Aug 23, 2010
The Cost of Design Week
This year, Phoenix Design Week registrations cost $125. Last year, they were $40. You might ask, quite rightly, why such an increase?
We charged $40 last year by pulling a number out of the air based on some guessed figures and hoped-for attendance. We had no idea what it would cost to put on Design Week, and no idea what kind of support we’d get from sponsors.
This year, we were able to look at receipts from last year and base our cost on that.
Design Week registration fees are based entirely on what it costs for us to put on the same conference as last year, with the same number of attendees, even if we don’t get any sponsorships. That’s it. It’s the minimum we can charge without losing money (which a few of us did last year).
This conference is not meant to be profitable. The price-point is based on keeping the event sustainable and self-sufficient. The costs will fluctuate, the sponsors are either there or not, but we will be able to put on a 400 person conference for $125 registration. Even still, we’ve had early-bird prices of $99 going on since June. We’re doing everything we (responsibly) can to make this event accessible.
The content we bring in is huge too, compared to other conferences. HOW is $1275 to attend. Literally 10 times as much. Buying the webcasts AFTER the event is $149, even if you bought the conference ticket. HOW is great, the content is great, but the price can be staggering. We’re bringing similarly great content, with a local focus, and doing everything we can to make it affordable. There are other conferences, even in town, that have less content and cost 6 times as much. Plus, this year, we’ve been able to secure Adobe offering two days of training. There is more value in attending Phoenix Design Week than most conferences in the country. Seriously. Your bucks are banging like rabbits.
Phoenix Design Week is not meant to be a profit machine, and its not meant to be exclusionary. Its for the community, by the community. We’re doing the best we can to make this stay true, for years to come.
See you there? – http://phxdw.com
I thought last year that the price was incredibly cheap. The current price is even still reasonable, so way to go keeping this conference responsible I hope that you guys can at least break even so we can have another one next year… and the year after…
Besides, for $125, some of you can get your employer to pay it, or at least meet you half-way. Tell them it’s WAY cheaper than sending you out-of-town, paying for travel, lodging, and overpriced conference fees.
I’m stoked to see you all there!
I agree Sean. Covering costs is a reality. I know many of the volunteers last year put a lot of time and effort into doing things right. It’s true that the price may be prohibitive to some due to life circumstances, which is understandable. Yet, in comparison to other events around the nation, PhxDW is MUCH more within reach.
Looking forward to it!
I can’t believe you even bothered to explain yourself on this one. If people can’t see the value, they don’t belong there.
Still waiting for my free ticket.
No student pricing?
The HOW Breakdown:
Individual Full-Conference Registration $1275
Group Full-Conference Registration $1225
Student Full-Conference Registration $585
Combination Registration $1325
HOW is less than half price for students? Maybe you should have taken that into account when delegating the ticket pricing. There is still time.
Reggie:
We did. The price is still incredibly low, even for students. You say “HOW is less than half.” True, but it’s also still almost $600.
We aren’t going to publish a student rate, because its a lot of maintenance such as checking ID and verifying student rates for what, in the end, is a conference for professionals.
We have been talking with Design programs at various universities in the area, and offering a bulk discount for students in those classes, because shared attendance = shared experienced = shared conversations.
If you’d like your class to be part of that, please just email me (mark at phxdw dot com) and I’ll be sure to work something out with you.
Considering the last conferences I attended were in MPLS, Austin and SF with far higher ticket prices…..I’m feeling pretty stoked about PHXDW. thx MD