Education seminar pricing

Log Out | Topics | Search Moderators | Register | Edit Profile

Author Message David Axt, AIA, CCS, CSI Senior Member Username: david_axt Post Number: 637 Registered: 03-2002 Posted on Wednesday, March 15, 2006 - 01:08 pm:    Our Chapter puts on some excellent educational seminars. One of our problems is not knowing how to price these seminars. One camp says we should put them on for free as kind of an outreach program and to help educate the construction community. The other camp says that these seminars should be profit centers and we should rely on them as a source of Chapter income. How do you price your chapter educational seminars? Phil Kabza Senior Member Username: phil_kabza Post Number: 161 Registered: 12-2002 Posted on Wednesday, March 15, 2006 - 01:41 pm:    We use seminars as a modest fundraiser for the Charlotte chapter. The pricing varies - we do small seminars at a no cost conference center location, generally with manufacturer-sponsored independent subject matter experts, at a fee of $60 - 90 for a three hour AIA/CES HSW program. We do larger venue half- and full-day seminars for up to $150 plus some manufacturer tabletop sponsorships. The shorter sessions get more interest lately due to most peoples' time constraints. We tend to avoid simply putting on manufacturer-produced presentations, as those are available within local firms for free. The topics and presenters need to current and strong; there are plenty of opportunities to just "get credits" out there. Robert Swan (Unregistered Guest) Unregistered guest Posted on Tuesday, May 23, 2006 - 06:40 pm:    Generally about $ 10 per credit hour if that will cover what the room and other costs total out to multiplied by your estmated attendence. The cost goes up towards the end of the year so the designers who need the credits give the chapter a little extra income. Ann Baker (Unregistered Guest) Unregistered guest Posted on Friday, May 26, 2006 - 05:04 pm:    Like others who've posted here, the Denver chapter takes into account the cost to put on the seminar - room rents, printing and/or mailing, food, those kinds of things. But, one thing we also factor in is the perceived value. It's always a guessing game (we hope we guess right more than we guess wrong), but if you charge too little registrants are more apt to blow it off and not show. And, of course, if you charge too much, people think it's outrageous and don't sign up. The subject matter, in our case, usually plays a part in setting the fee.