I am all for influential informed people relating their view of the economy and how it relates to us locally. This kind of valuable feedback can prepare us for what to expect.

However, with the county fair atmosphere and celebs and comedians taking the podium I can't help but wonder how much of a business conference the Business Conference is.

Boycott the BBC?  Can most Bakersfieldians afford the BBC?

Due to finances, I'm "boycotting", too.

I'm with jf on this one. I'd go if I could afford it, but I can't, so I'll boycott it too!

Many people tend to forget that many celebs are also very successful business people and have much to share with other likeminded and interested people. I'd say the guests who attend the conference are, on average, more informed business people than the average liberal celeb is informed politically. 

The BBC ain't for the poor common folk of Bakersfield.  It's for people with real money.

"Shaq is rich.  The guy who signs Shaq's checks is 'wealthy'" -Chris Rock

Being someone in business as a sales rep, I find it quite insulting that a local business conference would expect people to pay such a high price to see a dog and pony show. 

The price doesn't insult wealthy folk.

Just the cost of doing business...

If it was cheaper (i.e. affordable), you know how many protesters would show up and rain on the party?  This is a networking event.

It has little to do with "left v. right" politics.

Just another self-congratulatory orgy for the dying political party that the Repubwhigans have devolved into.

 This is a networking event.

Exactly - and I want to network, but there's no way I can pay hundreds of dollars for such an event, and my company definitely wouldn't pick up the tab unless we had a guaranteed business deal coming our way from it.

I am all for influential informed people relating their view of the economy and how it relates to us locally. This kind of valuable feedback can prepare us for what to expect.

However, with the county fair atmosphere and celebs and comedians taking the podium I can't help but wonder how much of a business conference the Business Conference is.

Hi Catpaw,

I’ve attended two of the conferences in the past. I was hired by vendors to provide photo coverage, so I got in free.

It was mostly political grandstanding speeches, inter spaced with various comedians for some laughs.

Lot’s of commercial vendor booths, and free flowing liquor. A great big networking party really. 

The 1992 conference had both Ronald Reagan and Rich Little impersonating Reagan, Bush 1, Clinton, and Ross Peroe. Rich was up just before Reagan, and most there thought his Reagan was more fun than the real thing.

I honestly can’t recall any business projections that were meaningful in the long run, but the crowd seemed to enjoy the day.

It was mostly political grandstanding speeches, inter spaced with various comedians for some laughs.

DIfficult to tell the difference. 

 Alumni can sit at "The Pub" I mean the students activity center and watch the simulcast free.....

They're hinting that Clinton might be there.  He'll be their biggest draw if he does attend.  I might even buy a ticket to see him.

The conference was getting stale.  Maybe it's time to shake it up a little with an even balance of liberals and conservatives.

If they don't come to Bako, where else would they be welcome?  The world is shrinking for the neo-conservatives.  I will attend in the same way as I would go to a zoo to see some rare and exotic animals.

Exactly - and I want to network, but there's no way I can pay hundreds of dollars for such an event, and my company definitely wouldn't pick up the tab unless we had a guaranteed business deal coming our way from it.

Like the homie Snoop Dogg says, "You got to pay the cost to be the boss".

JF The BBC ain't for the poor common folk of Bakersfield.  It's for people with real money.

wife used to work for borton petrini as an executive legal assitant..every year she got a paid holiday to help serve the masses..if you wanna call it that.my take on their attitude...the high prices are geared to keeping out the undeserving riff raff

Sioux

Why are riff raff undeserving?  Are you saying that the poor deserve to be poor?  Don't you think that sometimes mitigating circumstances can create poverty where it didn't exist before?

Is this also the philosophy of your church?

I agree, SCR.  If it was cheaper, you'd have protests.  The wealthy folk are paying for a good time not politcal dissent. 

My mother went to a few when she was a marketing rep for Costco (I got to go when I was a jrotc cadet providing security for Colin Powell).

audrey Why are riff raff undeserving?

 you misunderstood my symathys...you know how i feel about arrogance

audrey Is this also the philosophy of your church?

ouch cant we keep the religious insults to a minimum for awhile..this board has developed an illness and its becoming a local  pandemic

Geez, all of this whining.  Yikes.  I've been to the Business Conference many times and I plan to go next year.  It doesn't cost that much anyway.

Apparently, once again, the left just can't seem to abide anybody who doesn't walk in lock-step with them.  Too bad, and believe me Cheney doesn't care about that, either. 

OK Sioux

I misunderstood you.  No harm I hope.  ;-)

Whining? who?

Where there's a will there's a way.  That's what I say...

  It doesn't cost that much anyway.

It costs a lot if it's something that you really don't care about (like me).

The left doesn't want to go because they don't want  to hear Cheney rewrite history one more time.  Sheesh.

 "Too bad, and believe me Cheney doesn't care about that, either."

Yes, we're all  aware of that ...

--virgil

How much is "not too much?"

Cheney will be preaching to the choir (good ol' trickle down) and checking in on his local Haliburton money.  Bakersfield is just a bump in his road.

He'll be dissing Obama too, mark my words.

Hardly, a bump ... Btown's more like an open mouth to (the) Dick  Cheney .

--virgil

He'll be safe.  Bakersfield is one of Jr.'s hometowns.

...so...

-Dick Cheney-

whooa ... !

--virgil

JF, that Chris Rock riff on the difference between being rich and being wealthy is one of my all-time favorites. I use it frequently in conversations with others.

It's true. Cheney is back to being a wealthy civilian again.  He don't have to waste his time with a bunch of poor folk or kiss a bunch of bald headed babies.

He'll be dissing Obama too, just mark my words.

And lying to do so.

I have a friend who owns a VERY successful mortgage brokerage business here in town. (He has NEVER filed for bankruptcy). He always buys a few tickets to the BBC and I go with him and some other friends. We eat, drink, people watch, and have an all around fun day. All expenses are paid for by him. He then writes off everything to his business as a business expense and at tax time, it costs him NOTHING!

God bless America!

 All expenses are paid for by him. He then writes off everything to his business as a business expense and at tax time, it costs him NOTHING!

Speaking of corporate welfare...but I'd suspect it just costs him *LESS*, not *NOTHING*.   Unless Shrub's sweetheart tax-break deals for the rich were even worse for the country than I thought.

Y'know, it just now occurred to me what the original poster had against the British Broadcasting Company...

RF, I'm not a tax expert, but he says it costs him nothing after his taxes are done. The important thing is that it does not cost me anything to attend.

It's nice to have friends in high places.

 And what good are your friends, if you can't use them - is what I always say !

--virgil

" He has NEVER filed for bankruptcy"

LMFAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

anderson, it's not a case of using your friends, but about having good friends. If you got out into the real world and didn't sit behind your computer all day and night, you might understand.

...But I doubt it.

 Well,

I heard that the good friends are the best ones to use.

--virgil

wow it looks like checkmate is PMS 'ing ......always good for a  bully to be anonymous

Excersize your 2nd Amendment rights and show up---it's good enough for the President's rallies....

refiguy, what are you talking about? How is what I said being a bully?

Mate,

 "If you got out into the real world and didn't sit behind your computer all day and night, you might understand."

And just in case you tend to doubt youself into a riddle, don't worry about what I do with my time. I would not justify it to you anyway, Bully-boy .

--virgil

I can call you Blue, if you'd  prefer.    :   )

--virgil

Your comment had zero relevance to the topic of discussion ....

I have a friend who owns a VERY successful mortgage brokerage business here in town. (He has NEVER filed for bankruptcy). He always buys a few tickets to the BBC and I go with him and some other friends. We eat, drink, have oral sex with each and other people watch, and have an all around fun day. All expenses are paid for by him. He then writes off everything to his business as a business expense and at tax time, it costs him NOTHING!

......

refiguy, you are way to paranoid.

And anderson, you can call me whatever your little pea brain wants to call me. Blue, black, white, purple, orange... It does not matter you goof.