Having just attended the Southeast LinuxFest, I was reminded of the elements that make a great conference site:
- Hotel connected to the conference venue
- Affordable hotel
- Conference venue walking distance to restaurants and entertainment
The Southeast LinuxFest location met all of these criteria, but that is rare — only one-third of conferences I attend meet these criteria, and when these criteria are not met, you feel it.
When the primary hotel is not connected to the conference, attendees have to take everything with them to the conference because they can't easily return to their rooms, and once they return to their rooms at night, it is often hard to get them to go out. Expensive hotels often drastically reduce attendee count because many attendees must pay for conference expenses with personal funds. Conferences not near food and attractions often lack the fun evening outings that attendees remember long after the conference ends.