I just got back from my first WordCamp users conference. This is the blogging system that I (and millions of others, apparently) use and I wanted to learn more about best practices on how to give my readers the content they want. (More on that later.) But I have to share what sold it for me. The value of the MEALS. For a mere $25 registration fee, this is what I got:
- 15 presentations across 2 days
- 2 breakfasts (lots of fresh pastries, good coffee, Peet’s tea!)
- Unlimited amounts of bottled water (Ok, volunteers, I hope you didn’t throw away any of those leftovers)
- 1 Subway sandwich + chips for lunch on day 1 (there were lots of chip options)
- 1 round of Memphis Minnie’s BBQ including: Pork brisket, chicken, mac ‘n cheese, collard greens, corn muffins, and potato salad
I’m not sure how much the event sponsors contributed, but these guys found some quality BBQ. And no one was starving. Ok, maybe some folks that were last in the lunch line on Day 2 but that brisket was GOOD.
Removing the presentations from the value calculation, and generously lumping in the unlimited number of bottled water into one unit, you’ve got $25 / (2 breakfasts + 1 set of unlimited water + 1 Subway lunch + 1 huge portion of BBQ) = $5/meal. And I was not starving. And I was eating food I liked, which meant that I ate more than usual. Huge value.
Makes me wonder why some people pay almost $1000 to go to flashy conferences at Moscone Center to listen to a bunch of thinly-veiled marketing presentations with conference-center-catered food.
And a T-shirt! Don’t forget about the groovy WordCamp T-shirt that was included in the registration fee. You’re right, the whole thing was quite a package. And I imagine that WordCamp now earns a spot in your cherished directory of cheap eats within San Francisco, albeit once a year.
How could I forget not just the t-shirt, but the fact that they ordered gender-specific sizes!! My Medium actually fits!