I would say this.. the past is very much in the past. There aren't dozens of sponsors spending hundreds of thousands of dollars or millions and there aren't hundreds of people, let alone the thousands, buying tickets. The day of the free affiliate ticket was a biproduct of a larger industry with more people and a hell of a lot more spend.
If we want events like this to succeed and re-grow from the ashes of the last half decade, then they need to sell sponsorships and passes. MojoHost has re-joined financial participation with an Internext booth this year. Do I know if I will generate sufficient new business to cover those expenses? Absolutely not. However, I know that I can't sit on the sidelines buying a badge and hoping for things to magically get better without investing the time and money to truly participate. At the end of the day, to make a great show as many of us as possible have to actually show up, have some financial participation, and meet 'n greet the next generation of producers and developers.
I hope to see everyone there, old and new. After 25 years and an industry apocalypse I realize it can only be a great show if people like me, and all of you, really get invested in making it a great show. Nobody is going to do this for us.
Brad
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President at MojoHost | brad at mojohost dot com | Skype MojoHostBrad
71 industry awards for hosting and professional excellence since 1999
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