<p>This isn't an answer, but felt it was good to post here as a sort of announcement. Also, it makes the question at least a little bit moot for many people. [Making it CW so I don't get any points from people upvoting just b/c they're happy about the result :).]</p>
<p>While I think one author is still needed to register at the higher fee, <strong>attendee fees have been significantly reduced!</strong> They are now \$150 for non-members, \$125 for society members, \$100 for students, and \$70 for lifetime members. <a href="https://focs2021.cs.colorado.edu/registration/" rel="noreferrer">https://focs2021.cs.colorado.edu/registration/</a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-01-13T16:49:00.103Z
Thanks for the info. I find it quite sad that this is the cheapest they could offer.
domotorp
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-01-13T16:49:35.697Z
ps. How do you make things community wiki? I've looked for it a lot, as I also wanted my question to be cw.
domotorp
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-01-13T16:53:39.633Z
@domotorp For *answers*, there is a cw checkbox right below the answer textarea. For *questions*, you can’t do that on your own, you have to flag the post for moderator attention.
Emil Jeřábek
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-01-13T17:35:44.000Z
Thanks, I've flagged it.
domotorp
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-01-13T16:18:38.597Z
2022-01-13T16:18:38.597Z
Joshua Grochow
<p>I'm not sure this is on topic here, but probably can be best answered by this community, so I'm posting it as a soft-question.</p>
<p>Due to the pandemic, FOCS 2021 will be a virtual conference. Most conferences, when moving online, reduced the registration fee to some <a href="http://acm-stoc.org/stoc2021/" rel="noreferrer">two digits number</a>. At FOCS, however, the cheapest <a href="https://focs2021.cs.colorado.edu/registration/" rel="noreferrer">registration fee</a> for grown-ups still starts at $600, without any reduction from the offline figures. Is there any justification for this?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-01-03T10:07:23.173Z
FOCS is an IEEE conference, and IEEE charges a lot of money to its conferences; this does not allow cheap fees.  The same holds true for ACM conferences.
Gamow
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-01-03T10:23:48.017Z
@Gamow ACM STOC was $50, see my link in the question.
domotorp
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-01-03T11:13:37.740Z
I see, and I am surprised. I remember that SoCG (the geometry conference) moved away from ACM five or six years ago, and as a consequence the registration fees could be cut down by 50 percent. (They could not publish their proceedings anymore as ACM proceedings, and hence moved to Leibniz; this did not cause any damage to the conference.)
Gamow
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-01-03T14:28:54.547Z
SODA was insane as well (and the whole communication by SIAM was a fiasco). I am really puzzled by what's going on there.
Clement C.
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-01-03T16:24:04.103Z
The issue is likely how to cover unrecoverable conference expenses from the hotel. I believe IEEE and the organizing committee are working on it, but that is the latest I've heard.
Joshua Grochow
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-01-03T19:38:01.697Z
@Joshua Then they should put the registration on hold and say something on the webpage, no?
domotorp
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-01-03T19:54:46.710Z
@domotorp: I am not privy to those discussions, but surely they had a discussion about that and opted not to do anything yet. I would guess and hope that IF they are able to lower the rates, then they will refund anyone who has already registered at the higher rate.
Joshua Grochow
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-01-04T22:08:24.523Z
Update: https://twitter.com/yrabani/status/1478046039013834755
Joshua Grochow
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-01-07T08:49:00.500Z
New update: https://twitter.com/IeeeTcmf/status/1479372834250100737?s=20 "An update on FOCS registration:

1. The deadline for early registration is now Feb. 6, a day before the conference begins.

2. In a few days there will be an update regarding the registration fees. One author for each contributed paper will have to register at current fees."
Clement C.
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-01-09T19:47:00.023Z
So it does stay 600, except perhaps for those who don't present a paper. I still don't fully understand why and it would be nice to know the explanation.
domotorp
<soft-question><conferences>
FOCS virtual fee $600
domotorp
# FOCS virtual fee $600

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-01-03)

I'm not sure this is on topic here, but probably can be best answered by this community, so I'm posting it as a soft-question.

Due to the pandemic, FOCS 2021 will be a virtual conference. Most conferences, when moving online, reduced the registration fee to some [two digits number](http://acm-stoc.org/stoc2021/). At FOCS, however, the cheapest [registration fee](https://focs2021.cs.colorado.edu/registration/) for grown-ups still starts at $600, without any reduction from the offline figures. Is there any justification for this?

**Tags:** soft-question, conferences

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: FOCS is an IEEE conference, and IEEE charges a lot of money to its conferences; this does not allow cheap fees.  The same holds true for ACM conferences.  
> **username_0**: @username_1 ACM STOC was $50, see my link in the question.  
> **username_1**: I see, and I am surprised. I remember that SoCG (the geometry conference) moved away from ACM five or six years ago, and as a consequence the registration fees could be cut down by 50 percent. (They could not publish their proceedings anymore as ACM proceedings, and hence moved to Leibniz; this did not cause any damage to the conference.)  
> **username_2**: SODA was insane as well (and the whole communication by SIAM was a fiasco). I am really puzzled by what's going on there.  
> **username_3**: The issue is likely how to cover unrecoverable conference expenses from the hotel. I believe IEEE and the organizing committee are working on it, but that is the latest I've heard.  
> **username_0**: @Joshua Then they should put the registration on hold and say something on the webpage, no?  
> **username_3**: @username_0: I am not privy to those discussions, but surely they had a discussion about that and opted not to do anything yet. I would guess and hope that IF they are able to lower the rates, then they will refund anyone who has already registered at the higher rate.  
> **username_3**: Update: https://twitter.com/yrabani/status/1478046039013834755  
> **username_2**: New update: https://twitter.com/IeeeTcmf/status/1479372834250100737?s=20 "An update on FOCS registration:  1. The deadline for early registration is now Feb. 6, a day before the conference begins.  2. In a few days there will be an update regarding the registration fees. One author for each contributed paper will have to register at current fees."  
> **username_0**: So it does stay 600, except perhaps for those who don't present a paper. I still don't fully understand why and it would be nice to know the explanation.  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2022-01-13. Score: 7 | Accepted answer

This isn't an answer, but felt it was good to post here as a sort of announcement. Also, it makes the question at least a little bit moot for many people. [Making it CW so I don't get any points from people upvoting just b/c they're happy about the result :).]

While I think one author is still needed to register at the higher fee, **attendee fees have been significantly reduced!** They are now \$150 for non-members, \$125 for society members, \$100 for students, and \$70 for lifetime members. <https://focs2021.cs.colorado.edu/registration/>

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thanks for the info. I find it quite sad that this is the cheapest they could offer.  
> **username_0**: ps. How do you make things community wiki? I've looked for it a lot, as I also wanted my question to be cw.  
> **username_4**: @username_0 For *answers*, there is a cw checkbox right below the answer textarea. For *questions*, you can’t do that on your own, you have to flag the post for moderator attention.  
> **username_0**: Thanks, I've flagged it.  

---

