No Fee. We just ask that you give the host what you can afford ($20, $5, $100) or offer something to be offered for the Silent Auction. This help pay for the rooms. If you truly can't afford to give anything, then don't worry about it, but I'll see you in your dreams
.
The NYC contingent is a great bunch. I don't think that Erik (who hosts the fall meet) or I have ever had to pay out of pocket for our room rentals.
Rooms in outlying cities, may only cost $400 for the room, but the NYC meet always falls out around $750. I know the catering manager well (after 7 years of meets and he gives us a $600 room for $250. Also, he let's us have the room for the whole day (2 sessions) for the price of one. I always through him $50 and have helped him setup his personal Home Theater, all in the name of Head-Fi. Whatever it takes.
Well, not "whatever"
. I gotta draw the line somewhere. Perhaps, next year, we'll get Bambi or Heidi for him
. Seriously, he's good people.
If the place was a little bigger, and the rooms were bigger, it would be the optimal place to hold the US International. It was great for the '96 meet, but the committees since then, have raised the bar so high, It would be a big step down. Too bad.