Hmm... it says "Scholarships will include a $375 discount off the Early Bird rate of $475." That pretty clearly says $100 to me. Where are you seeing otherwise? Their registration page is "coming soon," so if folks are irked about $100, or $375 for that matter, now would be the time to lobby the LAB to change that.

On the other hand, if you want them to provide free access, where would you suggest they should look for the money to cover their costs? Getting conference tuition is a hard ask from most foundations, and looking for sponsors has its own cost in staff time.

I'm wondering what the attraction is, though? The food? the atmosphere? The chance to visit your representative or senator's staff? You can do that yourself without the conference hoopla.

If it is to push the LAB into a less corporate direction, I'd respectfully suggest saving one's breath: they seem to have (finally) found their niche, and it is (in the big picture of advancing cycling broadly) an important one to have filled. But it doesn't ("can't," I'd assert) include the counter-culture stance we love and share: they want to (must) be perceived as firmly of the mainstream culture.

More constructive, probably, to just attend the Youth Bike Summit. It's only $50 (adult) and they've got a handy fundraising guide to pay for it, and for the many other expenses of hanging out in a big city --  which greatly outweigh whatever registration fee we are talking about here.

On the tangential topic: what about a Midwest Bike! Bike! sometime soon?

Jim Sheehan
Executive Director

Ohio City Bicycle Co-op
1840 Columbus Rd
Cleveland, Ohio 44113
216 830 2667
OhioCityCycles.org

jim@ohiocitycycles.org

On Mon, Nov 14, 2016 at 10:33 AM, DancesWithCars <danceswithcars@gmail.com> wrote:

Negative effects on corporate subsidies disallowing people of diverse backgrounds...

Basically, high entrance cost keeping what some consider the riff raff out...
Wonder if critmass  could circle the ride/summit...
/MakesYouThinkHmmm  props to arsenio hall

On Sun, Nov 13, 2016, 22:21 Angel York <aniola@gmail.com> wrote:

Holy cow, I totally misread and thought the scholarship was $375 off.  Culture shock!  I had this reaction to something similar locally a couple years ago (and they even had a work-trade option!).  I think the thing to do is get in as a lecturer.  Ideally on this topic.

On Sun, Nov 13, 2016 at 1:01 PM, Josh Bisker <jbisker@gmail.com> wrote:

A bunch of us together with folks from The Untokening and Facing Race could go together as a block and force our way in :) 

On Sun, Nov 13, 2016 at 3:35 PM, momoko saunders <analyst@bikefarm.org> wrote:

I've written to them about this same issue. I mostly got lip service about how they wish they could do better but can't, and no, there's no opportunity to volunteer in exchange for a free ticket :(

Also, the scholarship application assumes you are a retail bike shop, and doesn't seem to care about community involvement, but more about how you are going to sell bike parts at your shop. It's weird. 

If I were to go again, I'd only go to women's day. It's $100, and far better then the other days of the conference. (it's not just for women but highlights Women speakers.)

-Momoko

On Sun, Nov 13, 2016 at 11:45 AM, Josh Bisker <jbisker@gmail.com> wrote:

Is it inappropriate to look at the language that says "The League is committed to ensuring that women, youth, and communities of color of all economic backgrounds have access to our events through scholarships" and then look at the price tag of $375 with scholarship, $475 for Early Bird, and more for normal birds, and then think with frustration "you should do better, National Bike Summit"? Uh, asking for a friend.

On Sun, Nov 13, 2016 at 2:41 PM, Johanna Bleecker <johanna.bleecker@gmail.com> wrote:

Nevermind, found it! Here is the link if anyone else is interested, it's running March 16-19 in VA. Would be great if they were happening a little closer to each other time-wise but still pretty good timing for taking a trip to the area. 

https://www.facebook.com/events/308664812844888/

On Sun, Nov 13, 2016 at 2:37 PM, Johanna Bleecker <johanna.bleecker@gmail.com> wrote:

Does anyone know if there's going to be a Bike!Bike! Southeast in 2017?

On Sun, Nov 13, 2016 at 12:19 PM, Angel York <aniola@gmail.com> wrote:

National Bike Summit (the national bike advocacy conference) is in Washington DC on March 6–9

http://bikeleague.org/summit

Equity scholarship deadline is January 6, 2017, it brings the price of entry down to a hundred dollars. 

____________________________________

The ThinkTank mailing List
<a href="http://lists.bikecollectives.org/options.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.org">Unsubscribe from this list</a>

____________________________________

The ThinkTank mailing List
<a href="http://lists.bikecollectives.org/options.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.org">Unsubscribe from this list</a>

____________________________________

The ThinkTank mailing List
<a href="http://lists.bikecollectives.org/options.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.org">Unsubscribe from this list</a>

____________________________________

The ThinkTank mailing List
<a href="http://lists.bikecollectives.org/options.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.org">Unsubscribe from this list</a>

____________________________________

The ThinkTank mailing List
<a href="http://lists.bikecollectives.org/options.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.org">Unsubscribe from this list</a>

____________________________________

The ThinkTank mailing List
<a href="http://lists.bikecollectives.org/options.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.org">Unsubscribe from this list</a>

____________________________________

The ThinkTank mailing List
<a href="http://lists.bikecollectives.org/options.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.org">Unsubscribe from this list</a>

____________________________________

The ThinkTank mailing List
<a href="http://lists.bikecollectives.org/options.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.org">Unsubscribe from this list</a>