gillies@P.CS.UIUC.EDU (05/26/90)
> I have a problem with *that*! The AMS (to which I also belong) > makes much more of an effort to hold down the costs of attending > their conferences. (They often hold them at college campuses, > and also include some weekend days, presumably so that those > attending can get cheap airfares.) It is surprising the way computer scientists can throw their conference money around. Recently, the 4th Annual Conference on Computational Geometry was held on this campus. All the lectures were given in the campus performing arts center. The cost of registration was over $200, and many mathematicians from the U of Illinois chose not to attend because of the high registration cost. It seems most math conferences cost $100 to register, at the very most. The funding glut in C.S. may not last forever. Adding a 3rd conference to FOCS and STOC, now that there is already SODA held in San Francisco, seems like a great waste of money and/or travel time. I don't believe in splitting a communication forum until until you have tried all other available means to handle the traffic (i.e. parallel sessions).
berman@shire.cs.psu.edu (Piotr Berman) (05/26/90)
In article <100600042@p.cs.uiuc.edu> gillies@p.cs.uiuc.edu writes: > >> I have a problem with *that*! The AMS (to which I also belong) >> makes much more of an effort to hold down the costs of attending >> their conferences. (They often hold them at college campuses, >> and also include some weekend days, presumably so that those >> attending can get cheap airfares.) > >It is surprising the way computer scientists can throw their >conference money around. Recently, the 4th Annual Conference on >Computational Geometry was held on this campus. All the lectures were >given in the campus performing arts center. > >The cost of registration was over $200, and many mathematicians from >the U of Illinois chose not to attend because of the high registration >cost. It seems most math conferences cost $100 to register, at the >very most. The funding glut in C.S. may not last forever. > >Adding a 3rd conference to FOCS and STOC, now that there is already >SODA held in San Francisco, seems like a great waste of money and/or >travel time. I don't believe in splitting a communication forum until >until you have tried all other available means to handle the traffic >(i.e. parallel sessions). > Actually, I got impression that while organizers are usually well funded, a lot of people pay from their own pockets. As the number of researches increases and the number of grants does not, this is an important consideration. Moreover, many people without grants are given some conference moneyby their colleges. While these allowances do increase with along with inflation, they definitely do not grow as fast as the conference costs. Piotr Berman
jcc@mimsy.umd.edu (John Cherniavsky) (05/30/90)
In article <9005251846.AA04325@irt.watson.ibm.com>, gillies@P.CS.UIUC.EDU writes: > > I have a problem with *that*! The AMS (to which I also belong) > > makes much more of an effort to hold down the costs of attending > > their conferences. (They often hold them at college campuses, > > and also include some weekend days, presumably so that those > > attending can get cheap airfares.) > > It is surprising the way computer scientists can throw their > conference money around. Recently, the 4th Annual Conference on > Computational Geometry was held on this campus. All the lectures were > given in the campus performing arts center. > > The cost of registration was over $200, and many mathematicians from > the U of Illinois chose not to attend because of the high registration > cost. It seems most math conferences cost $100 to register, at the > very most. The funding glut in C.S. may not last forever. > > The only difference between the AMS conferences and the Computer Science conferences regarding the registration fees is what is bundled in with the registration fees. Typically the cost of break refreshments and lunches and a banquet are included in CS conference registration fees - these are not included within the registration fee of most AMS meetings. When the CS community began its STOC/FOCS conferences the number of attendees was much smaller. It was felt, for social reasons, that having common lunches was a good place to encourage collaborative research ( which is the argument used for funding student lunches at STOC and FOCS). A secondary reason (at least in the early 70's) was as a means for getting around low per diem allowances at some of the State universities. The universities would pay registration fees without a quibble and then allow, say $35/day, for all lodging and meal expenses. By bundling some of the meals into the registration fee, attendees would not be out too much pocket money. One final, though not compelling, reason to include such lunches in the registration fee is that buying lunches and breaks from the hotel gives the conference organizer leverage in negotiating both room rates and the free use of lecture facilities. Its been my experience that the major costs of recent conferences has been the room rates and the travel costs with the registration fees third - there is certainly something to be said for a low cost conference (dorm rooms, meal plan meals) and in this era of tight money, the conference organizers should attempt to hold more of them - just let your umbrella organization (the TC or the SIGACT Exec. Comm. or whatever) know your wishes - its you (the attendees) who are the conference. John C. Cherniavsky
jcc@MIMSY.UMD.EDU (John Cherniavsky) (05/30/90)
In article <9005251846.AA04325@irt.watson.ibm.com>, gillies@P.CS.UIUC.EDU writes: > > I have a problem with *that*! The AMS (to which I also belong) > > makes much more of an effort to hold down the costs of attending > > their conferences. (They often hold them at college campuses, > > and also include some weekend days, presumably so that those > > attending can get cheap airfares.) > > It is surprising the way computer scientists can throw their > conference money around. Recently, the 4th Annual Conference on > Computational Geometry was held on this campus. All the lectures were > given in the campus performing arts center. > > The cost of registration was over $200, and many mathematicians from > the U of Illinois chose not to attend because of the high registration > cost. It seems most math conferences cost $100 to register, at the > very most. The funding glut in C.S. may not last forever. > > The only difference between the AMS conferences and the Computer Science conferences regarding the registration fees is what is bundled in with the registration fees. Typically the cost of break refreshments and lunches and a banquet are included in CS conference registration fees - these are not included within the registration fee of most AMS meetings. When the CS community began its STOC/FOCS conferences the number of attendees was much smaller. It was felt, for social reasons, that having common lunches was a good place to encourage collaborative research ( which is the argument used for funding student lunches at STOC and FOCS). A secondary reason (at least in the early 70's) was as a means for getting around low per diem allowances at some of the State universities. The universities would pay registration fees without a quibble and then allow, say $35/day, for all lodging and meal expenses. By bundling some of the meals into the registration fee, attendees would not be out too much pocket money. One final, though not compelling, reason to include such lunches in the registration fee is that buying lunches and breaks from the hotel gives the conference organizer leverage in negotiating both room rates and the free use of lecture facilities. Its been my experience that the major costs of recent conferences has been the room rates and the travel costs with the registration fees third - there is certainly something to be said for a low cost conference (dorm rooms, meal plan meals) and in this era of tight money, the conference organizers should attempt to hold more of them - just let your umbrella organization (the TC or the SIGACT Exec. Comm. or whatever) know your wishes - its you (the attendees) who are the conference. John C. Cherniavsky