[nycbug-talk] Student Discounts

[Marc Spitzer]

On 10/12/06, Chris Clymer <chris at chrisclymer.com> wrote:
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> I would strongly argue that a large factor in the event's success has
> been the decision to make it, and keep it, a free event.  Its also
> been kept to a single day, which means that many can, and do commute
> there in the morning, and head back home at night.  I myself attended
> the first time 3 years ago only because a group of us could pile into
> a car and attend so cheaply.  I know of numerous college students who
> came, and still come, for exactly the same reason.
>
> How is such a big event free for the attendees?  Sponsorship.  IBM,
> Novell, Digium, Red Hat,  Astaro, Sybase, and scores of small
> companies and personal sponsorships.  The events cost is tens of
> thousands of dollars, and with these donations the cost is able to be
> kept at zero for anyone interested.
>
> I offer this up only as proof that it can be done.  The low cost has
> driven attendance, which has made sponsorship more enticing for
> sponsors, which helps make the event better, which drives more
> attendance...one big positive feedback loop.  This year we were able
> to provide food, live penguins, and even free beer!
>

Well the key point is that Linux has orders of magnatude more
corporate support then the BSDs do.  IBM, Redhat, Novell ...  and
numerious small companies.  This means there is much more marketing
dollars to spend on things like sponsership and penguins.


marc

-- 
"We trained very hard, but it seemed that every time we were beginning to
form into teams we would be reorganized. I was to learn later in life that
we tend to meet any new situation by reorganizing, and a wonderful method it
can be for creating the illusion of progress, while producing confusion,
inefficiency and demoralization."
-Gaius Petronius, 1st Century AD