I don't understand what you're suggesting, Tim.

I understand that you (like many) need to look at budgets and expenses.

But how does the pre-conf being free hurt you there?  If you can't 
afford the extra hotel etc., then you may not be able to go to the 
pre-conf, but what can the organizers do about this?  Adding more cost 
to the pre-conf with a registration fee can't possibly help you keep 
attendance under budget, can it?

What is it you are suggesting?

Are you suggesting it would be easier to justify the costs as an 
attendee if we didn't in fact call it "pre-conference", but instead just 
called it "Conference Optional Less Formal First Day" or something?

I'm really confused about this very lengthy thread, and what people are 
advocating or critiquing exactly.

On 11/10/2011 12:11 AM, Timothy McGeary wrote:
>> At $150 for registration, I agree with Kyle, that this is a very good price
>> in comparison to most technical conferences. Perhaps you could consider the
>> extra airfare and hotel room night as the price of the pre-conference.
>
> The extra airfare and hotel, in this case, is $320 per person.  Hardly a
> reasonable comparison.
>
> I realize that I'm now looking at this from a different perspective than
> when I was a first time Code4Libber, when I was simply try to soak it all
> in and build a network of people I could work with on projects that I and
> my library were interested in.  Now I have to be concerned with budgets,
> and getting people other than myself to C4L so they can join the community
> and contribute.
>
> If the price points of rentals goes down because of the preconf day where
> the costs are mostly a wash, then that's great, but then let's not separate
> the two parts of C4L conf like a traditional conference, or put such
> emphasis on the "participation" in a preconf that undermines or undervalues
> the participation of someone coming to the conference days themselves.  We
> can't have it both ways.  Code4Lib conferences *ARE* unique and they are
> invaluable to many, many, many people who are fortunate enough to A)
> register in time and B) can afford to come at all.  So let's not diminish
> this by presuming or assuming anything, rather take extra care in
> protecting this event as a treasure, lest all of the tireless efforts the
> conference planners put forth be for naught.
>
> The last thing I'd want to see is C4L be under attended because people
> couldn't justify reasonable costs to their organization due to lack of
> information, openness, or mere confusion.
>
> Tim
>