Markus

>At the same time, I do not think price is as big a deal as people think it is. The attendance fee may be higher at DevCon, but overall, flights and hotel cost are similar, and the biggest cost factor (being out of the office) is the same everywhere. I think if people got good value, the price is not what would hurt them...<

Well... maybe, but both Whilfest and eFox hotel rates are within a few dollars of $100 per night. Compare that to the typical DevCon conference resort hotel rate.

And, IMO, the difference in conference rates is *very* significant. DevCon is at least double the price of eFox or Whilfest. That's not trivial for developers or companies trying to maintain a balance between shrinking bottom lines and much-need developer continuing education.

As far as the cost of "being out of the office", eFox has attempted to mitigate that cost by holding the conference over the weekend as much as possible. (Friday evening, Saturday, Sunday, Monday) This seems to appeal to independents more than staff developers, but that's more "seat of the pants" analysis of anecdotal evidence than any real statistics. Nevertheless, for many, this represents a significant savings over the "Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday" format.

However, you're right on the mark (AFAIC) when you play the "value card". All you have to do is compare the number of speakers/sessions at each of the Fox conferences -- the difference is dramatic.

Bottom line: I think both value and price have contributed to the DevCon decline.

Russ