As one of the organizers of ForwardJS 2014, I get a lot of feedback from potential attendees about the event we're curating.
Q: Why have multiple tracks?
A: Benefits:
- We're able to highlight esoteric or controversial talks without forcing everyone in the audience to listen to them
- New speakers are less intimidated addressing a smaller crowd
- Attendees who are not interested in a specific topic can see a second speaker
- If a speaker cancels (usually due to a medical condition) it's easy to adjust the schedule
Multiple conference tracks have some well known downsides. We're trying to find a balance.
Q: Why is adding on Lunch so expensive?
A: Many event venues limit the food that can be brought in, forcing us to use their in-house catering operation. As an example, ForwardJS 2014's cost for a buffet lunch was $64 per person, plus 24% mandatory service fee, plus 8.75% state tax, plus 10% overage charge, equalling $94.93, meaning we actually lose a little bit of money selling a lunch ticket at $100 when you take into account the TicketLeap fees and discount codes. As a consequence, we didn't bundle lunch into every ticket price, figuring that you would rather save the $100 and eat lunch elsewhere.
Q: Can I get a ticket now that it's sold out / Can I attend only the workshop / Can I pay half price and attend for the morning / Can I send one person for the workshop and one for the rally but pay only for one ticket.
A: We get a lot of special requests, which we almost always say no to. While it's technically possible to handle these requests, there's always the possibility that we'll lose track of them and piss someone off. We allow ticket transfers for free, and we do give away tickets to students and the unemployed on a case-by-case basis.
