That $270 is for one person? How much is it if I want to take my wife with me? As it is, if I decided to go it’s going to be about $1,500 for plane tickets, $1,100 for hotel and then $270 x 2, which all said and done comes to a little more than $3,000. That doesn’t include food and stuff of course. Does anybody else pay this much? I realize not all of you are coming from overseas, nor are you staying a week in the hotel, but jeez, this seems like an expensive thing.
Are the conventions usually on the west coast? Any chance that next year it’ll be in NYC or something a little easier to get to?
Are there any not-qute NHC conventions that go on besides the GABF? I want to meet you guys in person, but not if it’s going to cost a month’s salary.
I am in the place as you with the NHC being really expensive and not just the event tickets. I just did a cost analysis today and realized that it is is going to cost about 2.5 grand for me to. but contrary to your cost that includes everything with food and all. IT would add up to the 3 grand with possible lost wages and over time and the use of half of my vacation time.
It kinda sucks. I guess I can create my own version by brewing all weekend.
Typo, sorry. Still, $230 vs $270 is only $40 difference. Not complaining about the cost of entry, I know that needs to be priced the way it is, but the question remains as to whether or not the NHC is always west of the Rockies. I have no idea and am making no assumptions, I’m just asking.
I wouldn’t recommend the full conference for your wife unless she is into brewing. She might be happy with the social package and the banquet (and maybe not even that) and having free time to explore the area while you are in lectures.
I’ve never spent that much money ($3K), but then I’m not coming from Europe. I think $1500 was the max for me (1 person) for flight, hotel, and conference fees. It should be a little cheaper for me this year since it’s on the West coast, but in the past several years the conference has been in locations closer to you. Roughly by distance from France . . . places like Baltimore, Orlando, Cincinnati, Minneapolis, Denver, Las Vegas, Oakland . . . so no, it’s not always on the West coast.
Unfortunately, Iceland wouldn’t work, though I’d love to go there. The conference does rotate around, but one of the key factors is having a number of home brew clubs in an area that are willing to work together to put it on. There’s a LOT of work that needs doing, and all of that by volunteers from clubs.
I’m looking at the same issues, but coming from Florida. I haven’t been to an NHC in a few years though I used to go regularly (by myself). Looking at taking my wife and making a vacation out of it. Still deciding. Finances still tight with the economy.
While we will be on the east coast soon, it won’t be next year. As has been pointed out, the main thing about a location is to have a local organization step up and put it on. The AHA doesn’t decide on a location, then look for people to do it. We wait until someone brings us a proposal. If you want the NHC closer to you, get a group together and submit a proposal.
Great…sounds like another West Coast trip…Seattle? Portland?
I hear you about the local club support, but I doubt 1200 homebrewers are going to come to Manchester, NH. Not even sure we have to hotel capacity to handle something like this. Boston would be the closest big city but good luck getting any favorable rates at hotels or convention space in June.
Welcome to part two of the convention conundrum. Getting volunteer groups together is the first bit of pain. (It’s a lot of work, but it’s fun… look at me I’m helping on my 4th). Where the convention is right now sizewise is the second. We’ve been in Manchester before, but that was when the conference was a lot smaller. Now we’re at that tipping point size that shunts us more and more towards bigger cities. Personally, I’d give my eye teeth for a conference in Boston. Be nice to go visit the old stomping grounds again. The main reason we could make San Diego work this year was because the conference hotel (awesome site) offered us a greatly discounted rate that we’re unlikely to see again.
At least Manchester would be more capable than my grandparent’s town of Jackson NH!
East Coasters you’ll feel the love soon. Scout’s honor! No lies! Everyone on the staff and the GC loves finding new cities. The airports are interesting on the way to and from the conference hotel!
Oh man… I’m still sad that they closed Heritage next door. I honestly think I enjoyed it more than I did Storyland, but I was always a weird kid who could be motivated to do chores by a trip to the science museum.
Personally I don’t care all that much where it is. I arrive wednesday, leave sunday, and rarely leave the hotel. There’s just too much to do right there. I would be great if I could go early and do some exploring, but my wife isn’t going for that yet.
So if you have enough local support, a decent airport, a big enough venue, and a reasonable room rate, I think you should submit a bid.
If you’re in a place that wants to host it, it’s fairly easy to get enough local support. When we did it here in Cincinnati, once we made it known we were making a bid, a lot of people stepped up with offers of help. Once we actually won the bid, people came out of the woodwork to help! The local Convention and Visitors Bureau was also a big help.
I think the tough part is finding a hotel. It has to be pretty darn big to handle the size we’re grown to, with plenty of meeting space. At it’s 2010 size, there is no longer a hotel in Cincinnati big enough to host, and we had it here only a few years ago (2008). The even harder part is finding a place willing to allow outside alcohol. For most hotels, that’s a total non-starter. When getting bids here, one banquet manager essentially threw us out. Another made a bid, and then corporate made them retract it. No outside-alcohol events at all for Hilton.
