Speaking as Program Chair, I can only emphasise and support what Nancy writes about the hotel rate. For what it is worth, a recent conference held locally in Perth for 2 and 1/2 days was charging registration at $1100 AUD (about $600 USD): this paid for venue hire, I am told. Cheers Matt -----Original Message----- From: Nancy Baym To: air-l@aoir.org Sent: 1/08/03 3:20 Subject: Re: [Air-l] hotel information for AOIR Toronto: Broadening the Band Alex and others, There have been extensive negotiations trying to reduce the hotel room rates. The hotel room rate subsidizes the meeting room space, so you are paying both for a place to sleep and a place to sit while you listen to the papers or to stand when you present your own. If we book enough hotel rooms, the Hilton gives us the meeting rooms. If we do not, we will have to pay the meeting room space. The post-Toronto alternative, if the conference is to continue to be large enough that meeting at universities is unrealistic, is to fold the cost of meeting rooms into registration rather than sleeping rooms, which would be considerably more expensive for all than the current arrangement. We are aware that we appeal particularly to younger (and less affluent) participants, that is why we offer the roomate board and discounted registration and membership. However, we do believe the conference offers a considerable benefit to those who attend, and, unfortunately, providing the space for 500 people to gather is expensive. Nancy

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...>

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