Actually, 'that ITYS' wasn't about you at all. I'm the one feeling "I told you so" because what was supposed to be central and easily reached turned out to be prohibitive to so many people.

Ooops. I totally read that wrong, then. Thanks for clarifying!

centralish all the time strikes me as demographically unfair

I know, but -- and I haven't done any kind of airfare comparisons to prove/disprove my theory -- it just seems like a centralized location would be most accessible and affordable to the largest number of people.

It's kind of a communist idea, I guess. Instead of making it cheaper for one part of the country one year (and possibly, as a side effect, making it more expensive for other parts), the centralized/communist idea makes it affordable-ish every year for the largest number of people. If that makes sense.

Like --

Year 1 (NYC)**: East Coasters, cheap; West Coasters, screwed
Year 2 (San Diego)**: West Coasters, cheap; East Coasters screwed
Year 3 (Kansas City)**: East Coasters, average; West Coasters, average

Every year: outliers (Australia, Israel, Maine), PISSED.

**And these are TOTALLY generalizations; I pulled the cities out of my ass; I realize some magical places always seem to get good airfare price mojo, no matter what region they're in.

but I wouldn't even think of going there in June

Is that because of heat? Or crowds? Or both? I'm a Vegas virgin.

The problem with central-all-the-time, is that there are people who will never be able to go. At least, the way it is, there should, in general, be at least 1 year out of 3 when a given person (in the continental US) can expect to be able to attend.

At least, the way it is, there should, in general, be at least 1 year out of 3 when a given person (in the continental US) can expect to be able to attend.

Even if that means the F2F is sparsely attended, like this year's?

(That's NOT a challenge; that's just me wondering what people's opinions are.)

Heat, it is in the middle of the desert. Crowds, I dunno, I have no idea what the busy season is. Figure it's the land of dental conventions and B.P.O.E. herd-ruts all year round no matter what, so, crowds anywhichway you go.

Good point (crowds). And I have no experience with the desert heat. Only sticky, humid, swampy heat. I pretty much hate all heat, even the kind I haven't met yet. Oh, duh, my sister and her family are in Vegas right effing now. I'll have to ask her what her impressions were. Duh.

For this year, the emphasis seemed to be less on maximizing attendence, and more on maximizing the attractiveness of the destination. I don't think the system was flawed, but, rather, some of the specifics of the situation led to a difference in incentives.

I think the benefit to having the F2F location move around is that tyhe set of people who are able to attend and the set of people who aren't able to attend because of lacation changes. A lot of people didn't come this year because it was in New Orleans. If it had been anywhere else, there's no way I could have gone. it seems fairer to me to give the people on the coasts who can't travel very far, for whatever reason, opportunities for closer F2Fs then to make the average distance for everyone shorter all the time. Outliers are important, I guess is what I'm saying.

Another thing about NOLA was that the only really local people were -t and her DH. All the other F2F's had large groups of local folks attend who otherwise have never gone. Both LA and DC had large numbers of people who were able to drive to the F2F, and large populations of localistas. The same would be true for the Bay area, and to a lesser extent, Seattle.

Just for a rough idea, May 19-22, hotel and flight, sorted by 'lowest' on Orbitz (now with more city goodness):

Cincinnati - San Francisco 461
Cincinnati - Phoenix 387
Cincinnati - Seattle 388
Cincinnati - Las Vegas 430

Dallas - San Francisco 438
Dallas - Phoenix 413
Dallas - Seattle 373
Dallas - Las Vegas 402

NYC - San Francisco 498
NYC - Phoenix 443
NYC - Seattle 427
NYC - Las Vegas 426

Boston - San Francisco 543
Boston - Phoenix 537
Boston - Seattle 415
Boston - Las Vegas 459

These all tend to be 'outlying' locations, naturally.