Now THERE'S a guaranteed manner in which to increase attendance: add a cruise cost to air fare.
You gotta be kidding.
This makes your online pleas for money raising on behalf of AMSAT-NA for satellite projects seem trivial and unnecessary: AMSAT must be loaded if they think this is going to enhance their stature and bank account.
This makes me wonder what the true desire is of AMSAT-NA. If it is, indeed, to "disseminate info about and build birds," then the best method available is remote, live, videocasts from presenters. That would cost the presenter NOTHING in transportation costs. It would involve EVERY CONTINENT on the planet. And it would allow the largest possible audiences to "attend." Minimal charge for password access to whatever session one wanted to see ... or a conference package fee ... allow that access to be shown to a classroom or audience ... those fees are TOTAL PROFIT to AMSAT (unless honorariums are paid to some presenters).
Overhead costs to AMSAT-NA? Virtually nothing. Largest attendance ever of any AMSAT show in history? Guaranteed.
Unless the same minds who thought up "let's take a cruise" are in charge of it ... only then could someone mess up so simple a concept to bring educational sessions to the largest audience.
Clint Bradford