Hey folks,
I'll
echo your elegant solution. In fact, let me offer a 'crazy idea' ... why not go
one step further ... there's already some foundation laid for Istanbul ...
can't we simply 'reappropriate' the conference and proceed?
Having founded and run an event company for 14 years, let me
offer this.
I can have an event management and conference booking site up
and running that will accept payment, schedule events, run the event financially
and operational for a cost per head in 24 hours. The cost per head goes to the
on-line software operator, not to me so it would be relatively inexpensive
around 3%. I am happy to contribute my time to get this happening.
All I would need is an ACCORN conference committee to guide me that
is empowered to make decisions on the communities behalf around papers and schedules
and a confirmed venue and the rest we can do on-line globally relatively
simply.
The confirmed venue with catering arrangements is the only
tricky part with financial risk. Most venue operators will want confirmed
numbers within 3 months from the commence date of the conference and a 10%
holding deposit immediately unless a university venue operation is prepared to
be flexible.
You can usually overcome this with a deposit trust fund. All
payments can be placed in a trust fund ie in PayPal (although they are
expensive or something similar) until the conference viability is confirmed with
a refund clause. The venue can sometimes be persuaded to hold out for the
deposit until almost a month out by which time we should be able to confirm
numbers and schedules pretty well.
Accommodation options can be added to the site with a direct
click through to the hotels or whatever options there might be so attendees can
arrange their own accommodation..
Is this of any help?
Kind regards,
Ralph
Ralph Kerle
Executive Chairman
The Creative Leadership Forum
www.thecreativeleadershipforum.com
+61 29403 5327 m 0412 559 603
Ralph Kerle on Twitter
(@creativematters)