Subject: IETF registration fee increase from 2015

From: IETF Chair <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 1 Oct 2014 17:43:28 +0300

In preparing the final budget for 2015 and drafts for 2016 and beyond,
we face continuing rising meeting and other costs and no corresponding
increase in meeting registration fees.  In fact, the meeting
registration fee has not changed in 4 years.

Therefore, the IAOC is proposing to raise the meeting registration fee
by $50 per meeting starting with the March meeting in Dallas as
follows:

Early Bird Fee              $650 to $700, or 8%
Late Fee                        $800 to $850
Day Passes	                   $350 to $400
Full time Students        $150 - $175 

More details below, but we seek community feedback before doing this.

The cause for the increase is a trend in rising costs.  IETF costs relate to the 
meetings, support services (secretariat, IT), RFC Editor, and various other 
items such as tool development. IETF is funded through the meeting fees, as 
well as significant contributions through sponsors and ISOC.

For the last 4 years, 2011 - 2014, the Registration Fee has been unchanged 
at $650, and for the period 2008 through 2010 the Registration Fee was $635.

Over the period 2007 through 2014 the Registration Fee increased from $600 
to $650, 8.3% over the eight years.  During that time Expenses, including
meetings, RFC Editor, Secretariat, IASA, and others, increased 32%.  In 2015
Expenses will increase 6% over the 2014 forecast. 

As a percentage contribution to the budget, registration revenue has declined
from 51% in 2007 to 41% in 2014.  Without a registration fee increase in 
2015, that would drop to 36% of the budget.  Even with the fee increase of 
$50 in 2015, it becomes 39%.

Since the implementation of IASA in 2005, the IAOC has sought to provide
support services of high quality and value through a “regularization” of 
contractual relationship with our vendors in all the above categories.  As you 
know, we submit statements of work to the community for review and do 
competitive Requests for Proposals. Our services continue to change, and in 
some cases expand, such as increasing the number of editors to handle the 
roughly 340 RFCs per year, outsourcing the NOC, and remote participation 
services. 

The suggested registration fee increase is sufficient to re-balance the budget 
for 2015. Unfortunately, the cost of hotel facilities and other services continues 
to grow slowly. Without further actions, additional increases may be necessary, 
and we project a $20 increase for 2016. The IAOC has taken on a task to 
determine whether we can reduce and/or prioritize our costs so that the trend 
can be minimized. No decisions have been taken about meeting fees beyond 
2015, and they will depend on the success of the IAOC in its task.

The draft budget, registration fee history, expense history and major expense 
trends can be found here: <https://iaoc.ietf.org/2015-budget.html>.

Thanks for your consideration of this and your feedback. The next IAOC meeting 
is October 9th, and if possible, we would prefer to receive feedback by then

Jari Arkko, IETF Chair
Chris Griffiths, IAOC Chair

---

From: Ray Pelletier <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 1 Oct 2014 11:54:25 -0400

Dave,

On Oct 1, 2014, at 11:35 AM, Dave Crocker <[email-masked]> wrote:

> On 10/1/2014 7:43 AM, IETF Chair wrote:
> ...
>> The cause for the increase is a trend in rising costs.  
> 
> 
> Merely as a matter of normal due diligence, I suggest having the
> proposal include a comparison against industry-wide meeting cost trends,
> so that the IETF increase can be considered in terms of participant fees
> at similar types of meetings for other groups.
> 
> In other words, does the increase for IETF attendees match the kinds of
> increases being seen at other meetings?

This would certainly be an interesting exercise, but not particularly relevant.  

Registration revenue is but one part of the income structure that includes
sponsorships, hotel commissions, and Internet Society contributions to fund 
meetings, RFC Services, the Secretariat, IASA, tools maintenance and more.

Total expenses over the last 8 years have increased 32%, registration fees 8%.
Sponsorships and ISOC are not bottomless wells from which we can draw 
cash at will.  

Other organizations are not structured as we are.  It would not be an 
apples to apples comparison.

Just an additional note that the IAOC and ISOC are reviewing ways to 
achieve IETF sustainability, which I hope will lead to a diversification of 
income streams so that the IETF is not totally dependent on sponsors, ISOC
and meeting attendees.

Best
Ray

> 
> d/
> 
> -- 
> Dave Crocker
> Brandenburg InternetWorking
> bbiw.net
>