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Subject:RE: The Business of Conferences From:"Le Vie, DonaldX S" <donaldx -dot- s -dot- le -dot- vie -at- intel -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Wed, 13 Dec 2000 12:15:16 -0800
Janice said
<snip>
>Volunteers speakers do get a break on fees for the conference.
First of all, STC speakers are not "volunteering" to speak; the forms you
sign when submitting abstracts state no such assumptiom. You do have to sign
a copyright transfer, too. The only offer of compensation is a slightly
discounted registration fee (if you call a 20 to 25% discount a "break").
>the world science fiction
convention draws between 5,000 - 8,000 attendees and
is run with *no* paid staff whatsoever -- no paid office
support, no local little old ladies as door guards or
registration staff, no convention center set-up
personnel, etc.
I'm trying to see any sort of parallel between SF conventions and STC
Conferences. And these 5,000 to 8,000 people who attend are gainfully
employed in the science fiction "field"? Do these conferences largely (80%
plus) consist of panel discussions and presentations where information is
imparted to better the careers of the attendees? Or are they also consist of
people showing off their Fantastic Four comic book collections and Jaba the
Hut costumes?
It seems to me as has been pointed out before that the SF conventions are
attended mostly by fans of SF, not practitioners of it. There's a different
sort of "loyalty" or commitment involved. If you asked me "hey, would you
like to be Eddie Van Halen's guitar tech for tonite's show?" I'd say "hell,
yeah" and you wouldn't have to pay me. But if you asked me to show others
how to be guitar technicians, it's going to cost you.
Donn Le Vie
P.S. I love the James Carville quote at the end of Janice's message.
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