Given the importance of filling the hotel, I hate to be the one to bring up the unspoken, but I'm guessing it's too spendy for many, especially given the other options available. We have a lot of graduate student members, and many coming without support from their institutions, and the difference in cost over several days is significant. Moreover, the Hilton has rooms listed on their website (linked from the conference page) for as low as CDN$189 a night for double occupancy, advance purchase. Even their "no restrictions" rate is $5 less than the negotiated conference rate. I wonder if it might not be possible to request the conference rate be reduced? Alex (Who will most likely be making the commute rather than staying.) Quoting Rhiannon Bury <welshwitch75@rogers.com>:
Checking with the Hilton, it seems people aren't in hotel booking mode yet. As Nancy and Steve have mentioned, it is crucial to the financial success of the conference that people stay at the Hilton. <...snip...>