All �
To kick off the discussion, I�d like to first point out that in the past we have used a �regular� meeting fee structure of approximately $400/$600/$800 USD for 802 plenary meetings. This was based on smoothing the meeting expense across multiple meetings � a practice afforded by our keeping a relatively large reserve, and a relatively low chance of paying a meeting cancellation fee.
With the onset of the pandemic, our Executive Secretary has been extremely successful in avoiding meeting cancellation fees.� In many cases this has resulted in deposits held by venues for future meetings, which, in conjunction with continued operating expenses, has drained the 802 bank balance to approximately $545,000, an amount less than the operating expenses of a single meeting.
As a result, we need to set an amount for a single meeting much more closely tied to the actual expenses, especially in the face of continued uncertainty.
As announced, the March 2022 meeting will incur a significant cancellation fee, and the anticipated total expense of the meeting (includes cancellation fee and� electronic meeting administration expenses)� will be about $300,000. Over an expected number of 700 paid registrants (our usual budgeting number), this would warrant an average income of about $430 per registrant. �(Note that the average is usually much closer to the �early bird� fee than the �regular� fee)
The pandemic has already gone on longer than expected, and given the continued uncertainty, it would not be prudent to expect to amortize this fee across multiple meetings.� Note that should we have to cancel the July meeting, we are contractually obligated to significant cancellation fees for it.
Based on the anticipated cost for March 2022, �I would propose and support we revise the registration fee for the March 2022 802 plenary at $400/$600/$800 with the same transition dates as previously announced ($400 until Jan 28, 2022; �then $600 until Feb 25, 2022, �and $800 after Feb 25, 2022).
-george
George Zimmerman
IEEE 802 LMSC Treasurer
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