>Sure, afterall, they still have to pay for the airfare and the hotel. I don't see how the Devcon could be a moneymaker for MSFT anyway and it seems the goal should be to get as many attendees as possible. I would have no problem with it.

Microsoft spends money on DevCon, they don't get any of the proceeds. Advisor is the one taking the risks by expending large sums to bring in the speakers, prepare the materials, pay for the meals and session rooms, etc., etc. They're the ones who receive the proceeds.

Back in the old days, when Microsoft and before them, Fox Software, ran DevCon, it was a cost center, not a profit item.

Tamar