Your logic is ONLY valid in the case where a presenter is an amateur or looking to sell something (such as, “After the presentation, I’ll have my newest book for sale in the back”). Seriously, imagine this call from your end while calling someone like UP’s Steve Lee, “Well, we need you to pay your own way here and for an annual membership… No, I’m NOT kidding, you should be thankful we’re providing the expensive meeting space for you to show up at!” See how insane that sounds? I agree if someone who’s agenda and program might not be what you’re looking for, you’re not likely inviting them anyway and that’s a different topic altogether. But if someone is ASKED to present at an event, there is no sane logic in making them pay for the “privilege” to do so. In fact, it’s quite an insult, one that groups apparently make all the time.
I’m reminded of the call I got in 2006 from a non-profit society in the Midwest to appear at a large event they were doing, on a subject I’d written on. Halfway through the call, they asking me when I’d be flying in and where I’d be staying. I stumbled through a reaction, saying I thought that was up to them (assuming they were paying for it). The contact was quite flustered. She said something I’ll never forget, “Apparently we misunderstand each other. It’s an HONOR to present at this annual event.” I calmly told her I’d never even heard of them before their first call, that they wanted me to appear, not the other way around, and asked if EVERY person who’d ever appeared paid their own way. She wouldn’t answer the question.

Indeed, if this "join and register" policy had been the general rule in the railroad historical field in recent years, a number of presenters of frequently requested programs and clinics would now have memberships in dozens of organizations if they had continued to provide their usual level of support for events. But I suspect that in the case of many of those presenters the imposition of such a demand would have reduced their participation.

The highly competent presenters in this hobby and industry seldom "ask" to show their programs, they are usually contacted and requested to participate in events, and sometimes get far more requests than they can possibly service with the spare time and resources that they have available.

PC

I am the president and an event organizer for a railroad historical society that has an NRHS chapter associated w/ it. The initial question of this entire thread completely caught me off-guard... I would rather not stare at my own navel, but MY organization has NEVER asked an invited guest to pay to come to the invited activity. AND, when and if it was deemed necessary and/or appropriate, I have exercised my authority as association president to give one-year membership to an invited guest(speaker, OLS presenter, speeder car owner/operators, steam engine mechanic/evaluator, etc). And, no, I am not talking about local-yokels showing their excursion slides with Auntie Em in the background, I am talking about JWrinn, SBarry, PCook and RGustafson (to name a few) that have been invited and attended annual banquets over the past five years, NARCOA members from multiple states who brought speeders, and steam people from an Ohio steam operation.

I know it might not be the other contributors' intent herein, but don' paint everyone with the same brush - **some** organizations might do this 'charging thing,' but **many** do not.


Ray Grabowski, Jr.
President
Lake Shore Railway Historical Society
North East, Pennsylvania

OK, so you hire the bluegrass band to play a gig Friday night. And yeah, you don't require them to buy a membership, because that would be stupid, I agree.

What happens when you see them in Saturday's keynote holding handouts from three breakout sessions? And they DON'T have badges. They just assumed that as the help, they'd be comped in, "don't cost you nothin', and is good for the hobby. Can you set us up with tix for the steam train? My kid would really enjoy it."

Heretofore, you have been making assumptions about the quality of presenters, and also the quality of conferences. And my point is -- there are absolutely no hard-and-fast rules about this. Everything is negotiable and variable. So answer this, presenter: You get a call from a conference (which I shall not yet name, yes, this is a trick.) They want a high-level view of railroads' future role in the transportation system, particular to your core experience. The conference can cover hotel, and a full comp to the basic event (not upgrades). Not food or flight. Go, or no go? Can you answer?

Robert, Where is this hypothetical conference to be held at?

Beijing?

PC