I think there is no shortage of objective ways to do good. If we skip over those, seeking the more subjective ways, it is probably in service to one's self, not to the goal of doing good.
MacAskill writes that QALYs can be used to decide which charitable causes to prioritise: faced with a choice between spending $10,000 to save a 20-year-old from blindness or the same amount on antiretroviral therapy for a 30-year-old with Aids – a treatment that will improve their life and extend it by ten years – MacAskill argues it would be better to perform the sight-saving surgery, as the 20-year-old can expect to live another 50 years. He acknowledges that QALYs are an “imperfect”, “contested” measure but sees them as mostly good enough. I've been to about 70 conferences in my academic career, and I'm noticed that the aesthetics, antiquity, and uniqueness of the venue can have a significant effect on the seriousness with which people take ideas and conversations, and the creativity of their thinking. And, of course, it's much easier to attract great talent and busy thinkers to attractive venues. Moreover, I suspect that meeting in a building constructed in 1480 might help promote long-termism and multi-century thinking.[1] https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/xof7iFB3uh8Kc53bG/...
Although it doesn't seem to mention the issue with being unable to find other conference centers, so that reason may still be valid or might be a mistake on Scott's part.
Why do they need a "nice venue"? Why wouldn't any airport hotel's conference room be sufficient? They wanted something nice, more than utilitarian. They wanted luxury, and how does an "effective altruist" defend that? Because luxury makes them "more effective" of course.
If someone is spending lavishly on pitching to me[1], I start to really question the deal. At best, they're showing me that they don't mind wasting money on things that don't matter. If you want to impress me, wine and dine me by taking me to McDonald's.
[1] I have been picked up in expensive sports cars, I have been taken out to eye-wateringly expensive restaurants, etc. This is the sort of thing that raises big red flags to me.
Two separate castles:
https://twitter.com/paulmainwood/status/1600433194691502081
https://www.chateau-hostacov.cz/en/contact
They really ran with the exact opposite of Peter Singer's sacrifice your fancy boots to save a child parable.
And Effective Altruist Sam Bankman-Fried, who drove a Prius for optics, lived in what has been cited as potentially the most expensive private residence in the Bahamas. He was grilled on it a bit before the collapse and explained that worrying about what he did with 1% of his money wasn't justifiable use of time in the big picture--still dubious given the Singer origins of the movement)--but a bigger problem was close to 100% of the money was fictional: illiquid self-issued token valuation, and double spending/self-loaning of customer funds.
Just like other charities that spend nearly more of the money on fundraising and growth that were the main target of criticism of the movement, they did pretty much the same, while pitching it as a more effective alternative to Oxfam, etc.