Keep conferences small: That's what Robert Scoble, Microsoft blogger extraordinaire, says, if you want to keep it cost-effective for attendees and not take the financial risks.
But what's even better is this post from Jeff Jarvis on why conference business is ripe for revolution.
Read 'em and weep, or not, but the times, they are a-changing. What are you doing about it?
P.S. I got an e-mail yesterday from someone about the need to turn the whole conference concept on its head. She thought that the current model was working just fine. But look at the comments to Jarvis' post, and tell me something doesn't need fixing.
Update: Here's a thoughtful post on E-Venting about what's right about the current model, and what conference organizers can learn from the blogosphere. Some day, I'll take the time to write thoughtful posts like this!