Dave, Certainly there are organizations that do this. Those organizations are significantly different from the IETF. For one thing, the first thing we would have to do in the IETF - if we adopted a model like this - is to establish a marketing over-sight function to ensure fair and equitable disposition of sponsorship funds. -- Eric --> -----Original Message----- --> From: Dave Crocker [mailto:dhc2@xxxxxxxxxxxx] --> Sent: Thursday, March 23, 2006 7:45 PM --> To: Michael StJohns --> Cc: Keith Moore; ietf@xxxxxxxx; jordi.palet@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx --> Subject: Moving from "hosts" to "sponsors" --> --> Michael StJohns wrote: --> > What I think Jordi is saying is that he wants the US sponsors to --> > subsidize the cost of the overseas meetings. At least --> that's what it --> > works out to be.... --> --> This view can be mapped to a classic model that would have --> significant benefits --> for the IETF: --> --> --> A "host" gets all sorts of marketing leverage out of the --> role in producing an --> IETF. --> --> There is nothing that requires that the event site --> management effort be coupled --> with a particular host's venue. --> --> If we moved to a model of having companies provide --> sponsorship funds, in return --> for which they get appropriate marketing presence, then we --> could have meeting --> venue management move to the sort of predictable and timely --> basis -- ie, far --> enough ahead of time -- that has been a concern for many years. --> --> --> d/ --> --> -- --> --> Dave Crocker --> Brandenburg InternetWorking --> <http://bbiw.net> --> --> _______________________________________________ --> Ietf mailing list --> Ietf@xxxxxxxx --> https://www1.ietf.org/mailman/listinfo/ietf --> _______________________________________________ Ietf@xxxxxxxx https://www1.ietf.org/mailman/listinfo/ietf