

Ask HN: Should you pay to present at an event? - Cmccann7

Awhile ago I posted this thread about David Rose and Why NY Angels (his organization) Charges Entrepreneurs http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1155973<p>Since then I've been approached my many conferences (DEMO, TechCrunch Disrupt, NY Venture Summit, etc) who charge to present and their reasoning behind doing so.<p>I totally understand that it costs a lot of money to put on a conference (to reserve the space, logistics, food, etc) and the organizer should be compensated for their time. But how do you feel about paying to present at an event? Especially an event like DEMO which charges $18,500 just to present?
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kls
Absolutely not! without presenters there is no draw. It is a two way street,
you get exposure and they get valuable content. Most conferences make there
money of admission fees as well as booth space for vendors, to then try to
squeeze margins by charging the people that are providing the content and
draw, is not, in my opinion, a solution to get the best content, but rather it
will attract sales oriented speakers, in which, the audience will feel like
they are being pitch to the entire time. When money is involved, the highest
bidder gets the floor and they are not always going to provide the best
content, because in some way they have to make up that out of pocket money. It
creates an agenda beyond disseminating information.

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Cmccann7
Agreed, very well said.

