Charging a registration fee

From ETS

As much as I like the idea as a means to deter individuals from simply not showing (and not canceling their registration) I think I recommend erring on the side of caution and not implementing a fee this year. We've worked hard to build a collaborative rapport with our audience and I don't want the idea of a fee getting in the way. Especially now that we've got some much momentum and willingness to participate even in the planning of the event. We're already including sponsors. I think charging a fee will really affect the dynamic.

Plus we'd have to build or buy a registration system that could process credit cards, which, since we're not opening up the symposium to people outside the university doesn't seem worth the cost. Perhaps we could add a survey question to gauge people's willingness to pay to attend.

Final recommendation is to not charge a registration fee.