011).

1. They have all been reasonably organized, and better with each conference.
2. The organization is just an excuse. It's an important excuse inasmuch as it's what brings people together, but it's actually meeting other people from the community that is important. And we've done plenty of that.

Edit:

The SAME material covered at these conferences can be found in:

1. this forum (free)
2. Bitcoin Magazine ($8.88...wow)
3. Google (free)
4. Youtube videos (if we're lucky...also Free)

There's your problem, right there. You think conferences are about "material". The material is an excuse to get people to meet (and to get press coverage, too).

internet, skype, facebook, youtube, twitter, etc, etc, etc.

!= Meeting in person.

1. If I'm a normal bitcoin user I'm not going to the conference to get PRESS COVERAGE. Keep in mind it's not all about the big players in bitcoin....or is it? lol (if so, my point is proven). These conferences as Max Keiser kind of put it is to garner new users, not for the bitcoin ELITE to jerk each other off. We all know how that went with Nefario for example eh? lol (Pay $300+ for a conference to listen to a jackass talk who doesn't know what the word "Arbitrage" means all the while touting his leet skillz with GLBSE).

2. In order to successfully network with others one does not NEED to meet someone in person. That's why we have technology. I mean if that was the case that we overlooked technology why not just snail mail your wallet.dat file on a flash drive to the furthest most point from you in the world to transfer bitcoins? lol

[Herodes]

I propose a competition for the conference: "Spot the fed"

Isn't that what they usually do at defcon ?

[smoothie]

$300 entry fee to go to a conference?

This smells like elitism.

Conferences usually are about making new (business) connections, and that's something that's very difficult to put a price on.

Okay then they should make it exclusive like how they kind of do with the bitcoin foundation. "pay us and you have a say"...."pay us more and you have even more of a say".

Ohh and you can make new business connections via social media and what we call the internet.

[smoothie]

You people who plan to go and are organizing this conference are better using that money to further bitcoin, not have fancy conferences where you basically tout your LEET skillz in making tonz of moneyz.

Having a conference in fact is using money to promote Bitcoin.

Bottom line, people are better off keeping their finances and conserving than attending a bitcoin conference.

Only in the same way looking at porn is a better way to enjoy sexuality than going out on dates.

Okay right. "Let's take attendees monies to promote our businesses that deal in bitcoin"? I'm sure you all are there for the greater good of bitcoin and NOT to turn a profit some how.

My second comment was for the average bitcoin users. You who have gazillions of bitcoins by all means go for it. And that is hardly an analogy when you don't take into account the entire market of bitcoin users to date. Not everyone has social skills (yes we are talking about many geeks) who prefer to keep to themselves and meet and network on the internet. Once again you left out the fact that not all people do what it is you think is "normal" to do in your pretty analogy. 

[cypherdoc]

yes, unfortunately not understood by many here.

shaking someone's hand, looking that person in the eye, expressing one's self with body language, and engaging in one-to-one conversation magically strips out most of the bullshit you get on all those internet channels.

I have closed many bitcoin deals on skype so please explain... just cause you don't shakes someone hand doesn't mean anything welcome to the 21st century

its a matter of comfort level and percentages.  some of us feel more comfortable assessing risk after having met somebody in person.  it may be fine for you to enter highly risky business deals worth lots of money over Skype but not for me.

That is where lawyers come into play If you don't use any lawyers then I see your worry but honestly there is no reason every business deal that could make or break you isn't done with a lawyer in the bitcoin world.

what i'm saying has nothing to do with lawyers.  in fact, it shouldn't.  they are probably the worst ones to rely solely upon to assess partnering up with another Bitcoiner as they have a vested interest in constructing a complex deal in terms of fees.

no, the best person to assess the risk of a business partnership is you in a face to face meeting with the potential partner.  i'm not talking about small stuff like most of the businesses around here; i'm talking about real businesses involving substantial amounts of money.  integrity assessment requires multiple sources of input over time.

[smoothie]

You people who plan to go and are organizing this conference are better using that money to further bitcoin, not have fancy conferences where you basically tout your LEET skillz in making tonz of moneyz.

Having a conference in fact is using money to promote Bitcoin.

Bottom line, people are better off keeping their finances and conserving than attending a bitcoin conference.

Only in the same way looking at porn is a better way to enjoy sexuality than going out on dates.

In smoothie's defense, paying people a large sum of money just to socialize is usually associated with prostitution.

Your analogy can go that way as well.

Also, no harm intended. I hope the conference is enjoyable.

Dates = Prostitution to Casasius? lol

Missed that part of the market in his statement as well. Perhaps he overlooked it. 

[smoothie]

You people who plan to go and are organizing this conference are better using that money to further bitcoin, not have fancy conferences where you basically tout your LEET skillz in making tonz of moneyz.

Having a conference in fact is using money to promote Bitcoin. 

But if people are paying for the foundation already shouldn't they be using that money to promote Bitcoin and put on a conference? Instead of them being greedy and looking for more money.

+1 the money the bitcoin foundation already has been collecting should be going to a conference. Then they can have free admission 

[smoothie]

You people who plan to go and are organizing this conference are better using that money to further bitcoin, not have fancy conferences where you basically tout your LEET skillz in making tonz of moneyz.

Having a conference in fact is using money to promote Bitcoin. 

But if people are paying for the foundation already shouldn't they be using that money to promote Bitcoin and put on a conference? Instead of them being greedy and looking for more money.

They say they're a nonprofit organization, so this money will eventually be put into making bitcoin better... Anyway, nobody is preventing anyone from hosting their own conference that would be less expensive, so go for it!

They already brainwashed you, and you completely glanced over it, so I will put to you again, you pay a fee to them already why do they need $300 more dollars when they have so much, and they don't even give a discount or anything. But yet Gavin gets his pay day!

My question is this:

Why does a foundation have to pay Gavin? If they have to pay Gavin then that implies they need Gavin. Why would they need Gavin? Bitcoin doesn't need Gavin. Bitcoin doesn't even need Satoshi.

Flawed model in my opinion.

[smoothie]

The detractors in this thread are sad and simply show how small they are.  $300 for a conference cna be an amazing deal if it is well organized with good speakers.  Free conference absolutely worthless (because there will still be airfare, hotel, etc) if it is poorly planned and thus a waste of time.  How good will the foundation's first conference be?  I don't know but the value is based on execution not a $300 entry fee.   As IT events go, $300 for a conference is actually pretty low.  Bitcoin is still small and conferences generally have high fixed costs.  Maybe next year (or the following year) they can have multiple options and the fee will come down as it is amortized over more attendees and sponsors.  I wouldn't be surprised that even at $300 per person the foundation loses money.  However the PR, and press may be worth it in the long run and you got to start somewhere A solid conference in a real venue that doesn't make international press think Bitcoin is a couple of nerds hopelessly out of touch costs a lot more than most people realize.

Still when you compare it to say the embedded linux conference (11th year) the prices don't really seem out of line.

http://events.linuxfoundation.org/events/embedded-linux-conference/register

Professional Registration Fee: US$550
Hobbyist Fee: US$100*

It's not detracting if I am stating my opinion and looking at the facts.

Weren't you not so long ago "detracting" one of the litecoin threads? Way to be a hypocrit eh?

And you think I'm sad? You went out of your way to the Alt currencies subforum to "make a point". lol

Don't you have more important things to do like promote bitcoin as you obviously seem so eager to evangelize it?

[gweedo]

My question is this:

Why does a foundation have to pay Gavin? If they have to pay Gavin then that implies they need Gavin. Why would they need Gavin? Bitcoin doesn't need Gavin. Bitcoin doesn't even need Satoshi.

Flawed model in my opinion.

I know FINALLY A SMART MAN IS STEPPING UP what I have realized when the foundation stated they need to pay Gavin! THANK YOU! I thought I was taking crazy pills for a second.

[smoothie]

basically you described $300 to go to a place and talk about the forum, when you could just log on here and ask for people's skype (like I have done) and talk to them and have better discussions for free. To be honest no independent thinker would go to a conference js

May as well nobody ever go to Disneyland since most of the Disney movies are on the Pirate Bay anyway...

So now the analogy is that bitcoin conference is like a theme park? How about circus can we use that analogy?