SVP, ladies and germs, is expensive. At least, it is for people in Alaska.
Well, a normal plane ticket to Cleaveland costs $670. The hotel (the SVP hotel) costs $138 a night. The taxi ride from the airport to the hotel costs $33. None of these costs include taxes.
It gets better. SVP has some sort of connections with Continental Airlines, and if you take Continental, you can get between 3 and 15% off your ticket price. Well, there's still a hitch. You have to travel from Anchorage to Seattle, then to Houston (or New Jersey), then back to Cleaveland. So you spend essentially a day on a plane (in coach) for maybe 3% off the ticket price.
No thank you.
But it's not like I can skip it this year and go next year, because next year it'll be in Bristol. Flying across the pond will be far more expensive than flying across the country. I really don't know what to do. Is SVP worth what's probably going to end up being $1500?
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4 comments:
I've been to the last two meetings and it was worth every damn penny I paid for. At least for me. It's really a cool opportunity to meet colleagues abroad. But it's always really exciting finally getting to meet the authors whose work you admire!
I had Conference Sticker Shock this week also, the mammal conference is going to cost me an arm and a leg, and possibly a little sanity. But like you said, sometimes circumstances make you feel obligated to shell out and go rather than miss an opportunity...I didn't want to miss the mammal conference the summer before I apply to grad school. I LOVE conferences, and I know it will be worth it, but you're right, it hurts a little! I hate how so many things are tagged on (parking pass, fees for the socials, etc etc). I wish I had time/money to attend SVP also!
Maybe we should start a lemonade stand. ;)
Weighing cost against potential gain and satisfaction is always a case of personal taste and assessment, the only way to be sure about something like SVP, is to attend one.
The amount of new information under discussion, opportunities for social and professional networking, an overiding sense of community, and the spectacle of witnessing and interacting with a thousand +/- like-minded individuals, in my mind make it well worth the expense. The first time got me "hooked". After the first couple of meetings, it becomes an annual "reunion" of sorts ( the upcoming conference in Cleveland will make 16 consecutive years for me ) and I'm still excited about going !
Yeah..it's pricey, huh? I decided that it was worth it...
I've already spent about $1500 (hotel, two plane tickets) and haven't even paid the registration fees yet! Yikes!
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