I agree. I think airfare is often the biggest money factor, but so are other factors like children and home expenses. I think waning attendance also links to the fact that we often haven't nailed down plans until a few months (or less) before the event. I agree with Java, though--I think we should just make plans and hope people can come, and scale back if the numbers are low or cancel if a year goes by without much interest. I also plan to re-propose the October F2F pimping and planning month this year, fwiw.

Oh holy cow, $95 is great, I've said it 95 times -- but if it were a priority and we built in a enough time and people we could get it cheaper and have better attendance.

And, people clearly aren't as into it. And we could deffinately consider changing the procedures.

But for nine years running we had a big "I just can't afford to come and I thought I could" at the last minute contingent which seems to have remained pretty much proportional (with a New Orleans bubble). I doubt that will change with number ten.

The smaller the group, however, the bigger hit each individual takes. I'll go. I always go. And I'll take the hit.

And then next year I'll post this post for the ninth time. It's tradish.

(Or maybe I'll just start C&Ping them ;)

I also plan to re-propose the October F2F pimping and planning month this year, fwiw.

I still think this is a good idea too. The holidays seem to eat up a lot of people's energy and by the time we've recovered it is getting close to F2F time.

However, I would prefer not to cancel a year altogether unless there is no interest at all. I still enjoyed seeing people last year, and even though it was a very small group, I think we still managed to enjoy ourselves.

sj, yep that sounds good to me.

I think the other consideration is that we seem to be loathe to repeat cities, but as we do that, we move further from the cheaper airfare hub cities. At year ten, I think we could go back to those more major cities.

Oh holy cow, $95 is great, I've said it 95 times -- but if it were a priority and we built in a enough time and people we could get it cheaper and have better attendance.

This is the thing. I'm not certain that we could get it all that much cheaper. I think under $99 for a hotel that isn't a total fleabag hotel or doesn't have some other serious limitation like lack of space for our party or a no booze rule is asking a bit much.

Just popping in to say that interest has not waned from this corner of Buffistadom - shitty finances are the only thing that's kept either Hec or me or both from going. (I was really hoping for this year, but an ill-timed yet necessary car repair is probably going to wreck that, damnit.)

And now Matilda is constantly reminding me that we need to make another playdate with her friend Lilly and her friend Iris, so if the economy ever either improves or at least stops decaying so badly I fully expect another generation of eager F2F attendance.

And I've said I'm an 80% sure -- gotta do taxes in the next 2 weeks and that will dictate whether or not I am a 100%.

What with the almost-foreclosure and summer camp (and that my dream job is rapidly turning into more like a "dream of pit viper," which I haven't talked about much since I've been keeping internet stuff on the DL, that's how much of a nest whoa, really? environment it's turned out to be...) well, I am not committing to anything till we know our financial sitch.

If it turns out to be mortage or airfare/summer camp for the kiddo or F2F, I gotta be all...responsible.

Which totally sucks.

There were a bunch of people in Seattle!

N Just to clarify on the hotel price. My original quote was $89 for the current hotel. Then I asked about wifi, saying that was a dealbreaker issue. Normally that is an added $12/day. Instead of that we were offered a rate of $95/day. So we could lower the room rate and and add ons.

Nicole, sounds like we have a bs concensus for the 25th. Would you email Inge?