>>This sucks cause I wanted to go this year and missed it. I was hoping for next year.
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>This was the first conference I went to and it will unfortunatly probably be the last one. I doubt I can get the financing to go to a conference in the US! :(

Never say never. Always ask. If they refuse, get creative. If they are willing to spend $1500 every year for a Canadian conference, go to a US one for $3000 every second year. If that doesn't work, find someone that will pay the reg fee in trade for programming work, then pack up the kids in a pickup, drive there and camp at the KOA. It is possible.