🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <54@quark.ansto.gov.au> frank@iris.ansto.gov.au (Frank Crawford) writes:
>In article <4448@cluster.cs.su.oz.au> yar@cluster.cs.su.oz (Ray Loyzaga) writes:
>>In the latest (no pun intended) AUUGN (Vol 12, No 6), on page 76
>>the full report on the winter conference is stated as being available,
>>would it be possible to have it posted to the net.
>
>Unfortunately it's not realistic to post it.  It was put together from
>a number of different sources, but mostly from a Macintosh, and I wouldn't
>look forward to typing it all back in.  If you are really interest we could
>FAX or mail you a copy.

Hmmm, you mean it is already on a computer and it is impossible to upload
it to a machine on the net? Why not kermit it? Why not send me the floppies
and I'll do it.

>>							Is it also possible
>>to report on the average price per sqare metre for a stand at the
>>exhibition. I need this to work out for myself how a conference
>>that charges >$400 and has 499 attendees, manages to sell 1902 square
>>metres of exhibition space, has professional organisers and commercial
>>sponsorships, still manages to barely break even, and thus is unable
>>to provide an increased level of service to its members.
>
>I haven't got the exact figure on me, but I believe it was about $300/sq m
>(This year is $270, and Darling Harbour is more expensive).

Ok finally some numbers... 1902 * 300 = $570600
Now hom much does the fabulously expensive Darling Harbour Exhibition
hall cost .... $9555 per day, hmmm, thats  $28665,  that only leaves
us $541935 to spend on hiring carpet, partitions and providing a
single power point per stand, plus 2 lights. And of course some security
guards ... so if Darling Harbour cost $0, it would have only meant
$28665 more profit... sorry the Darling Harbour is expensive line
doesn't work.

>One major reason is the cost of staging a conference at Darling Harbour
>(as opposed to an exhibition).  It is very expensive, and there are many
>additional costs that aren't considered (such as the A/V operator) which
>are imposed on us by the venue.
Really, but the cost of 1/3rd of an Auditorium (what we had), seats 1050 people,
full day (i.e. from 7am until midnight) $3500, so the total cost of
the room and seats is $10500., or just over $20 per attendee.
My god of couse it is the A/V operator, says here it is between
$35-45/hour, now that seems to be ~$500 a day, or $1 per attendee per day...
To put this hogwash about Darling Harbour being expensive into perspective
the cost of providing tea/coffee and those cute little almond cookies
is $4.80 per attendee, twice a day, or $28.80 for the duration of the
conference, which is more than the conference auditorium and that
hideously expensive audio/visual man put together.
Ok, there are other expenses, like the o/h projector and the screen, which
add a couple of $k to the total expenses, but come on lets not pretend
that the venue is the problem, most of these other expenses will need to
be incurred at any location, the actual Darling Harbour costs are pretty
reasonable to me, i.e. I would pay $20 for three days at Darling Harbour
rather than under a tent in a park, so where are the rest of the costs?

>The budgeting and hence approvals for various expenses (such as advertising)
>were based on a larger number of attendees, however, the smaller number
>didn't mean any smaller outlay.  Also the tutorials were very poorly
>attended last year, and they were an area that had previously generated a
>considerable income.
>
>There are many other points that add to it, but, certainly the committee is
>very concerned about the same matter.
>

Send me the data and I will match it up with the numbers that the
Exhibition Center kindly mails out to anyone that enquires ....
Oh by the way. my numbers could be wrong, they are effective from
July 1992, so maybe they are inflated some what, it would have been a
little cheaper last year.