Update from thebazaar

Steve Blood, the pivotal figure for the bazaar has sent over an update about some pretty major changes to the actual. I've posted that below-but some of the good news is that the pricing will be changing dramatically: 175$ for all conference sessions and tutorials, and 100$ for students. That's good news for everyone's pocket book.

The Bazaar is going through a major transition which has been brought on by a number of factors which you can read about (if you have any desire to know more about what we've had to deal with) in a ranty, somewhat bitter, open letter I wrote, but decided not to do anything with.

To summarize what's happening: the Bazaar was conceived as a nonprofit conference and expo for free software that would benefit development groups. As it turned out, the dates which we chose specifically to not conflict with LINC Expo or Linux Expo, ended up being very close to IDG's LinuxWorld Expo -- another new show which wasn't announced until after our show was confirmed. Although this was unfortunate we didn't think it was the end of the world.

From the beginning we took a noncompetitive approach with IDG: the Bazaar was, after all, a different show in a different place. Hackers, developers, speakers and attendees liked that approach and we've had tons of support from all over the world.

However, that same approach got us no where with exhibitors and sponsors, i.e. the companies we need to support us so that we can afford to put this show on. Everyone has shut us down, given us the run-around and altogether sent the Bazaar to the brink of its life, except for a few, very excellent companies who believe in the spirit of our show (VA, Patmos, Linux HW).

Anyway, last week I appealed to a couple of leaders in the Linux business community for some help and they told me that competing with IDG was basically hopeless and wished me luck.

Well, our luck was running out, so I contacted a company that was interested in partnering up with us. It wasn't what I wanted to do with the Bazaar, but this company likes our mission and is willing to keep it as a nonprofit event with developers at the center. And they are a major company with the media and capital resources to make things happen.

So please bear with us as we go through some restructuring. If you have any suggestions -- except about the pricing which will change drastically, probably $175 for all the conference sessions and tutorials, $100 for students -- or questions please contact me or the staff.

-steve blood

Pricing

[mattdm]

It was a lot easier to convince my employer to send me to a $500 conference than to a $1200 one, even if it is on the other side of the country.

It's good to see the bazaar lowering prices, but it's a little late now.

--

"Corporate Sleezes"

[mattdm]

Tom Christiansen, "Advanced Perl Programming"

Larry Wall, "Perl: The First Post-Modern Programming Language"

George Lebl (GNOME), "Application Programming Using the GNOME Libraries"

Jon "Maddog" Hall (Linux International), "The Ten Reasons Why..."

and so on, really.

--

This is Great news for FLAT and LILUG NY LUGs.

[Odinson]

Being the president of one LUG and active in the other I am really glad to hear about the price change. I think this should cause the Bazaars attendance to grow signifigantly.

12 hundred dollars is the kind of money your company pays only if your entire network is pure linux already.

175 dollars is the type of money you can pay out of your pocket for three days of confrence. You won't get just professionals paying for speakers but curious onlookers too.

I don't remember meeting one person that didn't go to at least one talk at the Linux Expo last year. People will be willing to travel to NY to hear people speak, but not for just a booth tour.

I can't afford to pay $960US. As a student I can scrounge together 100 bucks. I'll see you there!

I can tell you that many of the assorted lug members will be there for those prices!(And probably more.)

More deception from the Bazaar

[daviddennis]

Well, this accusation is - pardon me - bizarre.

Does it have any basis in fact?

D

Which Show - The Bazaar

[daviddennis]

I clicked on the Slashdot Linux World banner and checked out the registration page.

I noticed with more than a little irritation that there was no indication of the event's total cost. There were tempting $ 75 day passes, reasonably attractive half day tutorial passes for $ 120, but no total cost. You could buy the whole shebang, but it wouldn't tell you how much until you already submitted your information.

I call that a little sleazy - I'll bet it's horribly expensive and they don't want you to know until you've already commited yourself to go. Don't think that'll work with this crowd. :-)

If I lived in San Jose (I'm in Los Angeles), I'd probably sign up for an exhibit only pass just to pop 'round and see the Linux world excitement for myself. But I don't think most conferences are worth the immense amounts of money they cost - and I speak as someone who's both attended and manned a booth.

D

Q

[Axe]

What is the best reason to actually attend this - rather than reading reports about it?

what a shame

[PMcGovern]

IDG Leeching on it?

You have to remember that it's The Bazaar that is lowering their prices to the same levels as IDGs.

From day one..LinuxWorld wanted to make sure everyone could afford to attend.

The Keynote with Linus, for example, is free.

They could have charged $1200 to attend like many shows do ..but they decided to price it differently so that Linux enthusiasts of all types could attend.

My $.02

Pat-