I would sure hate someone important using the excuse they don't have enough money to attend. Is this something we should consider including in the wine-devel announcement?
Yeah, this was something I felt a bit awkward about last year. I don't want to just broadcast it, because then 30 people get a $50 discount on their travel. But if it is a make or break issue for someone - even someone with only a modest Wine track record - then it seems like we've done A Good Thing (TM).
What I did last year was announce that their was a limited fund and then asked people to contact me privately. That seemed to filter it well, and we only had 4 people ask, so I feel like the money made a real difference to at least those 4 people.
Cheers,
Jeremy