Hacker News Reader

Comment by monsterix | Hacker News Reader

Wow!

I remember going through this ordeal (of taking a decision) a couple of weeks back with Collision Conference. They'd shortlisted us for the conference at Las Vegas and wanted us to pay a sum to attend it.

Here's what I'd tweeted then, at the time:

https://twitter.com/marvindanig/status/579039796238139392

After reading this post I feel happy that we decided not to attend the event. Apparently, it saved us some embarrassment and precious dollars!

View on HN

Identical experience here with Collision. They set up a 15 'pitch call' with me, asked a couple token questions and then blazed through a script about what their conference offers. I was magically approved for a 'free booth' package provided I paid the $1,995 for tickets.

It is clear they don't have the entrepreneur's interests at heart.

And they're not afraid of "masking" the truth just to get you more invested. This is an excerpt from an email conversation with them after inviting us to apply for Collision:

Me: Is this REALLY free or I'll need to buy tickets if chosen?

Collision: The stand is free for chosen startups.

We applied and got invited and then we were asked to pay, but declined.

I'm replying to you but it's really to 3 or 4 of the similar comments. I can't tell what the exact issue is here. Is it the cost? Is it a bait and switch? Is it that the price is fine but the conference isn't what's advertised?

$2000 is not very much money for 2 to 3 people to attend and have a booth at if the audience and attendees are in line with what was advertised. I do agree with an earlier comment that you probably want it to be the case that startups are potential customers for you so that you have multiple ways to get an ROI. (Investors, potential customers and future employees etc)

Collision Conf 'shortlists' every startup they come across.

Hmm. They do seem to have some big/good names on their speaker list though!:

https://collisionconf.com/speakers

I guess their kind of thing is suitable for enterprise startups. Where, you know, BS is a way of life and cash is in plenty.

How bad does a conference need to be to turn down a good speaking fee?

I mean, it's not like John Collison could turn it down. It's practically named after him.

Really, though... bad experience on the startup side != bad conference in general.

I find it interesting that I can't find the NY Times quote they've splashed all over their advertising about being a "conclave of tech's high priests." I can find other people quoting the quote, but I can't find any NY Times article that actually includes it (or even mentions this conference at all).

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/08/magazine/the-dutch-elm-dis...

The article isn't particularly about the conference, but what it does mention I wouldn't consider too complimentary.

Wow, that article isn't about the conference at all, it just serves as an anecdote. The quote the conference uses in their media serves, if anything, as nothing more than a flippant missive meant to contrast the writer's own view of himself against the people he writes about, not as praise for the event.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com