What was an approximate cost per person last year to attend (airline flight, hotel, food, etc)?

It's hard to say, because airfares vary so much. Also, there are usually multiple groups for eating and activities, so the costs for those can be as much or as little as you want. The hotel will be (I believe) $109/night.

Do people share rooms?

Yes. Once we have the hotel locked in place, there will most likely be a call for roommates.

What usually happens at a F2F?

I could tell you, but I'd have to kill you...

The main event is the Saturday night party nicknamed "The Prom." Everything else is up in the air. There's usually at least one cultural outing, and at least one shopping outing. Because 50+ people is a LOT to organize, pretty much everything except Prom is done in impromptu smaller groups that form around "We're going to the [place]. Who wants to come?" Other traditions include gathering in the hospitality suite to watch and sing along with OMWF, and Sunday morning there will probably be coffee, pastries, and cartoons.

The hotel will be (I believe) $109/night

That's per room, correct? So the actual per person cost could be different depending on how many people stay in that room, yes?

So the actual per person cost could be different depending on how many people stay in that room, yes?

I vote for stuffing twenty of us in the room.

And there sometimes is too much candy.

I could tell you, but I'd have to kill you...

Oh wait...I've said too much!

In all seriousness, the F2Fs are a ton of fun. Threadsuck back to this past May to read about the last one in DC. Some people who are much less lazy than I am wrote great descriptions of everything from the Prom to the impromptu trips Jessica mentioned.

That F2F was my first. I didn't know a soul when I showed up, but I felt at home immediately.

That'll be one fun slumber party!

The first F2F (Chicago), some of the daytime activities were: Field Museum (cost: admission), shopping in the Porn emporium (cost: train ticket, and anything you might want to buy -- or not), and making fun of hungover Steph (cost: priceless). I think there may have been a baseball game, too. So pretty much cheap.

The second F2F (LA), I can't totally remember the daytime activities. One was bowling. Oh! And a baseball game. There was also shopping, IIRC. But a lot of us just hung out by the pool for hours.

This F2F (DC) involved monuments and a lot of walking (for some of us, in poorly chosen shoes).

So, really, the only definite costs are: getting there (some people drive if it's feasible; some can carpool with Buffistas in their general area; some fly), hotel (like Jessica said, people almost always have roommate(s), so it's more affordable), and feeding yourself -- and there are always so many people that someone will want to go to an inexpensive place to eat.

Additional costs that are in no way required: booze, shopping, bribe money to get people to erase incriminating pictures from their digital cameras, etc.

bribe money to get people to erase incriminating pictures from their digital cameras

Damn, I knew I shoulda bothered to dig the camera out.

some can carpool with Buffistas in their general area

Hey, beathen, let's drive down to NOLA! It's only like twenty hours!

Hey, beathen, let's drive down to NOLA! It's only like twenty hours!

I'm thinkin' of driving. And yes, I've driven Chicago to NO and back before....

I'm thinkin' of driving. And yes, I've driven Chicago to NO and back before....

Hmmm. I might want to get in on that action. Especially cause it means I can introduce you to a lot of my CDs.

A carpool from our general area would be way fun, though I imagine it would mean taking off a little more time from lab. I'll see how things swing. But if it means saving three hundred dollars on a plane ticket...rock.

Of course, with gas prices the way they are, it may not end up any cheaper.