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June 27, 2007
FAQ: Cost of Attending iHEA Conferences
Questions often arise regarding the cost of attending iHEA conference, and the following information and answers to “Frequently Asked Questions” may prove helpful.
| Low | High | |
|---|---|---|
| Registration | €440 | €1050 |
| Hotel | €250 | €1300 |
| Airfare | €200 | €1500 |
| Meals & misc. | €250 | € 450 |
Average total expenses: €2400
What is the registration fee used for?
About half is spent on social events to encourage communication among colleagues from around the world (lunches, receptions, coffee breaks), and half on administration.
What happens if there are funds left over?
Usually the conference is budgeted near break-even, with 10% for contingencies. Careful cost controls and good luck often allow iHEA to show a surplus on the conference. Surplus funds are split between the organizing units (in Copenhagen, SDU, Lund and DSI) and iHEA, with iHEA using those surplus funds to help provide scholarships to the next World Congress.
Why isn’t there a student rate?
iHEA provides student scholarships to member universities — the organizations that have built and maintained this international network. Students from developing countries are helped most effectively by targeting funds through the developing regions scholarship process.
How are registration fee levels set?
Fees are set to minimize costs to presenters - who are the most important part of the program - to encourage early registration which helps with planning and reduces aggregate costs (and allows iHEA to provide full refunds to those whose plans must change), and with regard to external considerations. Three primary principles are followed:
- Registration should be 1/3 or less of the average total cost for attending iHEA.
- Fees should be at or below rates for similar international meetings (including food & reception costs).
- Registration fees should rise no more than 5% per year.
Funds from donors are used to assist those who are most likely to need help to present their research. In practice, this means that the scholarship program is targeted at researchers from developing countries rather than reducing average fees by a few percent.
But it seems like it is much more expensive than it used to be?
The operative word here is “seems” (For more on perceptions, one might wish to consult the research of our 2005 plenary speaker Danny Kahneman or the many others who discuss the difficulties of aligning perceptions with external measures). After adjustment for inflation and exchange rates, registration fees are approximately the same as they were for iHEA’s first World Congress in Vancouver in 1996 and, pre-dating iHEA, the Zurich Health Economics Congress in 1990 (Those from the USA may have noticed that the exchange rate has moved substantially against the US dollar in recent years).
Questions regarding costs and fees are regularly discussed by the iHEA board, and we welcome your input. Please write to membership@healtheconomics.org with any suggestions or comments.
