Virtual PAII Conference?

[white pine]

Acorn sent a survey around about their PAII sessions online. Got me thinking..what do you all feel? If you did not attend the PAII conference, was it because the cost of registration, the cost of travel? The time involved? Would you like to have had the opportunity to pay a fee and attend sessions and access vendors online? Just wondering online here...I think it would be an interesting option. For those who did attend add your two cents too!

 

[Alibi Ike]

In spite of being able to write off the entire trip, it is still over $1000. Maybe I am shortsighted, but that's a lot of money when most of the content will be disseminated online at some point. I understand that I might have picked up a tip there that would have paid off in weeks, but I still had to have the money to spend in the first place. And I really wanted to go this time.
Everything else was fine- time of year, location, etc.

 

[gillumhouse]

The cost almost stopped me. The Driving forces that took me were - the discussion of the future of B & Bs For Vets, the A-ward (will be the high point of my career), and the chance to see family who live there. My cc is now back to HONKED when I did have it down to honked. Glad I went - learned a lot and the people I got to reconnect with and the new ones I met was great. I was able to drive on 2 tanks of gas each way which helped with costs.

 

[white pine]

The cost almost stopped me. The Driving forces that took me were - the discussion of the future of B & Bs For Vets, the A-ward (will be the high point of my career), and the chance to see family who live there. My cc is now back to HONKED when I did have it down to honked. Glad I went - learned a lot and the people I got to reconnect with and the new ones I met was great. I was able to drive on 2 tanks of gas each way which helped with costs..

I was just thinking that in the survey, it sounded like they were thinking the cost of registration was putting people off. I may have that wrong, but I think the total cost of multiple days travel and being away on top of the registration was too much for some. In person is always better, but I think a virtual option is interesting. It could allow some with family issues, or other constraints to be active participants. I hope they consider it.

 

[Innkeep]

The cost almost stopped me. The Driving forces that took me were - the discussion of the future of B & Bs For Vets, the A-ward (will be the high point of my career), and the chance to see family who live there. My cc is now back to HONKED when I did have it down to honked. Glad I went - learned a lot and the people I got to reconnect with and the new ones I met was great. I was able to drive on 2 tanks of gas each way which helped with costs..

I was just thinking that in the survey, it sounded like they were thinking the cost of registration was putting people off. I may have that wrong, but I think the total cost of multiple days travel and being away on top of the registration was too much for some. In person is always better, but I think a virtual option is interesting. It could allow some with family issues, or other constraints to be active participants. I hope they consider it.
.

I can see both sides. I personally know that I would be less likely to attend the virtual sessions. Being there "made" me attend much more of the social networking media/all things internet workshops than I would have paid for on a session by session price list. And the amazing thing is that some of those sessions I didn't particularly think I would learn from I actually enjoyed.
The other thing about the trade show is that you can feel the linens and towels and robes, which really helps me. There were also mattresses to test lie on, but I don't get as much out of that sort of test.
I personally can't justify going every year, and my last PAII meeting was as an aspiring and before Jay was CEO. I thought this forum prepared me better than the aspiring classes there, but there were lots of vendors for things like bathtubs, fire escapes, fireplaces, soaps (much smaller now as Riki said--not nearly as many vendors) which helped as I decided about amenities and remodeling.
I took up Joey's offer to stay with her on the way and made it a true busman's holiday. I also had a chance to visit friends in Charleston before the conference started. I'm at a stage in my life where I don't have much of an excuse to take a real vacation, so I was glad that I could be there to congratulate our innmates on their awards. There's a good chance that I'll stay home next year.

 

[Samster]

I think you can pick up quite a bit of the innfo in a Webinar format, but there's always alot to be gained from in-person chatting, sharing, and networking.

 

[scrambled_eggs]

It was fun to go in person and meet other innkeepers, go to the dinner events in Charleston with the innkeepers and such. It was a lot of money to spend and flying across the continent as well but I felt that hey....I never take a vacation so this will be my one vacation for the year. I'd never been to Charleston and would never have had a reason to go there if it were not for the conference so I did enjoy seeing some of the area there and the beautiful historic buildings. If you can make it a trip to see other things out there on top of attending the conference that can be fun and worth the money. I enjoyed sitting in on the classes and really enjoyed the final class with the 8 Broads in the kitchen. I did order the CD with all the classes recorded. I'm curious to see how that will work. I didn't like having to pay extra for that. I think CD should just be included in the registration of the event. They either need to include that in the event or make the registration fee for two innkeepers instead of one so if traveling with a couple or partner each can attend different classes. I had to go alone because the cost was too much for two people to go.

 

[bbinnsitters]

It was fun to go in person and meet other innkeepers, go to the dinner events in Charleston with the innkeepers and such. It was a lot of money to spend and flying across the continent as well but I felt that hey....I never take a vacation so this will be my one vacation for the year. I'd never been to Charleston and would never have had a reason to go there if it were not for the conference so I did enjoy seeing some of the area there and the beautiful historic buildings. If you can make it a trip to see other things out there on top of attending the conference that can be fun and worth the money. I enjoyed sitting in on the classes and really enjoyed the final class with the 8 Broads in the kitchen. I did order the CD with all the classes recorded. I'm curious to see how that will work. I didn't like having to pay extra for that. I think CD should just be included in the registration of the event. They either need to include that in the event or make the registration fee for two innkeepers instead of one so if traveling with a couple or partner each can attend different classes. I had to go alone because the cost was too much for two people to go..

Nandor, I am bummed I didn't meet you! I thought I got to meet all the forum members there-I guess I missed you!

 

[gillumhouse]

It was fun to go in person and meet other innkeepers, go to the dinner events in Charleston with the innkeepers and such. It was a lot of money to spend and flying across the continent as well but I felt that hey....I never take a vacation so this will be my one vacation for the year. I'd never been to Charleston and would never have had a reason to go there if it were not for the conference so I did enjoy seeing some of the area there and the beautiful historic buildings. If you can make it a trip to see other things out there on top of attending the conference that can be fun and worth the money. I enjoyed sitting in on the classes and really enjoyed the final class with the 8 Broads in the kitchen. I did order the CD with all the classes recorded. I'm curious to see how that will work. I didn't like having to pay extra for that. I think CD should just be included in the registration of the event. They either need to include that in the event or make the registration fee for two innkeepers instead of one so if traveling with a couple or partner each can attend different classes. I had to go alone because the cost was too much for two people to go..

Me too - or did we meet and I just do not make the connection?

 

[birdwatcher]

I wish i could have gone, maybe next year and am sure that the cost will either be the same or close to it. Husband and I could take the week vacation to go together-it sounds so great and we definantely want to go soon. One of us will probably attend the conference in Feb-that I will be looking forward to its in Eurika Springs AR-never been there hear its absolutely great.
Money was the reason we did not attend, but we would definantely be interested in the virtual one...thats a cool idea.