Mailing List Archive

preferred conference date?
I need your input about the date of the next Python conference.

Foretec is close to a deal for a Python conference in January 2000 at
the Alexandria Old Town Hilton hotel. Given our requirement of a good
location in the DC area, this is a very good deal (it's a brand new
hotel). The prices are high (they tell me that the whole conference
will cost $900, with a room rate of $129) but it's a class A location
(metro, tons of restaurants, close to National Airport, etc.) and we
have found no cheaper DC hotel suitable for our purposes (even in drab
suburban locations).

I'm worried that I'll be flamed to hell for this by the PSA members,
but I don't think we can get the price any lower without starting all
over in a different location, probably causing several months of
delay. If people won't come, Foretec (and I) will have learned a
valuable lesson and we'll rethink the issue for the 2001 conference.

Anyway, given that Foretec is likely to go with this hotel, we have a
choice of two dates: January 16-19, or 23-26 (both starting on a
Sunday with the tutorials). This is where I need your help: which
date would you prefer? Please mail me personally.

--Guido van Rossum (home page: http://www.python.org/~guido/)
Re: preferred conference date? [ In reply to ]
Guido> The prices are high (they tell me that the whole conference will
Guido> cost $900, with a room rate of $129) but it's a class A location

No way I (or my company) can afford to plunk down $900 for me to attend...

Skip
Re: preferred conference date? [ In reply to ]
> Guido> The prices are high (they tell me that the whole conference will
> Guido> cost $900, with a room rate of $129) but it's a class A location
>
> No way I (or my company) can afford to plunk down $900 for me to attend...

Let me clarify this. The $900 is for the whole 4-day conference,
including a day of tutorials and developers' day. I don't know what
the exact price breakdown will be, but the tutorials will probably be
$300. Last year the total price was $700, with $250 for tutorials.

--Guido van Rossum (home page: http://www.python.org/~guido/)
RE: preferred conference date? [ In reply to ]
[Guido]
> ...
> The prices are high (they tell me that the whole conference will cost
> $900, with a room rate of $129)

Is room rental in addition to, or included in, that $900?

> ...
> I'm worried that I'll be flamed to hell for this by the PSA members,

So have JulieK announce it <wink>.

> ...
> Anyway, given that Foretec is likely to go with this hotel, we have a
> choice of two dates: January 16-19, or 23-26 (both starting on a
> Sunday with the tutorials). This is where I need your help: which
> date would you prefer?

23-26 for me; 16-19 may not be doable.

or-everyone-can-switch-to-windows-and-we'll-do-the-conference-via-
netmeeting-ly y'rs - tim